AVC: No PH teams left as Petro Gazz also exits with tough QF loss
PVL champions Petro Gazz Angels in a game against Beijing Baic Motors in the AVC Champions League quarterfinals. –MARLO CUETO/INQUIRER.net
The Philippines’ campaign in the AVC Women’s Champions League has come to an end after Petro Gazz followed Creamline and PLDT to the exit, with Beijing Baic Motors completing the semifinal cast on Friday.
The visiting crew sealed a semifinal matchup with VTV Bình Điền Long An after outlasting the PVL champions, 31-29, 19-25, 20-25, 25-20, 15-12, in the knockout quarterfinals.
READ: AVC: Van Sickle, Gia Day embrace ‘fun-first’ mindset in Petro Gazz win
“I’m really proud of how everyone worked so hard. It just brought tears to my eyes because the girls wanted it so bad and they had so much fun, this was like the most fun game I’ve ever played in. So I’m very thankful for them,” said an emotional Petro Gazz import Gia Day after her final game here.
With a much taller opponent at the opposite side of the net, the Angels were somehow able to push the Asian powerhouse to the proverbial limit as Day led the charge with 35 points.
Petro Gazz Angels’ Gia Day during an AVC Champions League quarterfinals game against Beijing Baic Mototrs. –MARLO CUETO/INQUIRER.net
“I’m very angry right now because I think that the girls did really enough for us to win. I could have kept it up in the last sets,” the American hitter.
READ: Remy Palma tunes out critics as Petro Gazz enters AVC KO stage
Ye Jin anchored the Chinese with a mammoth performance of 37 points, while Yufei Lu helped with 19 points, Lanfeng Shan 12 and Hongyi Shen 11 in the two-hour and 18 minute all-or-nothing clash where they had a whopping 18-8 advantage in blocks.
It had been anybody’s game in the deciding set, with both teams visibly tired, China banked on its experience in the clutch with Jin nailing a kill down the line to give the Chinese an 11-6 advantage.
Petro Gazz carved out a late 3-0 run to save three match points with MJ Phillips scoring off a quick attack and a block until Lu, after her kill went long, immediately redeeming with the final poin.
Brooke van Sickle contributed 17 points apart from 22 excellent digs for Petro Gazz, the last team from the country to exit in the playoffs. Jonah Sabete chipped in 15 points and MJ Phillips had 11.
“From the start, we knew we were up against a strong team. Our coaches and even Ate Remy [Palma] told us to just play our game — we had nothing to lose by giving it our all. We just came up short, but we’re still happy because we played well,” said setter Donnalyn Paralejas.
