Strong Group Athletics will change their team name to the Zus Coffee Thunderbelles starting with the upcoming Premier Volleyball League (PVL) conference.
The Thunderbelles will be guided by Jerry Yee, a three-time NCAA champion coach, who will take over from SGA interim head coach Onyok Getigan.
Yee previously led the Farm Fresh Foxies.
"We are grateful to Zus Coffee for supporting the formation of our second PVL team. With Coach Jerry Yee, a proven champion, at the helm, we are confident that the Thunderbelles will eventually rise to the top of the PVL," said Zus Coffee team manager Kiara Cruz.
To build the inaugural Thunderbelles roster, Yee has brought in four graduating seniors from the College of Saint Benilde: Gayle Pascual, Cloanne Mondoñedo, Michelle Gamit, and Jade Gentapa.
This core group has been crucial in establishing the Lady Blazers dynasty in the NCAA, achieving three consecutive championships and a remarkable 40-game winning streak.
"I'm thrilled to have the St. Benilde seniors with us on the Zus Coffee team. It's great that we can continue working together in the PVL. They will form the backbone of our team as we move forward with the upcoming draft," said Yee.
Gayle Pascual, a 5-foot-8 opposite spiker and two-time NCAA Finals MVP, brings her strong presence to the team. Cloanne Mondoñedo, a 5-foot-6 playmaker known for her strategic acumen, was the NCAA Season 99 MVP and Best Setter. Jade Gentapa, a 5-foot-8 outside hitter, who was the NCAA Season 98 Finals MVP and 2nd Best Outside Spiker, adds her dynamic skills to the lineup. Michelle Gamit, a 5-foot-9 middle, known as one of Coach Yee's most dependable players, completes this talented group.
Previously, Pascual, Gentapa, Gamit, and Mondoñedo played as 'special guest players' for Farm Fresh last season and were released into free agency before the NCAA season.
