ZUS Coffee entered the 2026 Premier Volleyball League All-Filipino Conference riding the momentum of a breakthrough finals appearance, but the Thunderbelles stumbled early with back-to-back losses.
It was a jarring start for a team that had just established itself as a legitimate contender in the previous conference.
The absence of rookie middle blocker AC Miner loomed large, as her shin injury left a noticeable void in the middle. Adding to the challenge, ZUS Coffee had to compete without head coach Jerry Yee, who is currently on medical leave.
With key pieces missing and stability shaken at the start of the campaign, veteran opposite Jovelyn Gonzaga knows there is no room for excuses. The team must focus on working with what it has, rather than dwelling on who is absent.
“Galing finals, first two, hindi ito ‘yung ZUS na ‘yun,” she admitted, acknowledging that the squad did not look like the same team that made a deep playoff push just a couple of months ago.
“Actually, ang daming uncertainties na nangyari before. Ang laking kawalan din ni AC talaga sa’min. So ‘yun nga, hindi ka pwedeng maghanap ng wala or kulang, kundi i-work on talaga,” Gonzaga added, pointing to the adjustments they had to make in Miner’s absence.
(C) PVL Images
Instead of dwelling on what they lacked, she emphasized the need to focus on solutions.
They heeded that advice, and it showed in their hard-fought 16-25, 25-18, 18-25, 25-23, 15-12 win over Akari, which snapped a two-game skid and reignited belief within the team that they could compete at a high level despite early setbacks.
“Kumbaga, winork out lang talaga namin lahat. Nag-back to basics kami. Actually, ang laking tulong ng team building. Nagkaroon din kami ng team building—kumbaga hinumble kami,” said Gonzaga, who finished with 14 points, eight excellent digs, and seven excellent receptions.
“Binalik kami sa zero. I-delete niyo na lahat ng nangyari, lahat ng achievements, lahat ng nakamit namin for the last year. Delete muna namin ‘yun,” she continued.
“Balik muna kami sa basics kung paano kami nagsimula at kung saan galing ‘yung root namin—kung paano kami nagsimula at kailan kami nagsimula—para magsimula ulit bilang isang maayos na team.”
With the breakthrough win, ZUS Coffee now looks to be back on the right path as they aim to build on this performance moving forward.
