Petro Gazz denies Creamline's five-peat bid to rule PVL All-Filipino Conference

After five grueling months, only one team soared to the top: the Angels.

Petro Gazz survived a defiant Creamline in the winner-take-all Game 3, 25-21, 25-16, 23-25, 25-19, to cap its dream run in the PVL All-Filipino Conference on Saturday at the PhilSports Arena. 

The Angels, who won the series opener but lost Game 2 to the erstwhile defending champions, captured their third overall crown and first All-Filipino championship.

They also stopped Creamline's bid for a fifth straight conference title. 

The Angels took a lot of grit and heart to take down a dynasty that is Creamline. 

Brooke Van Sickle led the way in Game 3 with 21 points built on 17 attacks, two aces, and two blocks together with nine digs and 18 receptions while Jonah Sabete and MJ Phillips churned out 16 and 15 markers apiece to deliver the goods. 

Petro Gazz was a different beast in the first two sets with the Angels relying on blocks, eight of them in the opening frame before displaying its strength on the service line in the second set with five aces to take a crucial 2-0 set lead. 

The Angels continued that momentum in the third, taking a 16-12 lead off a Tots Carlos attack error. But the Cool Smashers dug deep by subbing in spark plug Lorie Bernardo, whose three points fueled a 7-1 rampage for a 19-17 cushion. 

Carlos then denied Sabete before Bernadeth Pons made a loaded kill from the left wing to extend the Game 3 to a fourth frame.

However, the Angels won't be denied this time around as they shattered an 18-all deadlock courtesy of a 4-0 blast led by Van Sickle as they regained a 22-18 cushion. The Filipino-American spiker then served up an ace before Sabete clinched the championship point on a power kill. 

The last time Petro Gazz won a title was in 2022 when they ruled the Reinforced Conference against Cignal. Before that, the Angels also reigned supreme in the 2019 edition of the said conference. 

The Angels, who won the series opener but lost Game 2 to the defending champions, captured their third overall crown and first All-Filipino championship.

—JKC, GMA Integrated News