After breakthrough All-Filipino crown, Petro Gazz eyes AVC glory

The Petro Gazz Angels celebrate their championship in the 2025 PVL All-Filipino Conference. PVL Media

MANILA -- After finally conquering the All-Filipino Conference in the Premier Volleyball League, Petro Gazz is already focused on its next goal.

The Angels are one of three teams representing the Philippines in the 2025 AVC Women's Club Championship, where they have been drawn into Pool B.

Action starts on Easter Sunday at the PhilSports Arena, though the Angels have a first-day bye.

Petro Gazz knows they have the momentum after their conquest of Creamline in the PVL All-Filipino Conference Finals, but they are still bracing for a challenge against nine-time Top Volleyball League champion Taipower and rising Hong Kong squad Hip Hing.

READ: Armed with lessons from PVL Finals loss, Valdez, Creamline hope to bounce back in AVC tiff

"We're in a tough group," said head coach Koji Tsuzurabara, the former national team head coach of Chinese-Taipei. "One Hong Kong team, and another one under Chinese Taipei, TaiPower.

"Taipower players were some of my players before. I am happy for them. Their coach, she was my player before too. I am very truly happy," the Japanese head coach added

Tsuzurabara's familiarity with Taipower runs deep, having coached the Chinese Taipei women's national team from 2019 to 2022. That insight could prove critical in Petro Gazz's preparations, especially given the compressed one-week turnaround between their PVL title celebration and their continental campaign.

Leading the charge are two of the most potent weapons from their championship roster—Brooke Van Sickle, the All-Filipino Conference MVP, and Finals MVP MJ Phillips.

Van Sickle and Phillips are officially considered imports in the AVC competition as their federation switch is still being processed by the Philippine National Volleyball Federation, but for Petro Gazz, they are the heart and soul of the squad.

Adding further firepower is 6-foot-2 American outside hitter Gia Day, the Angels' lone AVC import.

"This is my first time with international play. So, I'm just excited to, like, see good volleyball and just be able to see, you know, how other countries play the sport and to learn from them and grow and just to see, like, intensity," said Van Sickle. "So, I'm super stoked."

Veterans like Myla Pablo, Jonah Sabete, and Aiza Maizo-Pontillas provide scoring depth and stability, while team captain Remy Palma, alongside Phillips, Marian Buitre, and Ranya Musa, will form a formidable wall at the net.

On the playmaking front, the Angels will turn to Djanel Cheng and seasoned setter Chie Saet. Holding down the backline are liberos Baby Love Barbon and Jellie Tempiatura.

The ultimate goal for Petro Gazz is clear: a shot at one of two coveted slots for the 2025 FIVB Club World Championships.

But for this driven Petro Gazz squad, it's not just about qualifying—it's about embracing the honor of standing shoulder-to-shoulder with fellow Filipino clubs Creamline and PLDT on the Asian stage.

"I wish the best for PLDT and Creamline also because at the end of the day, we're representing the Philippines. So, I want Philippine teams to win," Van Sickle shared. "So, I'm going to be there cheering. Yeah, I want one of us to win. So, I'm very excited to watch."

Petro Gazz opens its campaign against Tsuzurabara's former protégés at Taipower on Monday, 4 p.m., at the Philsports Arena, followed by a Tuesday night showdown against Hong Kong's Hip Hing at 7 p.m.