Petro Gazz maintained its winning momentum in the Premier Volleyball League All-Filipino Conference, dispatching Galeries Tower, 25-18, 25-18, 25-22, on Saturday at the Ynares Center in Antipolo.
The 87-minute victory, their eighth straight and ninth overall against one loss, all but solidified their hold on the No. 2 seed behind the unbeaten Creamline Cool Smashers (9-0).
Despite the convincing scoreline, the Angels encountered unexpected resistance in the third set, nearly allowing the Highrisers to push the match further due to lapses in communication and coordination.
With the first two sets comfortably in its favor, Petro Gazz looked poised for a dominant finish. However, a breakdown in communication in the third frame allowed Galeries Tower to stay in the match, turning what seemed like a routine sweep into a tense battle.
The Highrisers, led by Jho Maraguinot, refused to go down quietly, matching the Angels point-for-point. At crucial moments, misreads and hesitant plays plagued Petro Gazz, allowing Galeries Tower to capitalize.
Simple errors, such as missed defensive coverages, misaligned sets and poor transition plays, allowed the underdog squad to stay within striking distance.
"There is still a lot to fix in our communication,” said veteran Aiza Pontillas in Filipino, who finished with 12 points, including crucial crosscourt hits in the first two sets, to claim the Best Player of the Game honors.
“We also need to play with more consistency and try to lessen our unforced errors,” she added.
Pablo continued her stellar performance, delivering 17 points along with eight excellent digs, while Brooke Van Sickle contributed 15 points.
MJ Phillips anchored the middle with authority, finishing with seven markers and providing crucial defensive stops.
Meanwhile, Galeries Tower slipped to a 1-10 record for No. 12 spot, as Maraguinot, who fired 12 points, once again struggled to get consistent support from her teammates – a recurring issue in most of their previous defeats.
Ysa Jimenez managed seven points, while Roselle Baliton and France Ronquillo chipped in six apiece. Andrea Marzan and setter Julia Coronel added four points each, but their collective efforts fell short against the dominant Angels.
With the score tied at 14, the Angels found themselves locked in a see-saw battle. After briefly pulling ahead at 19-15, they allowed the Highrisers to claw back, struggling to finish points cleanly.
The rallying Galeries Tower took advantage of a rare attack fault from Pablo, narrowing the gap to 22-23, heightening tensions inside the Ynares center.
And it took back-to-back clutch plays from Pablo to finally close the door on the Highrisers. Her powerful crosscourt hit, which slipped past libero Alyssa Eroa’s hands, put Petro Gazz at match point.
After a solid defensive stand, Pablo delivered the final blow, ensuring the Angels’ victory after a challenging showdown.
Despite their win, the Angels acknowledged that they could not afford similar lapses in the upcoming playoffs.
Petro Gazz dominated in all scoring skills, spikes (48-36), blocks (9-6), and aces (5-2), but the Angels’ inability to execute smoothly in the third set was a wake-up call.
With a final elimination-round match against the struggling Nxled squad on Thursday, the Angels will look to iron out their communication flaws before entering the crucial postseason phase.
“We need to address this before the playoffs," said Pontillas. "We cannot let errors and miscommunication cost us in bigger games."
