During the 2025 Premier Volleyball League All-Filipino Conference Finals, MJ Phillips proved to be the calm in the storm, leading Petro Gazz to a thrilling 25-17, 25-20, 18-25, 20-25, 15-10 victory over the five-time defending champion Creamline.
With that, the Angels stand just one win away from their first-ever All-Filipino title—but Phillips is quick to remind her teammates that the job is far from finished.
The middle blocker was nothing short of spectacular in the final frame, where she scored six of her 16 points, delivering the knockout blows that propelled Petro Gazz to a game-winning 15-10 fifth set.
The victory was a huge step forward for the Angels, who now find themselves on the brink of history.
“We just don’t think about that time,” Phillips said, referring to Petro Gazz’s previous Finals experience in 2022 when they also took a 1-0 series lead against Creamline but ended up losing the next two games in devastating fashion.
“No, we remember that and we’re gonna take that as fuel. We’re not gonna have that repeat [of] the past.”
For Phillips and her teammates, the painful memories of 2022 are fresh, but they’ve transformed that disappointment into motivation.
The Angels were one set away from a championship two years ago, only to see their momentum evaporate in the following games.
That loss still lingers, but it’s not something Petro Gazz is allowing to define them this time around.
It was the 29-year-old Fil-American’s confidence and poise that anchored the Angels in the crucial moments of Game 1.
As the match reached its tense final moments, with Creamline staging a comeback after trailing 2-0, it was Phillips who set the tone. She scored the first three points for Petro Gazz in the fifth set—a block on Jeanette Panaga, followed by a quick attack and a booming ace—that gave the Angels a 3-1 lead.
With Creamline fighting to stay alive, Phillips then contributed two more points in a crucial 7-3 run that put Petro Gazz in the driver’s seat, 10-4.
When the Cool Smashers made a final push to narrow the gap, Phillips slammed the door shut with a powerful kill that restored a five-point cushion, 13-8, and ultimately sealed the game.
Her leadership and clutch play under pressure were exactly what Petro Gazz needed to secure the win—but for Phillips, it was just one step toward the ultimate goal.
“We’re not thinking about that [previous] time,” she said, underscoring the importance of moving forward and not allowing the ghosts of past Finals series to haunt them.
“We’re gonna take this moment as fuel and finish this thing.”
The Angels know they still have work to do. As they prepare for Game 2, Phillips emphasized the importance of not letting up and staying focused, particularly after the near collapse in Game 1 when they allowed Creamline to steal two sets.
“One game at a time, one point at a time,” Phillips said.
“We’re gonna try our best not to have that third set like how we lacked energy. We’re just gonna come right off the bat and finish it.”
