ANGELS FLY HIGH
Petro Gazz dominates Cignal, boosts semis bid
Games tomorrow: (Smart Araneta Coliseum)
4 p.m. — Strong Group vs Farm Fresh 6 p.m. — Choco Mucho vs Creamline
What was billed as a tight, fierce encounter turned into a rout as Petro Gazz displayed flawless execution and airtight defense to essay a masterful 25-13, 25-18, 25-17 win over Cignal in the Premier Volleyball League All-Filipino Conference yesterday at the Philsports Arena.
Displaying superb performance in attacking, blocking and hustle plays, the high-flying Angels dominated the HD Spikers in one hour and 31 minutes to boost their drive for a semifinal slot in this prestigious women’s club volleyball tournament.
With that, the Angels gained a share of the second spot with Creamline with 7-2 win-loss record, one game behind leader Choco Mucho, which totes an 8-1 card.
Cignal, meanwhile, suffered its fourth defeat against five victories, further dampening its chances heading into the last five playdates of the grueling preliminaries of the season-opening conference of the league organized by Sports Vision.
Jonah Sabete and Brooke Van Sickle alternated on the firing end to dominate the HD Spikers, with the former finishing with 16 points and the latter logging 13 markers. They also drew solid support from Aiza Pontillas, Remy Palma and Kecelyn Galdones, who contributed nine, eight and seven points, respectively.
In contrast, Cignal’s offense sputtered from the start and never recovered. Ces Molina and Vanie Gandler scored eight points apiece, while Jacqueline Acuna chipped in six markers and setter Gel Cayuna added five points.
Jovelyn Gonzaga, Riri Meneses and Roselyn Doria struggled with a combined 10-point output.
Despite facing two decisive set losses, Cignal did stage a comeback in the third set, briefly taking control and even securing a lead at the first technical timeout, 8-6, courtesy of a powerful spike from Gandler.
But the Angels quickly turned the tide, fueled by key plays from Chie Saet, who ignited their resurgence with consecutive aces, and eventually pulling ahead at 16-13 with a combination of well-executed hits from out-of-system plays, including an off-speed hit from Van Sickle and a right-hand shot from the lefty Pontillas.
The momentum swung firmly in Petro Gazz’s favor as Sabete, who also produced 12 excellent digs, unleashed a series of thundering blows, highlighting their closing 9-4 run.
“It’s all about consistency,” said playmaker Djanel Cheng, who orchestrated the team’s offense with 12 excellent sets in their one-hour, 31-minute romp.
Following a 10-day break after their hard-fought victory over Creamline, Cheng said the team utilized the time to recharge before resuming intense training sessions.
“We still have to work on our discipline and be more consistent if we aim to reach the finals,” Cheng said.
Petro Gazz lorded it over Cignal in all scoring skills, 42-31 (spikes), 9-3 (blocks) and 7-3 (aces). The Angels likewise scored 17 points off the HD Spikers’ unforced errors while conceding just 11.
With ousted Galeries Tower and Nxled as its last two opponents on 20 April and 27 April, respectively, Petro Gazz appears well-prepared for the post-eliminations phase, while Cignal seeks to revive its hopes against PLDT on 20 April and versus
Capital1 on 27 April.
‘It’s all about consistency.’