PVL: Brooke Van Sickle ready for tough Finals battle vs Creamline
Brooke Van Sickle and Petro Gazz Angels during the PVL All-Filipino Conference semifinals. –MARLO CUETO/INQUIRER.net
SCHEDULE: 2025 PVL All-Filipino Conference FINALS
MANILA, Philippines —Brooke Van Sickle is bracing for a tough battle when Petro Gazz takes on a ‘five-peat’-seeking Creamline in another championship duel for the PVL All-Filipino crown.
After missing the chance in the past two conferences last year, Van Sickle made her first PVL finals appearance after dropping 15 points and nine digs in their 25-22, 25-20, 25-18 win over Akari to complete a three-game semifinals sweep on Thursday.
READ: PVL: Creamline sets Finals duel vs Petro Gazz, ousts Choco Mucho
The reigning MVP knows that the Angels are hungry for their first All-Filipino crown after losing thrice to Creamline in the Finals in 2019, 2022, and 2023.
“Creamline, I know, is on top for gold medals and then I saw Petro in the past. They have two from Reinforced,” Van Sickle told the reporters.
“They’re always a winning team, always in the Finals. So I’ve already been mentally preparing for this rematch. If we do end up facing them, I know they’re going to come out at 120 percent, so we have to be ready. That team is super hungry. We luckily were able to get a win off them in the semis, but this is going to be a tough battle.”
It will be the fifth Creamline and Petro Gazz finals duel as the latter only won their first series in the 2019 Reinforced Conference.
The Filipino-American sensation is expected to spell the difference in the Angels-Cool Smashers’ best-of-three finals.
LIVE: PVL All-Filipino Conference semifinals – April 3
“I’m jumping at my full potential and swinging as hard as possible, but I’ll also be focusing on all skills—especially passing and defense—because I want to create opportunities for my teammates,” she said. “Getting the middles involved is very important moving forward.”
The Filipino-American spiker also expressed her admiration for the continuous growth of the PVL.
“It’s really awesome and huge for Petro Gazz. It just shows how PVL volleyball is improving step by step. It’s exciting to see the development of volleyball in this country, and I can’t wait to see what the future holds for the league and which teams will make it to the Finals in the coming years.”Van Sickle gave credit to her teammates for their unwavering support throughout the tournament, saying the Angels’ strong bond has been key to their Finals run.
“I’m really excited to share this experience with them, just going to the finals and everything. I’m ecstatic. This is awesome,” the 27-year-old spiker said.
“We’ve been pushing each other this whole time, picking each other up when we’re down, spreading words of affirmation, and building that team chemistry. Everyone wants it. Everyone wants to win. In the end, it’s about who works harder, who puts in the effort, and who performs in crunch time. I’m really happy with this team—everyone is doing great.”
