SIX years ago today, one of Philippine volleyball's top club teams cemented its legacy.
READ: Petron puts end to Super Liga title dry spell by beating F2 Logistics in Game 2 thriller
Seven-time Philippine Superliga (PSL) champions Petron Blaze Spikers won its third, and arguably most significant championship, in the PSL All-Filipino tilt on July 13, 2017 after a two-year title drought.
The quartet of Sisi Rondina (16 points), conference and Finals MVP Aiza Maizo-Pontillas (14 points), Bernadeth Pons (12 points), and Ces Molina (10 points) rallied the Blaze Spikers to the title-clinching win in five sets, 26-24, 24-26, 24-26, 25-23, 15-11, against the F2 Logistics Cargo Movers.
“Super team? More on usap kasi eh, ‘yung communication sobrang importante sa amin [para maging successful]. Lahat ng plan namin, na-push namin ang mga sarili namin," said then-Petron coach Shaq Delos Santos.
Ara Galang's game-high 20 markers paced a disheartening defeat, taking into account how the Cargo Movers were one set away from forcing a winner-take-all Game Three.
Rise, fall, and rebirth
In the league's early years, the star-studded Petron 'super team' led by then-college stars Rachel Daquis, Dindin Santiago-Manabat, and Aby Maraño already showed glimpses of promise.
After winning bronze in the maiden PSL Invitational Conference in 2013, the George Pascua-led Petron side captured two consecutive titles in the 2014 PSL Grand Prix and the 2015 PSL All-Filipino Conference.
But since then, the club's bid to build a dynasty ran into a brick wall.
Since their historic 13-game sweep en route to the 2015 All-Filipino romp, the Blaze Spikers tallied four runner-up finishes in five succeeding conferences without winning it all.
Doubts were raised on how much longer will the formidable contenders keep falling short.
These uncertainties ultimately prompted major changes in the squad — from Pascua's exit and Delos Santos' arrival to the departure of the erstwhile star trio Daquis (Army), Santiago-Manabat (Foton), and Maraño (F2 Logistics).
And the game-changing mix of key holdovers and new signings in Rondina, Maizo-Pontillas, Pons, Molina, Mika Reyes, Rhea Dimaculangan, Riri Meneses, Rem Palma, and Mela Tunay subsequently saw Petron win four of the next six championships.
End of an era
The onset of the Covid-19 pandemic resulted in the league's indefinite cancellation in 2020 which led to its eventual cessation.
In 2021, while Petron still had a team onboard, it subsequently decided to take a leave of absence before releasing its entire roster for good as the Premier Volleyball League (PVL) began taking flight as a professional sporting league.
Although the now-defunct club no longer made a push to keep its team intact, traces of the Blaze Spikers' brilliance are strongly felt in today's PVL as their former star players continue to make big waves in the pro ranks.
Dynasties rise and fall, yet Petron's sheer dominance and consistency even through rough patches will always be remembered as one of Philippine volleyball's best-ever teams and greatest-ever legacies.
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