ILOILO – In a gut-wrenching endgame where poise and experience often make the difference, ZUS Coffee proved it already has the former and is quickly gaining the latter.

Surviving a third straight five-set battle, the Thunderbelles stunned the multi-titled Creamline Cool Smashers, 24-26, 25-20, 25-23, 22-25, 15-11, before a roaring crowd at the City of Passi Arena here on Saturday.

Chinnie Arroyo rose to the occasion with an MVP-worthy performance, delivering 23 points, all but one off attacks, to spearhead the upstart team’s breakthrough win over the league powerhouse in a thrilling two-hour, 28-minute showdown.

Coming off a tough five-set loss to the Akari Chargers on July 5 and a narrow escape against the Capital1 Solar Spikers the next day, also in five sets, the Thunderbelles displayed growing composure and mental toughness to finally close one out – and in stunning fashion.

The victory not only dealt Creamline a rare defeat but also boosted ZUS Coffee’s bid for an outright quarterfinal berth with a 2-1 card in Pool B of the pre-season tournament organized by Sports Vision.

“I’m incredibly proud, especially of my teammates – no one backed down,” said Arroyo in Filipino, who earned Best Player of the Game honors. Her explosive performance eclipsed her 17-point output against the Chargers and made up for a nine-point struggle versus the Solar Spikers.

“This wasn’t an easy match, but we held firm, we stayed together, and we fought until the very end,” she added.

And hang tough they did.

The Thunderbelles broke free from four early deadlocks in the deciding set, finally pulling ahead at 6-5 after rookie AC Miner’s third straight hit. Arroyo followed with a hammer blow, then capitalized on a Jema Galanza miscue to hand ZUS Coffee the momentum and a three-point lead at the court switch.

ZUS Coffee extended the cushion to 11-7 after an uncharacteristic service error by Creamline’s ace setter Kyle Negrito. Fiola Ceballos then delivered two clutch hits, the second pushing the team to match point at 14-9.

Michele Gumabao staved off one match point with a blast, while an error from hometown bet Jovelyn Gonzaga gave the Cool Smashers a glimmer of hope.

But Creamline, a team known for thriving in tight finishes, faltered when it mattered most. Rose Vargas, the team’s designated closer, sent her serve long – sealing the match for the jubilant Thunderbelles.

Playmaker Cloanne Mondonedo also outdueled Negrito, 30 excellent sets to 27, consistently baffling the Cool Smashers’ defense with her crafty orchestration. At times, she ran plays through her middle blockers; at others, she shifted the attack to her wing spikers, keeping the defense guessing throughout.

Miner delivered a solid 16-point outing, while Gonzaga chipped in 12. Chai Troncoso, Kate Santiago, rookie Riza Nogales and Fiola Ceballos combined for 23 points, highlighting the Thunderbelles’ balanced scoring effort.

It was a tough blow for Creamline, which dropped to 2-2 after suffering back-to-back losses, including another rare straight-sets defeat to Cignal. Galanza led the charge with 21 points, with Alyssa Valdez and Gumabao contributing 16 and 14, respectively. Pangs Panaga added eight markers.

Still, the Cool Smashers couldn’t summon their signature endgame composure and resilience, allowing the resurgent Thunderbelles to finally break through – notching their first win in three meetings against the league’s most decorated squad.

Creamline capitalized on a pair of ZUS Coffee’s late miscues to steal Set 4 and force a decider, wrapping up a comeback in a frame extended by a string of successive challenges midway through that stretched the momentum swings even further.

Once play resumed uninterrupted, the Cool Smashers flashed their championship pedigree. Trailing 19-20, they strung together a three-point run ignited by Negrito’s 1-2 play, followed by a Panaga quick hit and a crucial block on Arroyo.

But Creamline also stumbled in the clutch. A service error by Galanza allowed ZUS Coffee to pull within one, 22-23. However, Nogales faltered from the line, failing to beat the 8-second service clock. Miner then sent an attack long, handing the Cool Smashers the set and a lifeline.