RODRIGUEZ, Rizal – After nearly a year of waiting, Galeries Tower finally broke through, snapping a long drought with a hard-earned victory over ZUS Coffee on Saturday.
The Highrisers ended a grueling 17-game losing streak after surviving a furious Thunderbelles comeback in five sets, 25-20, 25-22, 23-25, 22-25, 15-10, in the 2026 Premier Volleyball League All-Filipino Conference at the Ynares Center Montalban here.
The breakthrough win ended a skid that dated back to February 27, 2025. Galeries Tower last tasted victory in a stunning upset of Cignal during the qualifying round of last year’s all-local tilt — a result that propelled the franchise to its first-ever quarterfinals appearance.
From there, the struggles mounted. The Highrisers absorbed back-to-back quarterfinal losses in the same conference before enduring a prolonged winless run, dropping all six games in the PVL On Tour and all eight matches in the Reinforced Conference.
But the new-look Galeries Tower, now under head coach Clarence Esteban, appears to be turning a corner. The Highrisers finally broke through with their first win in just their second game of the conference, improving to 1-1 in the standings.
(C) PVL Images
“So, sobrang happy ako sa team tonight na kumapit talaga kaming lahat. And sa coaches na patuloy na nagga-guide sa amin — kahit may mga times na nawawala kami sa sistema — patuloy pa rin sila na nagre-remind sa amin na bumalik do’n sa game plan namin,” said team captain Julia Coronel.
Galeries Tower, however, had to dig deep to secure the elusive victory after ZUS Coffee mounted a spirited fightback.
The Thunderbelles leaned on Chinnie Arroyo, Thea Gagate, Wielyn Estoque, and Riza Nogales to claw out of a 0–2 hole. The rally featured a tense third set, where the Highrisers erased a 9–16 deficit to grab a 23–22 lead before Jovelyn Gonzaga, Nogales, and Estoque scored on consecutive plays to keep ZUS Coffee alive.
ZUS Coffee forced a deciding set by taking the fourth, but Galeries Tower regained control behind Jean Asis and Aiza Maizo-Pontillas. The two sparked a decisive 5–0 run to break an 8-all deadlock and build a 13–8 lead in the fifth.
Gagate briefly stopped the surge with a quick attack, but Erika Raagas — inserted at the start of the frame in place of Gayle Pascual — scored her third point of the set to extend the Highrisers’ cushion to 14–9.
Raagas later committed a service error that gave the Thunderbelles a lifeline, but Asis delivered the finishing blow with a push shot. With the shot successfully upheld after a challenge, that sealed the win in two hours and 19 minutes.
“Masaya kami, kaming lahat, kasi ’yung pinaghihirapan namin — even though short time lang ’yung pagsasama namin — nagri-react sila do’n sa ginagawa naming system. So, very happy ako do’n sa resulta namin ngayong araw,” Esteban said after the win.
Rookie Erika Deloria led Galeries Tower with a career-high 18 points to go along with 15 excellent receptions. Pascual also produced her best outing in the league with 18 points against her former team.
Maizo-Pontillas added 11 points and 17 excellent digs, while Asis and Roselle Baliton chipped in 10 and nine points, respectively.
Coronel dished out 16 excellent sets and scored eight points, while fellow former Thunderbelle Dolly Verzosa anchored the defense with 22 excellent digs and 14 excellent receptions.
The Highrisers will look to build on the momentum when they face Farm Fresh on Valentine’s Day, February 14, at 4:00 PM at the Ynares Center in Antipolo, eyeing back-to-back wins.
(C) PVL Images
Meanwhile, ZUS Coffee — coming off a breakthrough campaign that saw the team reach its first-ever finals in the Reinforced Conference — dropped its second straight game to open the tournament while playing without head coach Jerry Yee.
Lead assistant Onyok Getigan called the shots in Yee’s absence.
Arroyo paced the Thunderbelles with 20 points on 17 attacks, two kill blocks, and one ace.
Nogales finished with 17 points built on 11 attacks, four blocks, and two aces. Gonzaga posted a triple-double of 13 points, 18 excellent digs, and 14 excellent receptions. Gagate added 13 markers, and Estoque scored 10 off the bench.
Setter Cloanne Mondoñedo tallied 23 excellent digs, while Alyssa Eroa chipped in 20 excellent digs and 18 excellent receptions.
ZUS Coffee will try to snap its two-game skid when it takes on Akari on Thursday at 6:30 PM at the Filoil Centre.
