The Petro Gazz Angels are now one game away from securing their first PVL All-Filipino Conference title in franchise history.
The Petro Gazz Angels came through when it mattered most, holding off the Creamline Cool Smashers in an intense 25-17, 25-20, 18-25, 20-25, 15-10 thriller to open their best-of-three finals series in the 2024-25 PVL All-Filipino Conference on Tuesday at the SMART Araneta Coliseum.
Petro Gazz now takes a decisive 1-0 advantage over the defending champions, and can go for the kill on Thursday, also at the Cubao-based venue, to win their first All-Filipino title in franchise history.
“Actually sobrang importante din nitong Game 1 kasi nagpapataas din ng kumpyansa samin, and ‘yun lang, ginawa lang namin ‘yung trabaho namin as an individual then nag-team effort kami,” opposite hitter Jonah Sabete said following a 16-point effort built on 13 spikes and three rejections.
Brooke Van Sickle dazzled in her PVL finals debut, finishing with a game-high 24 markers and 14 excellent receptions, followed by Sabete’s 16-point effort. Middle blocker MJ Phillips added her own 16-point outing as the Angels survived the Cool Smashers’ championship grit.
Van Sickle, who showcased her offensive craftiness throughout the match, enjoyed the finals atmosphere she experienced at the Big Dome.
“I mean, it’s exactly what I expected it to be. Creamline has a big fanbase, and it was very loud! It was very hard to think at some points, which was nice, cause it drowned out the thoughts. So yeah, it was everything that I expected and you know? Five-setters can go either way and you just don’t know who’s going to win or lose,” said the Fil-Hawaiian hitter.
Creamline’s reverse sweep attempt thwarted
The Angels had actually taken a commanding 2-0 advantage over Creamline, taking advantage of the defending champs’ off-night on floor defense and service errors while flexing their offensive might. For a while, it seemed like Game 1 would be a straightforward ending to a Tuesday playdate at the Big Dome.
Creamline, however, would come roaring back by Sets 3 and 4, where they leaned on off-the-bench contributions from Jema Galanza and Michele Gumabao to tie things up with the Angels. Five of the Cool Smashers’ 10 blocks also came in this stretch alone.
Star hitter Brooke Van Sickle admitted that Petro Gazz’s energy decreased in this stretch, especially with Creamline coming out strong in their bid to overcome a 0-2 set deficit.
“Yeah, I feel like in the third set we got really tight, and I feel like our energy [decreased]. Creamline’s not the team that they’re just going to roll over and they definitely came out fighting big time in the third and basically punched us. Then we were kind of like ‘Oh, what’s happening?’” outside hitter Brooke Van Sickle said of the Cool Smashers’ furious rally.
Van Sickle attributed Petro Gazz’s return to form to their more vocal teammates, starting with team captain Remy Palma.
“So it took us a bit to get back on track and to get the energy going again, so I thought that our captain Rem [Palma] did a great job talking to the team to calm us down, and I also thought that MJ [Phillips] did a fantastic job too. She was basically our sparkplug, and she was cheering, screaming, kept telling us, ‘Hey! Just one point at a time,’ and everything,” recalled Van Sickle.
It was in Set 5 when Petro Gazz tightened their grasp on the series opener, with Phillips scoring five of the Angels’ 15 points as she took advantage of the Cool Smashers’ defensive gaps to ice the game.
Similar to Van Sickle, the middle blocker was inspired by her teammates throughout the intense five-setter.
“Honestly, my teammates, I just kept looking them in the eye, and I was just like ‘You guys got me, I got you’ the whole entire time. It’s [16 points], but I took every point as if it was my last. My team had my back, and that’s why I was able to do what I did on the court, so props to the team,” said the six-foot-three Phillips.
‘Gotta keep the energy’
As mentioned, Petro Gazz now inches closer to their first All-Filipino Conference title, which they can clinch as early as Thursday, also at the Big Dome. But while Game 1 is a massive confidence booster, Van Sickle knows that a slugfest awaits them in the do-or-die Game 2.
Knowing the Cool Smashers’ championship mettle, Van Sickle knows that Petro Gazz must keep their high intensity until the final point, especially with how Game 1 nearly turned out for the squad.
“The energy, we have to stay consistent. As well as constant communication as one unit. I also feel like our passing broke down in the third, so I would say that services and passes win games. It doesn’t matter what the league is, serve and passes are important, and we have to be just better,” Van Sickle said.
For her part, Phillips added, “We can fine-tune the blocking for sure, and just the energy is most important. We know that [Creamline] is going to keep fighting and push us to the wall, so we’re just going to have to push back.”
Sabete, meanwhile, knows that Game 2 will be a matter of leaving it all on the floor, especially with a breakthrough title on the line.
“Maglalaro na lang kami, wala nang bukas, wala nang bukas talaga. Yun lang ‘yung nasa mind namin.”
Images courtesy of the Premier Volleyball League.