Petro Gazz may have drawn blood first in its best-of-three finals series with Creamline, but the fight is not easily over with a ‘Goliath’ team such as the Cool Smashers. The Angels, who finally solved the Cool Smashers puzzle of 14 head-to-head losses at their hands after four years, are still wary of the Cool Smashers heading into Game 2 of their Premier Volleyball League All Filipino Conference finals Tuesday, March 28, at the Mall of Asia Arena.

*The Petro Gazz Angels hope to sweep their best-of-three finals series against heavy favorites Creamline Cool Smashers Tuesday, March 28. (PVL Images)

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“They’re a strong team I’m telling you. They are the Goliath of this tournament. And kami naman we ask the Lord can we be the David of this tournament,” said Petro Gazz coach Oliver Almadro. “It’s still even. Hindi natatapos sa isang game. Mas pagiigihan pa dapat sa Game 2 and we know Creamline is a mature team. They are an intact team and sabi ko nga they are the Goliaths. Sila iyong pinakamalakas, pinakamalaki, pinakasikat dito. So kami we just have to [do better]. Napu-push nila kami, that team will push us forward,” he added. The Angels eked out a 25-22, 24-26, 25-23, 26-24 win against Creamline last March 26, and Almadro thinks sealing the title win in this championship affair would not be a walk in the park. “We’re not thinking again about the one win away. We just have to do our job, prepare and we have to manage ourselves not to be overwhelmed. Not too frustrated, not too overwhelmed. We have to be consistent,” Almadro said. "So sabi nga namin we will breathe properly kasi nga tapos na iyong isang game. But hindi pa tapos iyong series. Pinaka mahirap makuha iyong series. But I’m happy with what my players did. They are composed, and they showed towards the endgame. And they really helped and trusted each other,” he added. Petro Gazz encountered resistance from Creamline the rest of the way, but ultimately the last two sets ended with the latter’s unforced error. In the fourth set, middle blocker MJ Phillips managed to lift the Angels from the 24-all deadlock with a quick attack which put them at match point. But it was Almadro who called the challenge right away in the next sequence, which turned out to be a successful one as Creamline setter Jia De Guzman was seen to have committed a net violation on her way down from a block. With the video challenge system in place, the unforced error concluded the match to the delight of the Angels. “I called it. I called it right away, the challenge. No matter what, wala namang mawawala eh. I know my player worked hard for that attack, hindi ako papayag na hindi iyon puntos kasi pinaghirapan niya iyon. Alam ko na no matter what it’s a point kasi hiningi niya iyong point na iyon. Naging confident ako to take that challenge. And indeed pinagbigyan naman kami,” Almadro said.