After her first PVL Best Middle Blocker award, Thea Gagate remains focused on helping the ZUS Coffee Thunderbelles reach greater heights in future conferences.
Rookie season, first conference, first award—but for Thea Gagate, the work is only getting started.
The towering middle blocker of the ZUS Coffee Thunderbelles capped her maiden PVL stint by bagging the Best Middle Blocker award in the 2024-25 All-Filipino Conference.
Gagate immediately proved her worth as led the league in total blocks with 48, ranking second in blocking average (0.74 per set). She also finished as the highest-scoring middle blocker with 190 points for 14th best overall.
Despite ZUS Coffee finishing ninth in the standings with a 4-7 record, Gagate's presence helped push the Thunderbelles to the quarterfinals in a gritty playoff run, even stretching the eventual champions Petro Gazz Angels to a do-or-die Game 3.
[ALSO READ: In a conference full of firsts, Thea Gagate stays present as ZUS Coffee heads to PVL QF]
For Gagate, however, the individual award is only a small piece of her larger ambition.
Calling it a “stepping stone,” the first overall pick of the inaugural PVL Draft said she’s far from satisfied.
“Unang-una, nagpapasalamat talaga ako sa Panginoon and sa team namin, lalo na sa coaches, players, at management sa tulong nila sa akin at sa team,” Gagate told One Sports.
“This is just another award of mine and parang naging stepping stone lang. Kailangan ko pang mas mag-aim ng higher goals, especially as a player. Hindi ako basta-basta mag-stop dahil nakakuha ako ng award,” she added.
[ALSO READ: Thea Gagate living up to expectations as ZUS Coffee’s focal point in PVL All-Filipino Conference]
Gagate added that the real target is not just personal success, but steering ZUS Coffee to a new level in future conferences.
“Gusto ko mas umangat pa 'yung ranking namin as a team at mas mag-contribute pa ako para in the future, hopefully, makasama kami sa ganitong stage,” Gagate shared.
With a promising start now under her belt, Gagate is already eyeing greater things for herself and the Thunderbelles as they ready for the next PVL conference.