Petro Gazz secured a much-needed victory against Choco Mucho with a commanding 25-18, 25-21, 25-18 sweep in the Premier Volleyball League Reinforced Conference at Philsports Arena Tuesday night.
Despite missing out on the top three spots in Pool B with a 2-3 record, the Angels’ straight-set win over the Flying Titans offers a morale boost as they gear up for the crossover round starting Saturday. The top eight teams will advance to the knockout quarterfinals.
The win was crucial for the Angels, who previously suffered three consecutive losses against the Capital1 Solar Spikers, Akari Chargers, and Cignal HD Spikers. Their season began with a victory over the ZUS Coffee Thunderbelles.
“Coming from those losses was really tough, so the team’s morale was quite low,” veteran playmaker Chie Saet admitted in Pilipino. “But we are very thankful to the coaches and management for still believing in us.”
Wilma Salas led Petro Gazz with 18 points, supported by Brooke Van Sickle with 17 markers and Myla Pablo with 11 points. Pablo played all three sets for the first time this season, contributing significantly to the win.
“I just did my job as a player. I’m very happy and thankful to our coach for the trust he has given me. It means a lot to be able to play,” said Pablo.
Coach Koji Tsuzurabara praised the team’s performance, saying, “I appreciate the performance of the team; we hadn’t won for the longest time.”
Saet, who recorded 15 excellent sets and scored four points, emphasized the team’s determination to bounce back from recent poor performances. “It’s our determination to win this game. We didn’t expect to win in three sets since Choco Mucho is a strong team. We were just lucky,” she added.
Petro Gazz now prepares for tough matches against the top Pool A teams, including Creamline, Chery Tiggo, and either PLDT or Farm Fresh. “We will prepare harder, stay more focused in training, and go all-out in every game in the next round,” said Saet.
Choco Mucho, playing without their top scorer Sisi Rondina, finished the round with a 1-4 record. Dindin Manabat led the Flying Titans with 13 points, while Isa Molde, Royse Tubino, and Maika Ortiz added six, five, and four points, respectively. Import Zoi Faki struggled, contributing only three markers in a two-set stint.
Petro Gazz dominated the match with 51 spikes compared to Choco Mucho’s 33 and capitalized on their opponents’ poor service reception, netting five aces.
