Petro Gazz delivered a statement win, dismantling the heavily favored Creamline side, 25-23, 25-22, 21-25, 25-16, in the Premier Volleyball League All-Filipino Conference semifinals at the Ynares Center in Antipolo on Saturday night, March 29.

What was expected to be another display of Creamline’s signature resilience instead turned into a showcase of Petro Gazz’s composure and dominance. With the victory, the Angels joined the Akari Chargers atop the standings, bringing both teams to the brink of a historic finals appearance.

Projected to be a triumphant weekend for the PVL’s powerhouse sister teams, Creamline and Choco Mucho, the semifinals instead unraveled into an evening of reversals. Akari and Petro Gazz shocked the league in different fashions, turning the playoff picture upside down and leaving their rivals in an unfamiliar position – on the losing end.

For Petro Gazz, the two-hour, 10-minute win was particularly momentous. Swept by Creamline in the preliminaries and forced into a grueling sudden-death quarterfinal against ZUS Coffee, the Angels came into the Final Four battle-tested and ready.

They overcame an early deficit in the first set with a late surge, dominated the second with steady execution, and rebounded from a third-set slip with a fierce counterattack in the fourth, outclassing the defending champions with poise and confidence.

The result? A stunning four-set victory over the 10-time defending champions – a team renowned for thriving under pressure. The Cool Smashers, riding high after a commanding sweep of Chery Tiggo in the quarters, found themselves on the receiving end of a Petro Gazz masterclass in execution and composure.

Creamline ignited hopes of another comeback – a hallmark of its triumphant campaign – but Petro Gazz quickly regrouped, adjusting in time to seize control of Set 4. The Angels established an early lead and sustained their momentum to secure the victory.

Brooke Van Sickle, stifled late in the third set, ignited Petro Gazz’s explosive start in the fourth frame with back-to-back kills, propelling the Angels to an 8-3 lead by the first technical timeout.

That early surge provided the cushion needed to withstand Creamline’s comebacks. Though the Cool Smashers closed in at 8-10 following a Petro Gazz miscue off a Bea de Leon strong serve, the Angels responded with an even stronger counterattack – a decisive 6-2 run.

Ranya Musa’s clutch left-hand tip, Jonah Sabete’s fifth kill block and down-the-line hit, and a Van Sickle ace extended Petro Gazz’s lead to 16-10 by the second technical timeout.

MJ Phillips then delivered a resounding block on a Tots Carlos spike, further fueling the Angels’ momentum. With confidence soaring, the two-time Reinforced Conference champions dominated the remainder of the set, sealing the victory and the match.

Creamline mounted rallies, twice closing the gap to within four, the last at 15-19. However, the Angels remained unfazed, responding with a more decisive surge – four straight points, capped by a Van Sickle kill that ended another intense exchange.

They extended their streak to five as Phillips fired an ace. De Leon momentarily kept Creamline alive with a quick attack to save match point, but the former Ateneo stalwart sealed their fate with a costly service error.

“This win was incredibly crucial, as are all games in the semis. But we prepared hard and pushed ourselves to the limit. We drew strength from one another,” said Sabete in Filipino, who earned the Best Player of the Game award with 19 points, including five kill blocks.

Van Sickle led Petro Gazz with 26 points and six excellent receptions, while Myla Pablo added 11 markers. Phillips and Musa chipped in nine and seven points, respectively.

Chie Saet orchestrated the offense brilliantly, dishing out 23 excellent sets, outshining counterpart Kyle Negrito, who tallied 19.