Games Saturday
(Sta. Rosa Sports Complex)
2 p.m. – Chery Tiggo vs Creamline
4 p.m. – Galeries Tower vs Capital1
6 p.m. – Nxled vs Akari
In a test of resilience against a game Farm Fresh side, Petro Gazz turned the tide from a losing position to a triumphant attack in a highly-charged second set clash then the Angels carried their momentum into the third, powering their way to a 25-21, 27-25, 25-19 victory in the Premier Volleyball All-Filipino prelims at the Philsports Arena in Pasig Thursday.
Facing four match points in the second frame, including three in regulation play, the Angels showed their determination as Jonah Sabete and Brooke Van Sickle combined in the stretch to help deliver the hard-earned victory.
Petro Gazz thus improved to 4-1, just behind unbeaten Creamline (4-0) with Cignal and Choco Mucho also in contention for the lead at presstime.
Meanwhile, Farm Fresh slipped to 2-3, regretting missed opportunities, particularly in the pivotal second set where they had the upperhand, 24-21, on a Michelle Morente attack error.
Despite Farm Fresh’s remarkable performance, Petro Gazz demonstrated resolved, rallying back from a big deficit to snatch the set victory. They rattled off three straight points, aided by a Caitlyn Viray service miscue, with Van Sickle’s smart off-speed hit from the backrow and Remy Palma’s dump anchoring their fightback.
Alyssa Bertolano hammered in a kill to put the Foxies at set point anew but Sabete, foiled in her first attempt, scored on her next blast and the Angels took the next two points to steal the set, including one on a Chinnie Arroyo mishit and another Van Sickle backrow effort.
The Angels rode on the momentum of their come-from-behind win and took control of the third, scoring eight of the first 10 points to set the tone for the straight-set victory in one-hour and 35 minutes.
Although the Foxies mounted their own comeback in several occasions, the last at 18-22, on a Viray kill, the Angels scored three of the last four points as Van Sickle took care of business with a kill and an ace for a 24-18 bubble.
Ypril Tapia stalled Petro Gazz with an off-the-block hit but yielded the point, the set and the match on a service error.
Van Sickle’s stellar play, including a variety of shots, contributed significantly to Petro Gazz’s success, earning her 26 points after scoring 23 markers against PLDT and 24 points against Akari.
Sabete, though critical of her own performance, still finished with 11 points while Palma and Joy Dacoron added six and five points, respectively.
Despite the win, Petro Gazz coach Koji Tsuzurabara was far from being satisfied while recognizing the Foxies’ gutsy performance.
“I appreciated the Farm Fresh team, it was a good game,” he said. “But it wasn’t (a good game) for us. There were a lot of us frustrated.”
“For me, not too good,” said Sabete of her effort. “Ang laki ng tiwala ni coach, pero sobrang bagal ng start ko. Sabi niya nung third set, “You can?” Inako ko na. Medyo nakukulangan lang ako sa sarili ko, lalong-lalo na yung teamwork naming.”
Van Sickle also showcased her defensive prowess, matching Jellie Tempiatura’s nine excellent digs.
It was a tough loss for the young Foxies, who came into the match exuding confidence following a shock three-set victory over contender Chery Tiggo last weekend.
But Trisha Tubu slowed down with eight points after an 18-point explosion against the Crossovers. Rizza Cruz stepped up to fire 11 markers, middle Aprylle Tagsip and Arroyo finished with six points apiece, Viray added five markers, and Kate Santiago, Bertolano, and Tapia chipped in three points each.
