Petro Gazz came heartbreakingly close to completing a historic semifinal run in the AVC Women’s Volleyball Champions League, only to falter in crunch time against a young but poised Beijing Baic Motor squad.
Despite holding a 2-1 set lead, the Angels couldn’t sustain their momentum and succumbed to a pressure-packed 29-31, 25-19, 25-20, 20-25, 12-15 loss in a gripping quarterfinal clash Friday night at the Philsports Arena.
Jin Ye turned in a towering performance, dropping a match-high 37 points along with eight digs and five receptions to power Baic Motor past Petro Gazz in a thrilling five-set encounter. Her explosive showing outshone even the valiant effort of Petro Gazz's American import Gia Day, who tallied 35 points and 15 digs in their highly anticipated head-to-head duel.
“Even though we’re a young team, we don’t let that define us,” said Jin, who delivered 33 attack points and four blocks. “We focus on fighting for every point. Facing a strong and experienced team like Petro Gazz was a great opportunity for us to learn and grow. We learned how to solve problems in real time – right on the court.”
While Jin shone with her game-long brilliance, it was Lu Yufei who stole the spotlight in the decisive fifth set, delivering five crucial points, including the final kill that shattered the Angels' hopes after a grueling two-hour and 34-minute battle.
Lu's clutch performance brought Baic Motor to match point with a powerful off-the-block kill, giving them a 14-9 advantage. However, Petro Gazz responded with a fierce late rally, narrowing the gap.
Back-to-back points from MJ Phillips – a quick attack and a kill block – revived the Angels' spirits, followed by an attack error from Lu that made it 12-14.
But Lu quickly redeemed herself after a timeout called by Baic's coach Kuang Qi. Returning to the court with newfound composure, she unleashed a precise down-the-line spike that sealed the win and secured Baic Motor's semis berth against VTV Binh Dien Long An.
Lu added 19 points while Shan Lanfeng and Shen Hongyi chipped in 12 and 11 points, respectively, while powering their 18-block output with three and four blocks.
Reigning PVL MVP Brooke Van Sickle backed Day with 17 points on 12 attacks, three aces, and two blocks to go with 22 digs, while Jonah Sabete got 15 points and Phillips finished with 11 markers.
Baic Motor displayed resilience under pressure, and used its bench depth and an unshakable system to overcome Petro Gazz. After absorbing the Angels’ aggressive play in the middle sets, the Chinese side calmly regrouped, pounced on their rivals’ miscues, and executed with precision when it mattered most.
In contrast, the recent Premier Volleyball League All-Filipino champions unraveled in the fifth set with a flurry of attack errors, including five costly miscues – most of them from Day, who had earlier carried the scoring load but began to fade late in the match.
Baic coach Qi masterfully utilized his bench, rotating fresh legs and adjusting on the fly, especially after a shaky third set. The move paid dividends in the decider as his squad remained steady and efficient, while fatigue and predictability crept into Petro Gazz’s side.
Petro Gazz head coach Koji Tsuzurabara also went to his bench, but chose to keep Day on the floor, banking on her firepower. Setter Chie Saet continued to funnel the offense through the American import, but the over-reliance proved costly as Baic Motor’s block read her patterns and neutralized key attacks.
The turning point came early in the fifth set, with the score tied at 4. A long rally ended with a Day attack error that tipped the momentum in favor of the Chinese.
Moments later, back-to-back breakdowns – a block on Day and a backrow mishit – gave Baic Motor a 10-5 cushion it would not relinquish.
In the fourth set, after Petro Gazz surged ahead in the third, Baic Motor responded like true contenders. The Chinese exploited the Angels’ inconsistent offense and took advantage of a string of errors, to build a commanding 17-12 lead.
With the momentum firmly in hand, Baic Motor closed out the frame and carried its confidence into the final set.
