Petro Gazz Angels celebrate the PNVF Champions League crown with a sweep of Cignal in the final. –MARLO CUETO/INQUIRER.net
MANILA, Philippines — The new-look Petro Gazz picked the perfect time to deal Cignal’s first defeat as the Angels swept the HD Spikers, 25-19, 27-25, 25-22, to rule the Philippine National Volleyball Federation (PNVF) Champions League final on Saturday evening at Rizal Memorial Stadium.
Two weeks before the 2024 Premier Volleyball League (PVL) season opens, the Angels showed what they can do under Japanese coach Koji Tsuzurabara with Filipino-American spiker Brooke Van Sickle running the show.
Petro Gazz snapped Cignal’s five-game unbeaten run to rule the week-long tournament, winning its first championship since the PVL Reinforced Conference in 2022 against the same opponent.
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“Now, my players understand my volleyball a little bit. We still need all-around practice but this time, they gave me the best performance. I just told them before the game, you are the challengers. My team was the challenger,” said the Japanese coach, who joined Petro Gazz 10 days before the PNVF tournament.
Van Sickle emerged as the tournament Most Valuable Player in her first stint in Manila as she, once again, led the charge for the Angels with 20 points built on 18 attacks and two blocks.
The Filipino-American also earned one of the two Best Outside Hitter awards with Jonah Sabete, who also stepped up in the winner-take-all game with 18 points.
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Djanel Cheng executed the brilliant plays of Tsuzurabara, middle blockers Remy Palma and KC Galdones chipped in seven points each, while Aiza Maizo-Pontillas added six.
After the Angels dominated the first set, the HD Spikers fought back from a 12-18 deficit in the second and saved two set points but Aiza Maizo-Pontillas nailed an off-the-block kill to regain the lead, 26-25, before Remy Palma’s lethal running attack gave Petro Gazz a two-set advantage.
Your #PNVFChampionsLeague champions, the Petro Gazz Angels. | @LanceAgcaoilINQ pic.twitter.com/PsRoGUIX2F
— INQUIRER Sports (@INQUIRERSports) February 10, 2024
Petro Gazz, which missed the services of Myla Pablo and Ethan Arce, leaned on Van Sickle to score the championship-clinching hit to bring home Php 100,000.
The team finished the tournament with four wins out of six games after a 2-2 record in the elimination round where it lost to Cignal and Chery Tiggo.
Cignal, in contrast, won all of its assignments except for the final as it settled for the silver and lost its second Finals game against Petro Gazz.
Ces Molina was the lone bright spot for the HD Spikers, who brought home P70,000, with 13 points. Vanie Gandler and Chai Troncoso had eight and seven points, respectively.