ANTIPOLO — Petro Gazz head coach Koji Tsuzurabara had to dig extra deep to find the missing link that cost them the series lead against a young and resurgent ZUS Coffee side.
It took one quick chat between the Japanese mentor and his once-injured veteran winger for the Angels to solve the Thunderbelles’ puzzle.
The solution he found? Fielding Jonah Sabete right back in for only the second time in 2025, who heeded the call straight away.
READ: Quick fire Petro Gazz forces KO match vs. ZUS Coffee
“After (Game 1), coach Koji (Tsuzurabara) chatted me na ‘can you play 100 percent?,’” Sabete shared.
“Sabi ko, I’ll try my 100 percent so let’s work this next game. Yun lang ginawa ko kasi one day lang din kami nag-prepare ng full team practice so nandu’n talaga yung pressure.”
Sabete’s 11-piece came at the best possible time as she backed the Van Sickle-Pablo one-two punch’s pursuit of survival with a strong 25-19, 25-13, 28-26 response in Game Two.
The 31-year-old Negrense winger dealt with multiple undisclosed injuries in this conference alone.
She first missed out on the Angels’ 25-21, 25-17, 25-19 win over Farm Fresh in Ilocos Sur last November with a strained left calf.
Come the new year, Sabete only played once against Chery Tiggo in January and sat out the rest of prelims play and the qualifying round with what she described as a ‘minor injury.’
Not only did she rack up the points in Game Two, but Sabete made it a point to aid the Angels’ cause on defense — one she worked hard for during her two-month injury layoff.
“I’m happy na nakabalik pa rin ako pero yung pressure, nandun pa rin talaga,” Sabete said.
“Pressure, pero sinasabi ko lang sa sarili ko na ang daming nagtitiwala sa akin kahit sa defense […] dahil na rin nagkulang lang din talaga kami sa pasa (nung Game 1).”
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