Petro Gazz went to its middle when its wing attackers hit a rough patch as the Angels hacked out a hard-fought 22-25, 25-12, 25-18, 27-29, 15-12 victory over the Chery Tiggo Crossovers to inch closer to a coveted podium finish in the Premier Volleyball League All-Filipino Conference at the Smart Araneta Coliseum Thursday.
Brook Van Sickle was unstoppable with another explosive performance, amassing 36 points, while Jonah Sabete contributed 21 markers, leading the Angels’ relentless offensive onslaught. However, it was MJ Phillips who stepped up with crucial plays early in the fifth set, providing the team with the cushion and momentum needed to secure the win.
Phillips’ timely blocks and quick hits helped the Angels seize an 8-4 lead in the decider. Despite the Crossovers’ gritty stand, rallying to level the score at 12, the Angels remained resilient, clinching victory by winning the last three crucial points.
Phillips ended up with 15 markers, Djanel Cheng added eight points on top of 22 excellent sets, and Aiza Pontillas and Remy Palma added six points apiece for the Angels.
With a collective display of determination and skill, the two-time Reinforced Conference champion Angels now find themselves on the verge of claiming the bronze medal in the league’s season-opening conference, organized by Sports Vision.
Throughout the match, Petro Gazz cashed in on its opponent’s unforced errors and miscommunication, while its formidable net defense, led by Phillips and Van Sickle’s five and four blocks, respectively, proved instrumental in neutralizing Chery Tiggo’s offense.
Despite setbacks in the semifinals against Choco Mucho and Creamline, which dashed its hopes for a shot at the championship, Perto Gazz remained resolute in pursuit of the bronze medal.
“Yeah, I couldn’t do it without my teammates, right? It’s a six-man sport and I didn’t realize that I had that many points. I kind of think maybe it was a miscount,” said Van Sickle, who also finished with 10 excellent receptions to bag the game’s top honors.
“My setters did a fantastic job. Djanel did a very good job too of being able to set us in system. I feel like, towards the end, when it got to crunch time, we’re a little stressed, we’re passing good, like our passing stabilized and I feel like we’re picking up a lot of balls, defensive plays. So yeah, good job to my team, Super proud,” she added.
The Angels missed the chance to close out the match in four sets as Laure, fueled with determination, spurred the Crossovers’ comeback from a four-point deficit in the fourth frame. Laure’s powerful hits, coupled with Aby Marano’s tenacity and crucial points levelled the set at 23.
Chery Tiggo saved one match point on a strong attack from Laure, but they squandered three set points set before eventually prevailing, thanks to Ara Galang’s decisive blast and a thwarted assault by Sabete in the ensuing play.
But after wresting a 2-1 lead in the fifth, the Crossovers played catch-up as the Angels rattled off three straight points on a Phillips’ quick attack, a Van Sickle block off Cza Carandang and a Cheng ace.
Though Chery Tiggo fought back to force a tie at 12 on a Mylene Paat block off Van Sickle, the Crossovers failed to produce a single point and reeled to their fourth straight loss, counting their fruitless semis campaign following a seven-game streak at the end of the prelims.
Eya Laure finished with 23 points, while Galang, Paat, and Maraño scored 11, nine and seven points, respectively. Carandang and Jasmine Nabor matched five-point outputs while EJ Laure added four markers.
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