Thea Gagate has made her presence felt in the Premier Volleyball League (PVL) faster than anyone expected. As the first-ever top pick in the PVL Draft, the 6-foot-2 middle blocker has become the heart of ZUS Coffee's stunning rise — a remarkable feat achieved in her debut conference.
Gagate played an instrumental role in ZUS Coffee's unforgettable run in the ongoing All-Filipino Conference, guiding the Thunderbelles to their first win, first winning streak, and, most notably, their first-ever playoff appearance in franchise history.
With their quarterfinals ticket secured, Gagate stressed the importance of remaining grounded as they prepare to face powerhouse Petro Gazz in a best-of-three series.
“Well, palagi lang naman ako stay present. Ayokong masyadong mag-jump to the future agad kasi bilog ang bola,” said Gagate after steering the Thunderbelles to a playoff-clinching four-set win over Capital1 in the play-in tournament.
“Lahat ng teams palaban, pro league na ‘to. So at least ngayon, unti-unti na namin sino-solid ‘yung core namin and excited lang talaga ako sa upcoming games,” she added.
With Gagate leading the charge, ZUS Coffee swept Pool B of the play-in stage, stunning Cignal in five thrilling sets, 19-25, 25-23, 25-20, 23-25, 15-12, before eliminating the Solar Spikers in four, 25-22, 25-17, 18-25, 25-17, to punch their quarterfinals ticket.
Gagate delivered standout performances in both matches, scoring 16 points against the HD Spikers and 13 points versus the Solar Spikers, tallying four blocks in each contest to anchor ZUS Coffee's defense.
“Syempre happy ako sa performance namin, although marami kaming paghihirap sa conference na ito, at least naging learning experience para sa amin, bawat isa, and excited lang din ako sa quarterfinals kasi doon pa lang maguumpisa ang tunay na laban,” said Gagate.
“Ayun, thankful talaga ako sa bawat isa – sa teammates, coaches, at sa management namin kasi hindi sila nagsasawang suportahan kami. Kasi alam namin na fresh pa lang kami na team, and ngayon pa lang kami nag-gegel, so happy lang ako,” she added.
The road ahead won't be easy, with Petro Gazz led by reigning MVP Brooke Van Sickle standing in their way. Gagate knows their success will hinge on discipline and flawless execution of their game plan if they are to pull off an upset.
“Ako? Laban na talaga. Yun nga, sabi ko nga kanina, kasi hindi naman madali ‘yung pinagdaanan namin na situation ngayon,” said Gagate.
“So kailangan na namin ibigay lahat ng efforts, ng hard work, ng mga paghihirap namin sa training – application talaga ng mga natutunan namin nung qualification round.”
With Gagate's towering presence and ZUS Coffee's newfound confidence, the Thunderbelles are set to battle the odds in pursuit of another franchise milestone.
