MANILA, Philippines – After emerging as champions in the 2019 Premier Volleyball League (PVL) Reinforced Conference, the Petro Gazz Angels bring their talents to a bigger stage as they don the country’s colors for the first time in the Taichung Bank International Women’s Invitational Volleyball tournament from September 15 to 19 in Taipei, Taiwan. 

The Angels – who snatched the PVL crown from the Alyssa Valdez-led Creamline Cool Smashers – will now test their mettle in the international arena as they go up against club teams from 6 countries that include Asian volleyball powerhouses China, Japan and Thailand. 

“Going into the tournament, we’ll show our best na makilevel kami sa game nila. While ongoing ang second round, kailangan namin ipakita yung mental toughness and ‘yung experience na makukuha namin doon, sana madala namin sa Open conference,” said Petro Gazz head coach Arnold Laniog. 

(Going into the tournament, we’ll show our best and hope that we can match their level of play. As the second round of the 2019 PVL Open conference is ongoing, we’ll have to show our mental toughness and hopefully bring the experience we get from the Taiwan tournament to the Open conference.) 

Petro Gazz remains on track  of its bid for a second straight championship as the Angels are riding on a four-match winning streak and running second with a 5-2 record behind league-leader Creamline. (READ: PetroGazz imports give locals taste of championship)

Laniog said the team’s chemistry – which he hopes to get even better during the Taiawn joust – could pump up their bid for a PVL finals return. 

“‘Yung one week na magkakasama kami, mayroong impact sa team bonding dahil everyday mula umaga, hapon hanggang gabi magkakasama kami,” hoped Laniog. 

“So mas magiging deep ‘yung mga relasyon ng team na ito at sana na maidala sa second round, and hopefully, into the semis.” 

(Being together for one week will have an impact on our team bonding because we’ll be together from morning until night. So it will deepen our relationship as a team, which we hope will help us in the second round, and hopefully, into the semis.) 

For a team that was just formed one year and 9 months ago, team captain and veteran  Chie Saret feels proud that some of her younger teammates and even the coaching staff will experience representing the country for the first time. 

“Gusto ko maramdam nila ang naramdaman ko pag mag-compete ng international,” said Saret, who was part of the 2013 Power Pinays squad that participated in the Asian Volleyball Championships. 

“Sana maganda ‘yung result and mag gain kami ng mas magandang experience and para mas apply natin sa other games.”

(I want my younger teammates to experience what I experienced before competing internationally. I hope the result will be good and we’ll gain more experiences that we can apply to other games.) 

The Petro Gazz Angels will play daily in the Taiwan tilt where the winner will bring home a $10,000 prize. – Rappler.com