BATANGAS City – Petro Gazz, reeling from a stinging five-set loss to upstart Nxled the previous night, drew deep into its championship well to survive a determined Galeries Tower side in a tense, grind-it-out 25-23, 25-21, 26-24 victory and wheel back into Pool A contention in the PVL On Tour at the Batangas City Sports Center here on Sunday.
The scoreline may show a sweep, but every set was a test of nerves, execution and sheer will, with neither side yielding ground without a fight. Both teams, eager to avoid a 0-2 hole in the two-pool, pre-season tournament organized by Sports Vision, slugged it out shot-for-shot and dig-for-dig in each frame, producing a gripping encounter that showcased the league’s growing parity and depth.
In the end, however, it was Petro Gazz’s poise and experience that made the difference, sealing a straight-sets victory in a match that nearly extended to a fourth frame. The Angels found themselves on the brink late in the third, trailing 20-23 after a spirited Galeries Tower rally fueled by Jewel Encarnacion’s string of power hits and a costly net touch by Joy Dacoron.
But a well-timed timeout by Petro Gazz disrupted the Highrisers’ rhythm, freezing Ivy Perez at the service line. The veteran playmaker committed a service error, and a miscue in the next play opened the door for the Angels’ counterattack.
Nicole Tiamzon, scoreless through the first two sets after a 15-point outburst against Nxled, finally made her presence felt with a clutch block on Ysa Jimenez, leveling the count at 23 and setting the stage for another tense finish, much like the first two frames.
Tiamzon, a former UP standout, then followed up with a smart off-the-block hit, only for Encarnacion – buoyed by the cheers of her hometown crowd – to fire back with her own emphatic kill, extending the set.
But the tide quickly turned once more. Encarnacion, who had played with fire and flair, faltered under pressure with a costly service error. The Angels seized the opening, and Tiamzon – now in rhythm – delivered the knockout blow with a crosscourt kill that threaded through two defenders and landed cleanly in Zone 6.
As the All-Filipino Conference champions wrapped up their hard-earned 1-hour, 38-minute win, the Highrisers exited with heads held high, having once again pushed a powerhouse opponent to the brink with their grit and youthful bravado.
But just like in their match against the Choco Mucho Flying Titans, the Highrisers came up short in the crucial moments, undone by late-game lapses in the face of pressure.
While Myla Pablo and Jonah Sabete provided the needed firepower with 14 and 10 points, respectively, it was Dacoron who emerged as the game’s top performer, anchoring Petro Gazz’s bounce-back win with a 10-point outing built on five attack points, two blocks and three aces.
“We’re really happy with the win. We gave it our all, and I’m grateful for the trust the coaches placed in us,” said Dacoron, whose presence at the net and behind the line proved pivotal despite a late-set miscue.
Veteran Aiza Maizo-Pontillas chipped in seven points, while Marian Buitre, another former UP stalwart, added five markers as the Angels displayed balanced scoring and resilience in crunch time.
On the other side, Galeries Tower drew strength from a collective effort led by Jimenez’s 13-point output. Team captain and middle blocker Roselle Baliton followed up with 10 points, while Encarnacion and promising rookie Jean Asis added nine and six, respectively.
Asis, who turned heads with a team-best 16-point performance in their previous game, struggled to find her footing this time, going in and out of the rotation in search of consistency.
Encarnacion, meanwhile, took the time to express her gratitude to the fans for their strong support.
“Ramdam na ramdam namin ang hiyawan at palakpakan ninyo. Ang sarap sa puso – grabe ‘yung energy na binibigay ninyo sa amin,” she said, beaming.
Statistically, Petro Gazz narrowly edged Galeries Tower in attacks, 43-39, but was outblocked, 6-7. However, the Angels made the most of their opponents’ shaky service reception, landing six aces and committing only two service errors.
The two teams also had almost identical numbers in terms of unforced errors, with Galeries giving away 21 free points and Petro Gazz yielding 20.
Setting also became a key battleground, with Galeries’ Perez outshining Petro Gazz counterpart Djanel Cheng, tallying 19 excellent sets to the Angels playmaker’s 16, underscoring the Highrisers’ continued growth in playmaking despite falling short in the result.
