Angels find flaws that need correcting after escaping Highrisers
Petro Gazz Angels’ Aiza Pontillas and Djanel Cheng during a PVL All-Filipino Conference game. –PVL PHOTO
ANTIPOLO CITY—Having cruised to an eighth straight win in the PVL All-Filipino Conference, Petro Gazz should have nothing but high spirits in its locker room.
But with a tougher round looming, the Angels felt a tinge of worry on Saturday, minutes after their latest victory—an 87-minute sweep of Galeries Tower, 25-18, 25-18, 25-22, at Ynares Center.
“There is still a lot to fix in our communication,” admitted veteran Aiza Pontillas, who finished with 12 points and earned Best Player of the Game honors. “We also need to play with more consistency and try to lessen our unforced errors.”
The win kept the Angels solid at No. 2 behind the unbeaten Creamline Cool Smashers (9-0). The scoreboard suggested dominance.
Petro Gazz’s performance, however, exposed some cracks in its armor.
Simple errors
After controlling the first two frames with efficient offense and strong defensive stops, the Angels found themselves locked in a see-saw battle late in the third. At 14-all, lapses in communication and defensive misreads allowed the underdog Highrisers to stay within striking distance.
While Myla Pablo and Brooke Van Sickle provided a steady offensive punch with 17 and 15 points, respectively, Petro Gazz’s struggles in transition and defensive coverage nearly forced an extended match.
Simple errors—including misaligned sets, poor floor coverage and attack hesitations—gave Galeries Tower, led by Jho Maraguinot (12 points), a chance to disrupt the Angels’ rhythm. A late attack error from Pablo even trimmed the lead to 23-22 before she recovered with a clutch crosscourt kill to push Petro Gazz to match point. Moments later, her final hammer sealed the win.
The numbers favored Petro Gazz: the Angels outclassed Galeries Tower in spikes (48-36), blocks (9-6), and aces (5-2). Yet, their level of play needs sharpening before they enter the high-stakes postseason.
“We cannot let errors and miscommunication cost us in bigger games,” Pontillas emphasized.
With one more elimination-round match against struggling Nxled on Thursday, the Angels have a final opportunity to fine-tune their cohesion.
