PETROGAZZ pushed Cignal on the brink of elimination with a 25-13, 25-18, 25-17 victory yesterday in the Premier Volleyball League All-Filipino Conference yesterday at the Philsports Arena.

The Angels chalked up their seventh win in nine matches to remain in the Final Four range.

PetroGazz is now level with defending champion Creamline, which will face league-leading Choco Mucho tomorrow in a blockbuster match-up which has a huge implication in the semifinals race.

The Angels have won three in a row, including a five-set conquest of the Cool Smashers last April 6.

PetroGazz’s path to the Final Four is much easier as it will face also-rans Galeries Tower on Saturday and Nxled on April 27 to wrap up its preliminary round schedule.

Jonah Sabete led the Angels with 16 points, including two blocks, and 12 digs while Brooke Van Sickle hammered 13 kills, logged a match-best four blocks and collected eight digs. Djanel Cheng tossed in 12 excellent sets while libero Blove Barbon had 10 receptions.

“Mas lumilinaw po ang daan papunta sa semis po so… pero hindi pa rin naman tapos ang eliminations, hindi po puwedeng mag-relax or parang magbandying-bandying lang. Kailangan po naming matapos ng maayos ang eliminations and then after noon, tignan natin kung saan kami aabutin,” said PetroGazz skipper Remy Palma, who contributed eight points.

The HD Spikers are now in danger of missing the semis bus with their fourth defeat in nine matches.

Cignal will next face PLDT, which is still very much in the Final Four hunt on Saturday, before capping the prelims with a match-up with Capital1 on April 27.

Vanie Gandler and Ces Molina each had eight points for the HD Spikers.

AUTHOR PROFILE

Theodore P. Jurado