MANILA, Philippines – For the second straight PVL conference, the Petro Gazz Angels are on the cusp of another finals appearance after a four-set win over the PLDT High Speed Hitters, 22-25, 25-19, 25-21, 25-18, at the PhilSports Arena on Saturday, March 18.
Jonah Sabete took over Petro Gazz’s late run in the fourth, scoring 8 of her game-high 18 points off 14 attacks, 3 blocks, and 1 ace as the Angels look for a strong follow-up to their 2022 Reinforced Conference title win.
MJ Phillips added 17 points off 12 spikes, 4 rejections – all coming in the fourth – and 1 ace, while three other Petro Gazz players breached double-digit scoring, mostly thanks to Djanel Cheng’s 18 excellent sets.
It took three nip-and-tuck sets before the Angels finally found a comfortable cushion thanks to Sabete’s fourth-frame burst and Phillips’ block party, turning a small 10-9 lead to a 21-12 separation.
Although PLDT saved five match points after going down 13-24, an untimely Jovy Prado attack error ended the High Speed Hitters’ spirited rally for good.
“PLDT is really good. They’re a really great team. Great teams will just push us forward and I’m always saying it,” said Petro Gazz head coach Oliver Almadro. “They pushed us to our limits, so we saw our shortcomings.”
Prado saw her triple-double effort of 18 points, 14 excellent digs, and 11 excellent receptions go to waste as Kath Arado likewise shored up the floor defense with 27 excellent digs and 13 excellent receptions.
Petro Gazz looks to sweep the semis for another finals appearance on Tuesday, March 21, 4 pm, at the Mall of Asia Arena. – Rappler.com
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