By ADRIAN STEWART CO
The Petro Gazz Angels shook off a sluggish start to topple the ZUS Coffee Thunderbelles, 21-25, 28-26, 25-23, 25-19, and secure the PVL Reinforced Conference championship at the Smart Araneta Coliseum on Sunday, November 30.
Negrense hitter Jonah Sabete provided timely offensive and defensive moves in the last two sets for the Angels, which captured its fourth PVL crown overall and third in the Reinforced Conference.
Lindsey Vander Weide spearheaded the offense with 23 points, while three-time PVL MVP Brooke Van Sickle added 20 markers.
Finals MVP MarJana Phillips and Myla Pablo had 17 and 14, respectively, for the Angels.
After dropping the first set, Petro Gazz regained its footing behind timely hits from Van Sickle, Phillips and Vander Weide to edge the Thunderbelles in a tight second and third set, giving the Angels a 2-1 cushion.
Petro Gazz then took full control in the fourth set, breaking away to a 21-14 advantage.
ZUS Coffee rallied to trim the deficit to 18-22, but Petro Gazz held firm, with key points from Van Sickle and Vander Weide clinching the match and the championship.
Anna DeBeer finished with 18 points, while Alexis Miner and Thea Gagate added 16 and 11 markers, respectively, for the Thunderbelles, which notched its first-ever podium finish.
In the bronze-medal match earlier in the day, the Akari Power Chargers outlasted the PLDT High Speed Hitters in a marathon 15-25, 25-23, 21-25, 26-24, 20-18 thriller.
Annie Mitchem delivered a standout performance for Akari, exploding for 36 points and tallying 12 excellent receptions.
She proved dependable in pressure moments, especially in the final two sets.
Grethcel Soltones added a triple-double of 14 points, 10 digs and 13 excellent receptions, while Celine Domingo scored nine.
Mereophe Sharma and Negrense Christine Joy Soyud chipped in eight and six points, respectively.
PLDT was led by Savannah Davison’s 30 points, with Anastassia Bavykina adding 27.
Dell Palomata finished with 11 in her final outing before leaving to play as an import in Indonesia./ASC, WDJ