If strong starts lay the groundwork for championship dreams, the Petro Gazz Angels made theirs thunderously clear late Tuesday night – and made sure the defending champion Creamline Cool Smashers felt it from the opening serve.
Battle-tested, built for comebacks, and unfazed by the pressure, the Angels showed they were ready for the moment.
No one embodied that resilience more than MJ Phillips. Taking over in the deciding set, she poured in six of her 16 points to propel the Angels to a classic 25-17, 25-20, 18-25, 20-25, 15-10 victory – moving them one win away from a long-awaited All-Filipino Conference title in the Premier Volleyball League.
Just when it seemed Creamline had seized the momentum with dominant wins in Sets 3 and 4, Phillips stepped up with poise and power. She scored Petro Gazz’s first three points in the fifth set with a kill block, an off-the-block hit, and an ace to give her squad an early 3-1 lead. The Angels widened the gap to 8-4 on another Phillips kill, and extended it to 13-8, silencing the once-deafening Cool Smashers crowd.
The cheers briefly returned when Michele Gumabao scored on a kill and Bea de Leon denied Brooke Van Sickle at the net. But Bernadette Pons sent an attack long on Creamline’s next offensive, and an unsuccessful net fault challenge brought the Angels to match point.
In a twist of fate, it was Pons – instrumental in Creamline’s earlier rally with a resurgent Jema Galanza – who misfired in the final play, her soft push well-read by Aiza Pontillas and caught in the net. That error set off a wild Petro Gazz celebration and left Creamline in stunned silence – a rare scene for the league’s most decorated team in clutch moments.
“I have no words,” said the usually bubbly Van Sickle, who exploded for 24 points and was named Best Player of the Game. “It was extremely stressful, a very tough battle – but I’m proud of my team.”
Indeed, the Angels rose to the occasion. Jonah Sabete matched Phillips with 16 points, while Myla Pablo added 12, continuing her consistent all-around play. The Angels matched Creamline’s 62 attack points, but had the edge in other areas – 13 blocks to Creamline’s 10, five aces to their three, and nearly matched them in unforced errors, 22 to 23.
The emotional two-hour, 24-minute victory pushed Petro Gazz, which swept the semis, including a four-set win over Creamline, to the brink of their first-ever All-Filipino championship – a fitting addition to its two Reinforced Conference titles.
Game 2 of the best-of-three series is set tomorrow (Thursday), again at the Araneta Coliseum, where the Angels’ chemistry, poise and character will be tested against a Creamline squad chasing its 11th title in 14 Finals appearances.
“Creamline is a team that never gives up. They have that grit. They’re mentally tough,” said Van Sickle, who also credited veteran Remy Palma’s calming leadership during the tense moments.
“As team captain, she really did a great job. She talked to us, calmed us down because we kind of got ahead of ourselves after winning the first two sets,” Van Sickle added. “We started rushing things, not playing our game. We got tight. But she kept reminding us to stay patient—and yeah, we prevailed.”
Pons finished with 16 points for Creamline, while Pangs Panaga added 13. Bea de Leon, Galanza and Michele Gumabao contributed 11, 10, and nine points, respectively. But it wasn’t the ending Creamline or their fans had envisioned.
Earlier, the Angels didn’t just take the first two sets – they dominated and stormed through it in a stunning display of preparation, poise and purpose that left Creamline, and a sea of pink-clad fans, dazed and bewildered.
Even the Angels may not have anticipated this level of dominance – but they earned every bit of it.
And halting the vaunted Cool Smashers’ comeback further underscored the Angels' composure under pressure and their ability to thrive in the moment.
Still, the Cool Smashers have one more chance to flip the script – while the Angels are now just a win away from writing their own storybook ending.
