By Leobert Julian A. de la Peña
As the 2024 Premier Volleyball League (PVL) All-Filipino Conference playing calendar came to a close, the Petro Gazz Angels, Cignal HD Spikers, and the Creamline Cool Smashers proved to be the three best teams after topping the team standings.
After an average of six games into the season, Petro Gazz sat at the top with a win-loss record of 5-1, followed by Cignal with 4-1, and the defending champions Creamline with an undefeated 4-0 record.
It was an incredible two weeks for the Angels, with their last win of the year at the expense of the HD Spikers last December 14, 2024.
Petro Gazz not only took down the talented Cignal squad but they also became the first team to defeat them in the All-Filipino Conference.
Before their highly-anticipated matchup versus the HD Spikers, the Angels were looking to protect their three-game winning streak as they took down PLDT, Akari, and Farm Fresh.
Their only loss in the ongoing All-Filipino Conference came from the reigning queens of the league, the Cool Smashers, in their first match of the season.
Since losing to the Cool Smashers, the Angels became a different team and steamrolled their opponents, thanks to the resurgence of Myla Pablo, their veteran outside hitter.
Pablo bounced back after a quiet showing last conference and started to regain her confidence, averaging almost 14 points per game.
Of course, Most Valuable Player (MVP) Brooke Van Sickle is still their top offensive option but Pablo’s steady presence sparked Petro Gazz’s late run at the end of the year.
For Cignal, their healthy roster and balanced two-way efficiency propelled them to where they are right now, except that they had to move on quickly when the Angels tainted their perfect record weeks before the Christmas season ticked off the calendar.
Despite lacking the number of games that Petro Gazz and Cignal had in the first half of the conference, the Cool Smashers still showed their signature chemistry and is yet to drop a single game.
With the return of Alyssa Valdez bolstering their campaign after an injury-plagued past conference, Creamline found an added boost of motivation and is ready to defend their crown against the revamped clubs.
