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Joey Villar - Philstar.com
April 3, 2025 | 6:27pm
Petro Gazz fashioned out a 25-22, 25-20, 25-18 victory over Akari to enter the finals.
PVL Media Bureau
MANILA, Philippines — Petro Gazz has waited two years for a chance at finding its way back to the Premier Volleyball League All-Filipino Conference finals.
So when the opportunity came, the Angels made sure to grab it in an instant as evidenced by their 25-22, 25-20, 25-18 victory over the Akari Chargers at the Smart-Araneta Coliseum Thursday that completed the former’s much awaited return to the big stage.
And Petro Gazz was nothing less than magnificent in accomplishing it after it swept the semifinals in three matches and booked its trip straight to the best-of-three championship round unfolding Tuesday at the Big Dome.
There, the Angels, winners of two Reinforced Conference titles but never outside it, earned another shot at their breakthrough All-Filipino crown after being denied in their last attempt two years ago when they fell to the Creamline Cool Smashers.
They will play either Creamline or Choco Mucho, who are still playing each other as of posting time.
“Like everybody else, our goal is to win a championship, and this is our chance,” said battle-scarred Petro Gazz setter Chie Saet, who helped facilitate her team’s relentless attacking game.
That offensive onslaught was centered on Myla Pablo, who was like a typhoon on this one and she ravaged Akari with hits from all over before finishing with a match-best 17 points.
Last year’s Most Valuable Player Brooke Van Sickle was her old glorious self after as she chipped in 15 hits.
“It was very surreal,” said Van Sickle on her first trip to the big dance where she hoped to deliver on a promise — a Petro Gazz championship.
It was a sad ending to what was a euphoric start for Akari, which won its first semis outing versus Choco Mucho only to drop the next two.
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PVL Notes: Creamline has tapped American Erica Staunton as one of its imports in the AVC Women’s Champions League, which the country will host from April 20-27 at the PhilSports Arena in Pasig.
