ZUS Coffee is 3-0 in five setter games, but head coach Jerry Yee hopes they get better at avoiding close calls in the future.
The ZUS Coffee Thunderbelles have perfected the art of the five setter in the PVL on Tour, as they won all games they’ve dragged into five sets in the pool phase, including their final preliminary match against the Chery Tiggo Crossovers in Candon City in Ilocos Sur.
While still ending up as a tick on the win column, head coach Jerry Yee hopes to help his team avoid any more thrillers as the games go on — especially as they face a knockout situation in the play-ins set to begin this weekend.
Going up against a yet to be determined opponent, Yee knows there is smaller room for error the next time around.
[READ: ZUS Coffee spoils Chery Tiggo’s PVL on Tour quarterfinal hopes in five sets]
“We are happy na ganun nga, resilient yung team [sa five setter] pero we also showed inconsistency. [Pero] at least alam namin yung kailangan namin i-work on,” Yee said after the win over Chery Tiggo.
With much more on the line from this point forward, Yee and the team will be trying to perfect as much of their game as possible as they aim for bigger goals as one of the youngest teams in the league.
“Madami pa [kaming aayusin], isa-isahin namin transition namin conditioning namin, ta-try pa natin i-pinpoint 'yan 'di naman ganun kabilis 'yon. At least [today] we got the win. Lumalaban 'yung team kahit second unit so masayang-masaya kami,” he said.
As for his players, rookie AC Miner said that the team isn’t quite keen on dragging their games to exhausting five setters. But dead-set on victory, Miner said that they don’t really mind the added work if it meant they’ll come out victorious.
“Siguro naging puhunan lang namin is hindi kami tumigil nung sets na pinanalo namin lalo na nung fourth set kasi kung hindi namin binigay 'yung best namin du'n sa set na 'yun, malamang tapos na pero binigay namin hanggang sa dulo,” said Miner.
“So gaya ng sabi ni Ate Clo [Mondoñedo], hindi naman lahat ng team gusto mag-fifth set pero when fifth set na lang 'yung choice, bubuhisin na namin lahat pagdating ng fifth set,” she added.
Miner was among players who dazzled for Yee in the victory over Chery.
Helping her team finish with a winning record, 3-2, heading into the play-ins, Miner logged a career-high 19 points in just her fifth game with the team.
For Yee, it was just a peek into what Miner can do for the Thunderbelles as she continues to integrate to the team as time goes by.
“Ngayon na nga lang 'yan. Unti-unti pa naming napapalabas 'yung laro niya, hopefully magtuloy-tuloy.” he said.
ZUS will await the loser of the ongoing game between the Choco Mucho Flying Titans and the Petro Gazz Angels for their knockout play-in match on Tuesday, August 5, at PhilSports Arena in Pasig City.