Petro Gazz barely broke a sweat in its seventh straight victory, overpowering Capital1 with an emphatic 25-19, 25-18, 25-9 win in the Premier Volleyball League All-Filipino Conference preliminaries at the Philsports Arena in Pasig on Tuesday.
The romp, their eighth overall against just one loss, propelled the Angels past the unbeaten Creamline Cool Smashers with 23 points in their intense battle for the coveted No. 1 seed.
Flexing their depth, skill, and firepower, the Angels controlled the first two sets with ease before shifting into high gear in the third, sealing the match in just one hour and 21 minutes.
Petro Gazz’s return to the top, however, remained tentative, pending the outcome of the Creamline-Farm Fresh clash later in the night. With the Cool Smashers, with an 8-0 mark worth 22 points. also vying for the top seed in the newly introduced knockout post-prelims format, the race for No. 1 remained intense.
The Angels left nothing to chance against Capital1, capitalizing on their wealth of experience and firepower to dominate the match. Myla Pablo once again led the charge, delivering a relentless offensive performance and finishing with 14 points, earning her yet another Best Player of the Game honor.
“Since I am one of the players expected to perform, I needed to step up and also provide the leadership that my younger teammates and coaches expect to see from me,” said Pablo in Filipino, emphasizing her commitment to guiding the team with her veteran presence.
Despite their impressive winning streak and top-ranking status, the seasoned outside hitter remained focused on areas for improvement. She stressed the need for the Angels to cut down on costly mistakes, citing their alarming 32 unforced errors in their previous match against the ZUS Coffee Thunderbelles as a reminder that there’s still room for refinement.
Brooke van Sickle, on the other hand, showcased her all-around brilliance, contributing crucial points on offense to finish with 13 markers while anchoring their defense with nine excellent digs and three receptions.
Her ability to involve multiple attackers from all angles left their opponents in complete disarray, further underscoring Petro Gazz’s depth and dominance.
Remy Palma contributed seven points, while MJ Phillips added six with a series of quick attacks and slide plays. Meanwhile, Aiza Pontillas, Ranya Musa and Cheng each chipped in five points, as the Angels dominated the spiking battle, 48-24.
Petro Gazz also showed its strength at the net, producing eight blocks against Capital1’s two. Additionally, the Angels displayed their serving prowess with six aces, while limiting their errors to just three service faults.
No player from the Solar Spikers reached double digits in scoring with Heather Guino-o top-scoring with eight points, followed by Des Clemente-de Guzman with six markers. Sydney Niegos and Jorelle Singh each contributed three points. With the loss, Capital1 dropped to No. 12 in the standings with a 1-9 record.
With Pablo and Palma leading the charge, Petro Gazz asserted its dominance early, seizing control with a 13-8 advantage before widening the gap to 20-14. The Angels’ firepower and experience were on full display, as they consistently outgunned the Solar Spikers with aggressive attacks and well-orchestrated plays.
Though their opponents showed resilience, inching closer at 19-23 after a rare Petro Gazz attack error, the Angels remained composed under pressure. Cheng showcased her veteran savvy with a perfectly timed 1-2 play to bring them to match point, before Van Sickle sealed the victory with a thunderous crosscourt hit, underscoring the Angels’ offensive superiority.
The Solar Spikers showed resilience in the second set, battling through multiple deadlocks and even briefly taking the lead at 7-6 on an Iris Tolenada 1-2 play. However, their momentum was short-lived as Petro Gazz swiftly reasserted control, stringing together five unanswered points to establish a commanding 15-9 advantage.
Though the Angels committed a few service errors late in the set, the Solar Spikers struggled to capitalize, faltering with costly unforced errors of their own. Guino-o’s service fault proved particularly costly, coming right after Clemente had saved a set point with a quick attack.
