Petro Gazz delivered a statement win, dismantling the heavily favored Creamline side, 25-23, 25-22, 21-25, 25-16, in the Premier Volleyball League All-Filipino Conference semifinals at the Ynares Center in Antipolo on Saturday night, March 29.Petro Gazz's Brooke Van Sickle (PVL Images)What was expected to be another display of Creamline’s signature resilience instead turned into a showcase of Petro Gazz’s composure and dominance. With the victory, the Angels joined the Akari Chargers atop the standings, bringing both teams to the brink of a historic finals appearance.
Projected to be a triumphant weekend for the PVL’s powerhouse sister teams, Creamline and Choco Mucho, the semifinals instead unraveled into an evening of reversals. Akari and Petro Gazz shocked the league in different fashions, turning the playoff picture upside down and leaving their rivals in an unfamiliar position – on the losing end.For Petro Gazz, the two-hour, 10-minute win was particularly momentous.
Swept by Creamline in the preliminaries and forced into a grueling sudden-death quarterfinal against ZUS Coffee, the Angels came into the Final Four battle-tested and ready.They overcame an early deficit in the first set with a late surge, dominated the second with steady execution, and rebounded from a third-set slip with a fierce counterattack in the fourth, outclassing the defending champions with poise and confidence.The result? A stunning four-set victory over the 10-time defending champions – .
