The Creamline Cool Smashers and Petro Gazz Angels will be facing off once more in a PVL finals series.
Following their triumphant campaigns in the round-robin semifinals, it’s the Creamline Cool Smashers and Petro Gazz Angels who will square off in the 2024-25 PVL All-Filipino Conference championship series.
This marks Petro Gazz and Creamline’s fifth time meeting in a PVL finals series. The Angels drew first blood during the Reinforced Conference in 2019; since then, Creamline proceeded to win their next meetings, edging out Petro Gazz during the 2022 Open Conference and the 2023 First All-Filipino Conference.
Twenty-twenty-five, though, could pose a different story, even if Creamline has remained impressive with their signature depth and discipline. After all, Petro Gazz has been equally dominant throughout the current All-Filipino wars, which includes their statement victory over the Cool Smashers to open the semifinals last March 19.
“It’s always been a classic whenever we play against Petro Gazz in the finals, and it’s always gonna be so tight and exciting. We can’t expect anything [less] than that, so coming into the finals series, we’re just gonna work harder,” Creamline captain Alyssa Valdez excitedly said of the upcoming series.
Dynasty vs. Destiny
More than ruling the All-Filipino wars, a title for this conference would have a special meaning for each team. For Creamline, it’s the completion of a rare “five-peat”, and it would also mark their 11th PVL title as the league’s undisputed dynasty.
This would also serve as Creamline’s sixth-overall All-Filipino/Open Conference title, which further asserts their might in all-local play.
“I think match naman talaga ‘yung Petro Gazz and Creamline kasi 1-1 sila this conference, pero siguro kasi parehas veteran teams eh,” Creamline mentor Sherwin Meneses said of his team’s odds against Petro Gazz.
“I think medyo lamang ang Creamline, ‘yung chemistry ng team, lagi naman andiyan ‘yan and talagang pagpapaguran lang namin, pero ang Petro Gazz, senior team din sila, as in halos wala rin bago sa lineup nila, so maganda din talagang lineup ‘yan sa finals.”
Petro Gazz, meanwhile, gets another crack at securing their first All-Filipino title, while facing the same team that clipped their wings in 2022 and 2023.
“I think ‘yung difference is ‘yun nga, may import [in 2019], pero ngayon mas mataas na ‘yung expectation kasi All-Filipino,” said veteran playmaker Chie Saet, who hopes to end the Angels’ string of All-Filipino conference heartbreaks. “So this time, we will do our very best, uulitin ko, gaya ng sabi ni Coach Koji [Tsuzurabara], we will face and enter the finals with our 200 percent.”
Brooke Van Sickle, the PVL finals debutant
Save for a few additions and subtractions, both Petro Gazz and Creamline will be fielding virtually unchanged lineups for this year’s finals series.
But while it’s the same crop of stars, this year’s bout will now feature one Brooke Van Sickle, who is now in her third PVL conference with the Angels. The 27-year-old has continued to impress for this conference, averaging 19.3 points on 37.61 percent efficiency, to go along with 2.98 digs per set during the preliminary rounds.
“It feels great and it feels so surreal for me, it’s a very long conference with ups and downs, and to be where we are right now is amazing, and I wouldn’t want to do it with any other team,” Van Sickle said of her upcoming PVL finals debut.
Van Sickle has been the epitome of consistency for the Angels, which the Cool Smashers will try to stop once their best-of-three series fires off.
“I think every game naman palagi ‘yan maglalaro talaga at maglalaro siya [Van Sickle]. Kami naman if gagawin namin ‘yung trabaho namin, I think mapipigilan naman namin siya and it’s just that mental game din talaga eh,” star opposite Tots Carlos said of Van Sickle. “Pag naisahan ka ni Brooke, kailangan mo na talaga mag-reset and bumalik ka na sa trabaho mo ulit.”
Both teams at full health
Personnel shortage was a major part of Creamline and Petro Gazz’s respective 2024 seasons, with the Angels being hit particularly hard during the Reinforced Conference. For instance, MJ Phillips sat out the import-laden tourney due to a foot injury, while the likes of Jonah Sabete, Djanel Cheng, and Myla Pablo sat out some games due to undisclosed illnesses.
While the likes of Bernadeth Pons and Michele Gumabao stepped up for Creamline, they weren’t spared either, as Valdez and Carlos had to sit for the rest of the season to recover from their knee injuries along with Jema Galanza’s national team call-up.
Come the 2024-25 All-Filipino wars, and both teams are playing with complete lineups. Creamline now boasts a dangerous wing spiker rotation, which includes the still-lethal Valdez and Carlos to go along with the rapid ascent of Pons and Galanza’s stability.
As seen with Petro Gazz, Van Sickle has received ample support from a resurgent Pablo, who put up 13 points per game during preliminaries as a clear-cut second option. Fit-again MJ Phillips is back holding down the middle, while Sabete made her return during the conference semifinals.
“I remember nung [2019] Reinforced Conference, both [Janissa] Johnson and [Wilma] Salas were very tough…And this conference, I think kumpletong-kumpleto ‘yung Petro Gazz eh. Hindi lang sa wings, MJ Phillips is there, and kumpleto sila as a team,” Valdez reflected, with Petro Gazz having off-the-bench pieces such as Saet, Aiza Maizo-Pontillas, and Ranya Musa, to name a few.
“And ang lalim din ng bench nila, healthy din sila. So pag nakita natin back in the finals, one of the things na magiging edge ng bawa’t isa samin is — we’re all veteran teams — would be kung sino mas healthy sa aming dalawa. Who would last long, and sinong mas fit all throughout.”
Given that both teams are on equal footing, the simple question of “who wants it more” might just spell the biggest difference for this series.
“Well I’d say na both teams have had different journeys just in this conference, so kung sino lang magbibigay ng buong puso, siguro yun lang ‘yung lalamang din this series,” said Valdez.
Battle of the resurgent stars
They may no longer be the focal points on offense, but there is no denying the impact of veterans Valdez and Pablo in Creamline and Petro Gazz’s respective paths to the All-Filipino finals.
As mentioned, Valdez has returned to complete Creamline’s deep wing spiker rotation, providing leadership and flashes of her vintage form as she makes up for lost time. Pablo, meanwhile, has rediscovered her lethal self in forming a one-two punch with the explosive Van Sickle.
“Sabi ko nga kung binigyan ako ng opportunity ni coach [Tsuzurabara] to play, ba’t hahayaan ko pa mawala,” reflected Pablo, who spent much of the 2024 season on Petro Gazz’s bench. “Kaya ginawa ko is binigay ko ‘yung best ko and also na kailangan ko din tulungan si Brooke sa opensa tas sa blockings, and then I’m really happy sa mga setter ko na binigyan ako ng kumpyansa sa loob ng court.”
Game 1 between Creamline and Petro Gazz takes place this April 8 at the SMART Araneta Coliseum. Game 2 is scheduled for April 10, while a do-or-die Game 3 will be played out at the Cubao-based venue if necessary.
Will Creamline continue its dominance? Or will the retooled Petro Gazz finally break through?
Images courtesy of the Premier Volleyball League.