Van Sickle denies 'championship hangover' for Angels after first AVC loss

Petro Gazz's Brooke Van Sickle in action during their AVC Champions League opener against Taipower on April 21, 2025. Mark Demayo, ABS-CBN NewsMANILA, Philippines – Petro Gazz star and two-time PVL All-Filipino Conference MVP Brooke Van Sickle denied that the team had a "championship hangover" after they absorbed a 15-25, 16-25, 25-19, 20-25 loss against Chinese Taipei's Taipower to open their AVC Women's Champions League campaign on Monday at PhilSports Arena.

Van Sickle said they have moved on from their glory moments in the PVL and have already shifted focus to the continental tournament.

Petro Gazz emerged triumphant in the recently concluded 2024-25 PVL All-Filipino Conference after topping erstwhile defending champ Creamline.

"The championship wasn't too long ago. We already celebrated it. It's in the past. I feel like I can say that we moved on," Van Sickle said. 

READ: AVC: Petro Gazz becomes first PH team to lose, eyes bounce back vs HK squad

"We already knew AVC was going to happen, so we flipped the page, that was the last chapter. Now we're all focusing on these games," she added.

The Fil-Am standout acknowledged that they didn't pull off their "best performance" today.

"I would say today wasn't our best performance. We definitely came out a little flat, but again, I've always preached about this. Losses result in lessons learned, so I feel like, in a way, that this is an opportunity to grow from it and learn," said Van Sickle.

READ: Creamline sweeps Al Naser Club for strong start in AVC Champions League

Communication will be the key for the Angels as they aim for a bounce back win, she said.

"We just have to be ourselves and communicate more, I feel like that's probably the main reason that we came out super flat. It’s okay, we'll bounce back."

Petro Gazz is still in contention in the ongoing tilt. The Remy Palma-captained squad will face Hong Kong's Hip Hing next, slated for Tuesday, April 22.