Jerry Yee was the first to enter the dugout, slipping inside before the crowd’s cheers had even settled.
For him, the message was simple: the job isn’t finished.
ZUS Coffee had just secured its first-ever Premier Volleyball League Final appearance —a milestone for a team that had spent almost its entire existence at the bottom of the food chain. Still, Yee maintained the same calm, work-focused demeanor he always had.
Even sweeping a PLDT squad that had dominated the preseason didn’t change his expression. For him, this was progress, not the destination.
“Masaya, satisfying, pero malayo pa eh. Marami pa kaming gagawin. Ito ‘yung journey namin. Masaya kami ngayon, pero we still have to work — mahaba-haba pa,” said Yee.
“So we’re very happy na ganun nga, pero ‘di pa tapos, so one more game,” he added.
Yet even as he kept his head down, the journey was impossible to ignore.
The Thunderbelles had come a long way, from being a lottery squad last season to finishing second in the 2025 Premier Volleyball League Reinforced Conference elimination round.
They rolled past Capital1 in the quarterfinals, swept PLDT in the semifinals, and now stood on the biggest stage of the tournament — the Final.
(C) PVL Images
“May 27, 2024 na-form ‘yung ZUS and short time, short period, and then ‘di ba? Swerte sa draft, masipag si management kunin ‘yung mga right pieces, aggressive sila kunin ‘yung mga kailangan namin, and ayan,” recalled Yee.
“Nandito sila, so kailangan gawin ko ‘yung work ko. Kailangan mong suklian ‘yung management na binibigay nila ‘yung support. Ano lang ‘yan eh, tit for tat. Nandiyan sila, so kailangan nandiyan kami. So coaches, staff, players, ganun lang,” he added.
Now standing in their way is a veteran-laden Petro Gazz side, one that has been to this stage before and knows exactly how to navigate the pressures of a championship series.
And while the challenge ahead looms larger than anything ZUS Coffee has faced this season, Yee remains unfazed, locked into the same mindset that brought them this far: the work isn’t done, and neither is he.
“Kami, kung saan kami aabot, eh ‘di sige lang push lang ng push. Ang laking kumpyansa na ng binibigay sa’min ni Anna, sandal talaga kami. Gumagaling ‘yung locals, gumagaling ‘yung buong team, and ito na ‘yung chance namin,” he said.
“Why not subukan ‘di ba? Nakalaro na namin sila, okay naman ‘yung result, I’m sure may mga adjustments, I’m sure iba na kapag nagkita na kami sa finals, pero nandito na kami eh. Hindi naman pupuwedeng ngayon pa kami aayaw.”
