MANILA, Philippines — Chai Troncoso haunted her former team Cignal to put ZUS Coffee a win closer to a breakthrough playoffs appearance in the 2024-25 PVL All-Filipino Conference.

Troncoso, flourishing as a Thunderbelle, hammered out 21 points including the last two winning points to deny Cignal from claiming the last quarterfinal ticket with a 19-25, 25-23, 25-20, 23-25, 15-12 win in their play-in game on Tuesday at Philsports Arena.

She may be a thorn in the side of Cignal, but all her learnings from her former team helped her lead a young ZUS Coffee squad to overcome a five-set thriller.

READ: PVL: ZUS Coffee boosts quarters bid, downs Cignal

Chai Troncoso after haunting her former team Cignal. #PVL2025 @INQUIRERSports pic.twitter.com/eddcGjVHbb

— Lance Agcaoili (@LanceAgcaoilINQ) March 11, 2025

“Maybe part of it is that I gained confidence with Cignal. As an off-the-bench player, you know your playing time is limited, so we really made sure to seize every opportunity we had there. Also, the coaches at Cignal trusted me a lot, and I’m really thankful for that,” Troncoso told the reporters in Filipino after tallying 17 excellent receptions.

The 27-year-old hitter brought all her gains as a substitute player for Cignal to becoming one of the Thunderbelles’ key cogs.

“Here, I’ve really embraced the opportunity, especially knowing that I was an off-the-bench player at Cignal. This is what I want—to play and get playing time. I’m really grateful that ZUS Coffee gave me the chance to play with them,” said Troncoso.

“I guess I’ve fully embraced my role here at ZUS, thanks to my teammates, coaches, and management, helping us get to where we are now. This feels like a win, and it’s like a [rebirth] for me here at ZUS.”

READ: PVL: Savi Davison powers PLDT past ZUS and into quarters

Besides her veteran smarts, Troncoso also attributed their win to their coaches and fellow former Cignal star Jovelyn Gonzaga for helping them get their act together in the fifth set.

“Our coaches, along with Nang Jovz, gathered us to reset and focus, leaving behind the four sets we played. The fifth set was the most important. As players, we really did everything we could to win that fifth set, and we played as one,” she said.

Troncoso said the job’s not finished as the Thunderbelles seek a win over Capital1 on Thursday to secure the No.7 seed for the best-of-three quarterfinal series against Petro Gazz.

“I’m happy because this game will be a boost for us going into Capital1. It’s not over yet, we still have a game in Capital1 to really make it to the quarters,” Troncoso said.