PetroGazz celebrates its historic PVL All-Filipino title conquest. PVL photo
Van Sickle: My teammates make me feel loved
BROOKE Van Sickle can finally call herself a Premier Volleyball League champion.
The 5-foot-9 outside hitter, now a two-time MVP, downplayed the notion that she was the long-awaited key to PetroGazz’s success.
The Angels had previously won two championships in the Reinforced Conference but had repeatedly fallen short in the All-Filipino Conference — until Saturday night.
“Again, I’m not doing anything. My team accepted me. They brought me in with loving arms. They made me feel so welcomed and comforted and loved,” said Van Sickle.
“So, it’s not– I’m not the missing piece, it’s everyone. We’re all part of the puzzle. And, you know, everything’s just clicking at the right moments. We’re learning from each other. We’re just building those relationships and you know, it’s just great team chemistry,” she added.
After years of agony, PetroGazz dethroned Creamline, 25-21, 25-16, 23-25, 25-19, in front of 10,226 fans at the Philsports Arena to claim the centerpiece league title.
Van Sickle’s consistent performance and leadership proved vital in the Angels’ successful campaign.
But for Van Sickle, the spotlight wasn’t about her.
“I’m just really proud of the team. We persevered through a lot. We had a lot of ups and downs. I’m just so proud. You know, everyone just has that fighting spirit and everyone’s just great people, on and off the court, just selfless people,” said Van Sickle.
“I’m just really grateful to be able to be on this team and be surrounded by such wonderful women and be able to call them my friends and family and be able to learn from them and grow,” she added.
Van Sickle played a huge role PetroGazz in all three Finals matches.
In the title-clincher, Van Sickle tallied 21 points, 18 receptions, and nine digs — yet another all-around performance that anchored the Angels’ historic finish.
In series opener, where PetroGazz pulled off a 25-17, 25-20, 18-25, 20-25, 15-10 victory, Van Sickle logged 24 points and 14 digs.
Despite Cool Smashers’ series-tying win in Game 2, Van Sickle still produced her A-game with 18 points, 14 receptions, and 10 digs.
The Angels were impressive in the preliminaries, finishing second with a 10-1 record.
After dodging the upset axe on upstart ZUS Coffee in the quarterfinals, PetroGazz swept all of its three semifinals matches to arrange a Finals showdown with Creamline.
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