THE Van Sickles are set to take a slice of PVL history.
On Sunday, Gary, Lisa, and daughter Brooke will become the first family trio to be featured in the PVL Finals - and they’re doing it all together, wearing Petro Gazz colors.
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While it’s easy to assume that having your parents as your coaches means favoritism or comfort, the reality for the Ilocano-rooted family throughout this Reinforced Conference has been far from that.
If anything, it has been a love-hate grind built on accountability, high standards, and a whole lot of tough love.
As head coach Gary put it, their dynamic hasn’t always been smooth, but the intention has always been the same: to make each other better.
“It’s been awesome coaching her again. We’ve been coaching her since she was a little kid. She’s used to my wife and I coaching her,” he said.
“Every once in a while, she gets upset with me, as I’m pushing her really hard in the match and during timeouts. But it’s kind of full circle since it’s been a while since we last coached her, and it’s just been nice.”
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For Brooke, now an MVP frontrunner and among the conference’s consistent forces, this Reinforced Conference hasn’t felt unfamiliar.
What has made it special is how the Angels clawed their way out of a rough start and into legitimate championship contention.
Having her mom and dad with her on that journey? That’s the cherry on top.
“I’m super stoked. We had a lot of ups and downs throughout the conference,” she said.
“Thank goodness we started building that chemistry and finding that connection and cohesion. All the pieces fell together.
“My parents, how it goes is they’re still my coaches at the end of the day. I’m happy and proud, even if it took some time before we got here.”
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