BROOKE Van Sickle’s 36-point eruption led Petro Gazz to a hard-earned win over Chery Tiggo, 22-25, 25-12, 25-18, 27-29, 15-12, in the 2024 PVL All-Filipino Conference battle for bronze on Thursday at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.
A late 7-1 Crossovers rally in the fifth-set tiebreak wasn’t enough to complete a brave comeback from a set down as the Angels move a win or a superior set ratio away from clinching a seventh PVL podium finish.
READ: COLUMN: Has volleyball replaced basketball as the national pastime?
"It’s a six-man sport and I didn’t realize that I had that many points. I kind of think maybe it was a miscount. It’s like I know people care but for me, I would rather just win and I can’t do it without my teammates.
"DJ (Cheng) was setting great balls, we’re picking up balls, we’re passing really well and my teammates in like three rotations, they relieved from passing so I don’t have to pass as much now. That lets me free up a lot more," said Van Sickle.
Aiding Van Sickle's best-ever single-game scoring performance in her entire volleyball career thus far were ace spiker Jonah Sabete (21 points) and the returning MJ Phillips (15 points).
The star trifecta connived for 57 of the Angels' 69 total attacks as the Fil-American duo of Phillips (five blocks) and Van Sickle (four blocks) accounted for more than half of their game-high 16-block output.
Moreover, Cheng's 22 excellent sets orchestrated an all-important comeback from 0-1 down to inch closer to what will only be their second bronze medal.
Eya Laure's 23-point night, most of which were fired in the midst of the Crossovers' extended fourth-set victory on top of an 11-piece from Ara Galang.
All hope is not lost for a second-ever podium for Chery Tiggo as a three-set, four-set or a superior scoring edge in a five-set win come Game Two will hand the Crossovers the bronze if the Finals will end in two games.
Get more of the latest sports news & updates on SPIN.ph
NOTICE ON UNAUTHORIZED AND UNLAWFUL USE, PUBLICATION, AND/OR DISSEMINATION OF SPIN.PH CONTENT: Please be notified that any unauthorized and unlawful use, publication, and/or dissemination of Spin.ph’s content and/or materials is a direct violation of its legal and exclusive rights to the same, and shall be subject to appropriate legal action/s.
