FLYING HIGH
Petro Gazz captures Champions League crown
Petro Gazz wasted no time in completing its conquest of the Philippine National Volleyball Federation Champions League.
Filipino-American Brooke Van Sickle put on a show to guide the Angels to a smooth 25-19, 27-25, 25-22, sweep of erstwhile unbeaten Cignal to walk away with the shiny championship trophy in the winner-take-all final showdown Saturday night at the Rizal Memorial Coliseum.
The power-hitting open spiker, who was named Most Valuable Player, flexed her muscles to tow the third seed Petro Gazz to the top podium with the help of veterans Jonah Sabete and Remy Palma.
Sabete pulled the Angels up, 22-19, with backto-back hits late in the third frame. Petro Gazz kept its distance in the closing stretch and even moved to match point after Glaudine Trongcoso committed a costly error when her offspeed attack went short.
The HD Spikers, who won all of its first five games only to slip in the most important match, saved a match point after a Chin Basas kill.
Van Sickle iced the game with a through-theblock smash to welcome new Japanese coach Koji Tsuzurabara with a title in his first tournament with the club with a little over a week left before the start of the Premier Volleyball League.
Van Sickle bombarded Cignal’s defense with 20 points coming off 18 spikes and two kill blocks while Sabete had 18 markers all from attacks.
Palma and KC Galdones added seven each for the Angels.
Petro Gazz had to fight its way out of a tight second set after cruising in the opening frame with Aiza Maizo-Pontillas breaking a second deuce at 25 with an off the block kill before Palma hammered the punctuating running hit.
Ces Molina was the lone HD Spiker in double figures with 13 points while Vanie Gandler and Trongcoso got eight and seven, respectively.
Van Sickle and Sabete won Best Open Hitters, Chery Tiggo’s Aby Marano along with Palma bagged the Best Middle Blocker recognitions while College of Saint Benilde’s Gayle Pascual
was hailed as Best Opposite Spiker.
Gel Cayuna of Cignal got the Best Setter award while her teammate Dawn Macandili-Catindig was feted as Best Libero.
Meanwhile, Chery Tiggo leaned on grizzled veterans Mylene Paat, Aby Maraño and Ara Galang to crush College of Saint Benilde in a masterful, 25-20, 25-13, 25-13, sweep to capture the bronze medal.
The Crossovers’ experience spelled the difference in the one-hour, 33-minute encounter.
Paat led the way with game-high 11 points scattered from eight kills and three kill blocks for Chery Tiggo’s podium finish in its first foray with recruits Maraño and Ara Galang.
The former pillars of the disbanded F2 Logistics, chipped in 10 points apiece as the
Crossovers vented their ire on the Lady Blazers following a painful straight sets loss to Petro Gazz in the semifinal.
“Of course, we’re happy we finished in the top three. It’s a great experience and a good start with Ara and Tyang onboard,” first-year Chery Tiggo coach Kungfu Reyes said.
Eya Laure and Pauline Gaston chipped in six points each for the Crossovers.
Fueled with the desire for redemption following a 21-25, 19-25, 14-25 drubbing at the hands of the Angels, the PVL 2021 Open Conference champion denied Saint Benilde of a chance to mount significant resistance after a close opening frame.
No player finished in double digits for the reigning National Collegiate Athletic Association back-to-back champions Lady Blazers, who had a
commendable campaign despite being the only collegiate squad in the week-long tourney.
Gayle Pascual had seven points to lead the charges of coach Jerry Yee. Jessa Dorog had six while Wielyn Estoque and Clydel Catarig combined for eight markers.
Saint Benilde gave all their four club counterparts a run for their money before bowing down in slim defeats including a sorry 25-23, 25-22, 22-25, 22-25, 10-15 loss to Cignal in the semis.
Meanwhile, the men’s division featuring eight teams split into two groups unwraps Sunday.
Retooled Cignal goes up against Saint Benilde at 1 p.m. followed by the 3:30 p.m. encounter between Savouge Spin Doctors and Philippine Navy.
VSN Asereht clashes with Iloilo in the 6 p.m. nightcap.