After years of heartbreak and disappointment, Oliver Almadro's dream of reaching the Premier Volleyball League (PVL) finals has finally come true. On Thursday night, the Petro Gazz Angels clinched a spot in the PVL All-Filipino Conference finals by blanking PLDT, 25-17, 25-23, 25-15, in Game Three of the semifinals.
Almadro, who joined the league in 2019 with Choco Mucho, had never reached the PVL finals before. His highest finish in the league was fourth place in both the 2021 and 2022 Open Conferences. However, after taking over the Petro Gazz coaching post in January, Almadro's fortunes have finally changed.
Overcome with emotions, Almadro expressed his gratitude to the team and to God for the opportunity. "Well first, I thank the Lord for the strength. They say the Lord will move to put you in the right direction," said Almadro, trying to hold back tears. "So, I didn't know, I wasn't expecting to be in the finals right away, I didn't really... I really didn't expect this."
Almadro continued to express his appreciation for the Angels, who accepted him right away and helped him achieve a significant milestone in his coaching career. "No, I really thank these girls because they trusted me right away," he said. "And, you know, reaching the finals right away is a big blessing. Because everybody wants to be in this position."
However, Almadro is fully aware that many teams will underestimate the Angels in the finals. "But we will show the performance, it will show for itself where we stand and where the Lord takes us," he added.
Petro Gazz will face the Creamline, who are aiming for their second consecutive All-Filipino Conference title, without Alyssa Valdez in the finals. This is the fourth time the two teams will meet in the PVL, and the Angels' finals win-loss record against the Cool Smashers is currently 1-2, with their only victory coming in the 2019 Reinforced Conference.
"We said that to reach that dream, we need to have a goal. We have to commit and be consistent in that goal, so that's all that matters to us. They are there, and we are the underdogs," Almadro said. "So, as we said, we'll just do our job wherever we end up. We're a strong team, and great teams will just push us forward."
As the Angels prepare to face the defending champions, Almadro's dream of winning a PVL title is still alive, and with his experience and leadership, anything is possible for the underdog team.
