For two long months, Jonah Sabete watched from the sidelines, eager yet unable to contribute to Petro Gazz’s campaign due to an undisclosed injury. But when her team needed her the most, she returned in spectacular fashion, helping the Angels stave off elimination and push their quarterfinal series against ZUS Coffee to a deciding Game 3 in the 2024-25 Premier Volleyball League All-Filipino Conference.
Making her comeback in Game 2, Sabete wasted no time proving her value, delivering 11 crucial points in Petro Gazz’s emphatic 25-19, 25-13, 28-26 sweep of the Thunderbelles at the Ynares Center in Antipolo on Saturday.
“Actually I’m happy na nakabalik pa rin ako pero yung pressure andoon din talaga. Pressure pero sinasabi ko lang sa sarili ko na ang daming nagtitiwala sa akin like defense,” Sabete shared, acknowledging both the excitement and the weight of expectations that came with her return.
The Angels entered the quarterfinals riding the momentum of a dominant 10-game winning streak. But in a shocking turn of events, they suffered a straight-set defeat in the series opener, falling 21-25, 23-25, 25-27 to an inspired ZUS Coffee squad. With their backs against the wall, Petro Gazz needed a spark. That’s when head coach Koji Tsuzurabara turned to Sabete.
Following the Game 1 loss, Tsuzurabara reached out to Sabete, asking if she was ready to return and contribute at full strength for the must-win Game 2. Without hesitation, the 31-year-old wing spiker answered the call.
“Actually, nagkulang lang din talaga kami sa pasa. After that, Coach Koji [messaged] me, asking, 'Can you play at 100 percent?' ‘Yun nga, sabi ko, 'I’ll try my 100 percent. Let’s work on this next game,’” said Sabete. “So, yun lang ginawa ko kasi one day lang din kami nag-prepare for team practice, so pressure andoon talaga.”
Despite the limited preparation time, Sabete seamlessly reintegrated into the team’s system, providing both offensive firepower and defensive stability. Her presence injected new life into the Angels, who responded with a dominant performance to force a winner-takes-all Game 3.
One of the most excited to see Sabete back in action was Angels’ star Brooke Van Sickle, who praised the veteran spiker’s impact on the court.
“I thought everyone stepped up. I'm really glad Jonah's back, that she's back to health, back on the court, and being able to have her energy and presence is really great. She's just a fiery player and I feel like she added to the energy a lot,” Van Sickle said.
