PETRO Gazz charged into the quarterfinals with a 25-19, 25-23, 25-21 win over 11-seed Capital1 in the 2024-25 PVL All-Filipino Conference qualifying round on Friday at the Philsports Arena.
Myla Pablo stormed past the hapless Solar Spikers with 17 points on 15 attacks, one block and one ace.
The Angels extended their league-best, three-month win streak to 10 after winning their last nine in the preliminaries.
Being the champion team they are, Pablo is banking on her newfound confidence as a returning fixture to Petro Gazz' starting rotation to make another deep run to the crown.
"Hindi naman sa sanay ako sa playoffs, siguro naging matured lang ako this conference kasi siyempre we know naman si Jonah (Sabete), injured this conference. Kailangang mag-trabaho kami as open spiker sila Tiammy (Tiamzon), Brooke (Van Sickle) and ako," said Pablo.
"Ginampanan ko lang din 'yung trabaho ko this conference na alam ko kailangan ako ni coach. As a player, 'yung confidence ko talaga is bumabalik kasi may goal din kami. We know naman na everyone may goal pero mas gusto namin makuha this conference yung dapat naming makuha."
Their last loss was still against Creamline in Antipolo back in Nov. 16 where they were ripped apart in straight sets as Alyssa Valdez made her PVL comeback.
Like Creamline, Petro Gazz will be one of two interested spectators in the oncoming play-in tournament.
The winner of Pool B emerges as the 7-seed to play the Angels while the Pool A winner takes on the Cool Smashers in the best-of-three quarters.
Can the Solar Spikers rise again?
Capital1 becomes the third play-in entrant and the second in Pool A where it will have to win a group with Cignal and either Farm Fresh or Akari to reach the playoffs.
Rookie winger Leila Cruz paced the defeat with 16 markers alongside team captain Jorelle Singh with 10 points, seven receptions and five digs.
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