PETRO Gazz now has one hand on the 2024-25 PVL All-Filipino Conference trophy that has eluded the two-time champions over the last seven years.
In their fifth PVL Finals, the Angels drew first blood for the second straight series against dynastic Creamline by winning Game 1 in a 25-17, 25-20, 18-25, 20-25, 15-10 five-set thriller.
READ: Petro Gazz nears PVL title as it outlasts Creamline in five sets
But as is the case with any best-of-three series, nothing is ever won after just one game.
The Angels, out of all teams in the face of the 10-time PVL champs, would know that better than anyone.
Two years ago in the 2023 1st All-Filipino Conference finals, Petro Gazz also struck first over the Alyssa Valdez-less Cool Smashers in four sets through Jonah Sabete's 18-piece, 15 from Aiza Maizo-Pontillas, and 14-point showings from MJ Phillips and now-Akari winger Grethcel Soltones.
Then came a champion-caliber pink-hued series comeback.
Conference MVP Tots Carlos and Finals MVP Jia de Guzman rallied embattled Creamline in a five-set Game 2 win and a four-set Game 3 triumph to capture what was only their sixth PVL title at the time.
No running out of gas this time for Petro Gazz
Part of that losing Angels team in their last finals appearance prior to this conference were Phillips and Sabete.
The veteran Petro Gazz duo dropped 16 apiece to deny the Cool Smashers' Game 1 fightback on Tuesday.
Come Game 2, the only thing on their mind is to exorcise the ghosts of a crushing past and change the story for good.
“We just don’t think about that time. No, we remember that and we’re gonna take that as fuel. We’re not gonna have that repeat [of] the past,” said Phillips.
“Like I said, one game at a time, one point at a time. We’re gonna try our best to not have that third set like how we lacked energy and stuff. We’re just gonna come right off the bat and finish it.”
Sabete added: “We know Creamline naman kung anong klaseng team sila. ‘Pag makatikim sila ng talo, aggressive din talaga after that, pero iniisip nga namin ngayon ay one point every game kasi we are still challengers.”
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