Anna DeBeer, long denied a championship by injuries and near-misses, now stands just one win away from her first-ever pro title as she leads ZUS Coffee into its historic maiden PVL Finals appearance.
Anna DeBeer has lived through every version of heartbreak a volleyball player can endure.
At the University of Louisville, she helped carry the Cardinals to their second NCAA Women’s Volleyball Finals appearance—only to watch from the sidelines after injuring her ankle in the semifinals.
Months later, in the Major League Volleyball, she again came close with the Indy Ignite, falling short of the title against an Orlando Valkyries team led by fellow PVL imports Lindsey Vander Weide and Courtney Schwan.
This time, she is whole. She is healthy. And she is finally back on a championship stage—now leading ZUS Coffee to its first-ever PVL Finals appearance after sweeping PLDT in the Reinforced Conference semifinals.
“I'm just so proud of us and our whole entire team for making it this far,” DeBeer told reporters. “Championship matches are just so fun to be a part of.”
“I'm really just grateful to be able to play in the finals for volleyball in general. Just to be healthy, everyone here, it's just really a cool opportunity.”
A mindset shaped by near-misses
Her path to Manila—marked by injuries, losses, and inches-away finishes—has shaped DeBeer’s understanding of what it truly takes to win on the biggest stage.
“At this point, we're both great teams,” she said of the Finals matchup. “It really comes down to mindset. If you have one lick of doubt, it's really going to take over.”
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That clarity carried ZUS Coffee through its semifinal sweep, a result even DeBeer admitted was unexpected.
“We weren’t expecting to win in three,” she said. “But we looked each other in the eyes and trusted each other. That really showed tonight.”
The itch to finally lift a trophy
With ZUS Coffee standing just one win away from a championship, DeBeer didn’t shy away from acknowledging how much this opportunity means.
Anna DeBeer celebrates after ZUS Coffee's PVL Reinforced Conference semifinal win. | Photo: PVL
“There always is. There’s always an itch,” she said with a smile. “That’s what we’re chasing every day."
"It's really cool to have another chance because there's only two teams left, and I'm just really grateful to be able to play and be healthy, and two teams to go after it on Sunday. I'm looking forward to it," she added.
After years of coming painfully close, DeBeer now enters Sunday’s Finals with a chance to mark a new chapter of her young volleyball career.
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Kiko Demigillo’s journey in sports storytelling began with a deep passion for games and athletes, which eventually grew into a full-fledged career.
Now a dedicated sportswriter, Kiko covers a wide range of beats for One Sports, including the PVL, UAAP, PBA, and various international tournaments.