Soaring Angels Seek Finals Return, Face Chargers in Vital Tiff

Games today (Thursday)

4 p.m. – Petro Gazz vs Akari

6:30 p.m. – Creamline vs Choco Mucho

At the doorstep of a second All-Filipino Finals appearance, Petro Gazz aims to avoid any missteps as the fired-up Angels take on the dangerous Akari Chargers today at 4 p.m. at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.

The Angels are not only eyeing a sweep of the semifinals but are also gunning to secure the first spot in the Premier Volleyball League’s best-of-three championship series.

Petro Gazz has not returned to the Finals of the PVL’s centerpiece tournament since suffering a heartbreaking sudden-death loss to Creamline in the 2023 finale at the MOA Arena.

They finished sixth in the second All-Filipino Conference that same year before clinching third place last season.

With renewed confidence and a shared focus on overcoming adversity, the Angels—two-time Reinforced Conference champions—find themselves within reach of another title shot in a highly competitive edition of the All-Filipino Conference.

Standing in their way is Akari, which Petro Gazz expects to pose a serious challenge similar to their battles against Creamline and Choco Mucho.

“Akari is a strong team,” said Petro Gazz head coach Koji Tsuzurabara, who steered the Angels to a stunning fourth-set comeback against the Flying Titans on Tuesday, following another four-set win over Creamline last weekend.

Facing fellow Japanese tactician Taka Minowa, Tsuzurabara expects a tough test but remains cautiously optimistic, emphasizing the team’s continued improvement and mental toughness.

Despite sweeping Akari in the preliminaries, the Angels expect a grueling showdown.

Their previous encounter saw Petro Gazz grind out extended-set victories before prevailing, 28-26, 29-27, 25-18.

A loss, combined with a possible Creamline victory over Choco Mucho at 6:30 p.m., would result in a three-way tie at 2-1 in the semifinals.

Wins by both Akari and Choco Mucho would also force a three-way tie for second at 1-2, sending Petro Gazz to the Finals and requiring a playoff on Saturday at the Philsports Arena to determine the other finalist.

With several scenarios still possible, one thing remains certain—the road to the championship is far from easy, and the Angels must prove they have what it takes to soar again.

Creamline, fresh off a straight-sets win over Akari, is also in contention for a Finals berth and faces sister team Choco Mucho in the day’s main event.

Petro Gazz, which dominated the double round-robin preliminaries with a 10-game winning streak, stumbled briefly in the quarterfinals before outlasting ZUS Coffee in a best-of-three series.

At the heart of their surge is Fil-American Brooke Van Sickle, whose all-around brilliance led to a rare triple-double against Choco Mucho—17 points, 12 excellent digs, and 22 excellent receptions.

“I take every play seriously, especially on defense. The better I dig, the better opportunities my teammates get,” said Van Sickle.

“The better I can dig, the calmer it is compared to a chaotic out-of-system play.”

“I always try my hardest to involve everyone, not to put too much pressure on the setters, and to create good scoring opportunities,” she added.

“I want to be just as good in offense as I am in the back row.”

Also stepping up during their clash with Choco Mucho were Myla Pablo and backup setter Djanel Cheng, who combined for the last two points to seal an emotional win.

“From the crucial moments against ZUS Coffee, I learned my lesson,” said Pablo in Filipino.

“I told myself, ‘Here I am again in this situation, but we need to win this in four sets.’”

“We talked about it—that if I go for the attack, they have to be ready to cover for me.”

It turned out no cover was needed.

Pablo powered through with a kill to push Petro Gazz to match point, then sealed the win with a well-placed tip over two defenders.

Both plays were set up by Cheng, who took over from veteran Chie Saet in crunch time and delivered under pressure.

Pablo credited their chemistry and trust, saying, “We click as a team because we have confidence in each other.”

After delivering the match-winning point, Pablo dropped to the floor, rolled over, and savored the moment—but more than celebrating, she was relieved to finish without injury.

“I just really tried to avoid injuries, especially after landing from hard hits,” she said.

“I really thanked the Lord—that’s why I rolled over after.”