Petro Gazz shakes off shock loss, sweeps Galeries Tower

June 30 ------ PETRO Gazz rebounded from a shock five-set loss to Nxled by sweeping Galeries Tower, 25-23, 25-21, 26-24, in the PVL on Tour at the Batangas City Sports Center. The Angels went on a 6-1 run from 20-23 down led by Nicole Tiamzon in Set 3 to win their first match of the preseason tournament.

Still without Alas-bound MVP duo Brooke Van Sickle and MJ Phillips, the Angels leaned on their old reliables Myla Pablo, Jonah Sabete and Joy Dacoron to put the gutsy Highrisers away in three close sets. Pablo's 14 attack points showed the way for Petro Gazz while Sabete fell a reception shy of a double-double with 10 points and nine receptions.

Middle blocker Dacoron added 10 markers on five attacks, three aces and two blocks. Mainstay setters Chie Saet and Djanel Cheng were also brought back to the roster after its two youngest players, rookie setter Jules Tolentino and sophomore Donnalyn Paralejas, were fielded in the opening defeat on Saturday. "Lahat naman po, talagang pinaghihirapan bawat game, bawat set, bawat point. This [PVL] on Tour, 'di natin masasabi sino yung nasa itaas at nasa ibaba. Kumbaga pantay-pantay and nakakatuwa kasi kahit papaano kasi mas nagiging exciting every game," Saet said.

The opening set alone saw 12 deadlocks and six lead changes. It wasn’t until a late Pablo-led run and a costly service error from Jewel Encarnacion that the Angels’ first-set catchup was completed. Galeries Tower established a three-point buffer late in the second set at 18-15, only to be erased by a 10-3 Petro Gazz blitz for a commanding two sets to none lead. By then, the Angels had enough leeway to introduce rookies Tolentino and free agent signing Pauline de Guzman in Set 3 before closing the Batangas leg with a 1-1 win-loss card.

Second-overall draft pick Jean Asis was unable to replicate her promising 16-point debut as she was held by the Angels to just six. Ysa Jimenez paced the losing effort with 13 points and eight digs ahead of Roselle Baliton's 10 and Jewel Encarnacion's nine. Galeries Tower's search for an elusive first win continues back in Metro Manila on July 15 when they take on Nxled at the Playtime Filoil Centre. Meanwhile, the defending PVL champions will have a two-week break before their next tour stop in Ilagan City, Isabela against PLDT (July 12) and Farm Fresh (July 13).

Source: spin.ph