Petro Gazz unveiled its revamped squad with an emphatic 25-11, 25-19, 25-19 victory over the Philippine Army, marking the kickoff of the Philippine National Volleyball Federation (PNVF) Champions League at the Rizal Memorial Coliseum on Sunday.
Filipino-American sensation Brooke Van Sickle showcased her talent as expected, tallying 16 points with 14 hits, a block, and an ace in her Philippine debut. The Angels swiftly dispatched the Lady Troopers in just 81 minutes.
Petro Gazz, introducing new Japanese coach Koji Tsuzurabara to the local volleyball scene, faced minimal resistance in three straight sets, securing a quick 1-0 record in the five-team tournament supported by PLDT Ayala Land, Nuvali, Cignal, One Sports, One Sports+, Mikasa, Senoh, Foton, the Philippine Olympic Committee, and the Philippine Sports Commission.
The former US NCAA stalwart from the University of Hawaii, hailed as the MVP in the Big West Conference, received ample support from Nicole Tiamzon, returning Myla Pablo, and Kecelyn Galdones, contributing nine, eight, and seven points, respectively.
Van Sickle, speaking about her nerves before the game, expressed gratitude for her teammates' support, stating, "We're building chemistry as a team, slowly and surely. It was a good day for us."
Except for a closely contested third set where the Angels had to pull away from a slim 17-15 lead, they dominated the match, with all eight other players also making significant contributions to the scoreboard.
Coach Tsuzubara praised the debut performance of his team, commending Brooke for leading the way despite the limited training time of just over a week since taking over from Timmy Sto. Tomas.
"Today is my first game, and I just told the players before the game to have fun together," said the Japanese mentor. "Brooke is good. She also had her first game here, so she has to understand the atmosphere in Philippine volleyball."
Petro Gazz's next challenge is against Cignal on Tuesday, a team that has also strengthened its lineup with the additions of Dawn Macandili and Jov Fernandez. Cignal was facing Chery Tiggo, led by new captain Aby Maraño, as of press time in the second game of the PNVF Champions League opener.
Meanwhile, Nerissa Bautista was the lone standout for the Philippine Army, contributing 10 points in their volleyball return after skipping the PVL last year.
The NCAA champion and PNVF Challenge Cup champion College of St. Benilde, set to debut on Monday against the Philippine Army, completes the women's division of the tournament, broadcast live on One Sports and One Sports+, with livestreaming on Pilipinas Live and delayed coverage on Cignal.
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