By NIKOLE JAVIER
Petro Gazz bounced back from a crushing defeat the last time with a 25-18, 25-20, 25-21 win over Choco Mucho in the 2023 Premier Volleyball League All-Filipino Conference on Thursday, Feb. 9, at the Filoil EcoOil Centre in San Juan City.
The Angels rallied furiously from a six-point deficit in the first set to seize momentum, paving the way to a three-set win that made up for the beating they suffered from the Creamline Smashers five days ago.
Veteran spiker Aiza Maizo-Pontillas tallied 19 points off 18 attacks and one block to help Petro Gazz notch its first win of the season while Grethcel Soltones added 11 points in the much-anticipated affair.
And Petro Gazz coach Oliver Almadro had the last laugh being the former coach of the Flying Titans.
Tied at 14-all in the third set, the Angels went to Soltones and Nicole Tiamzon and the two responded with huge plays that enabled to grab the upper hand although the Flying Titans refused to go quietly into the night.
“Maturity nila andoon (the players), ‘yong hard work nila andoon. It’s them and they will make it. We have to put up the character and pilitin namin na gustuhin nila kailangan iyong endgame pag may isang mag-step up, kahit sino basta you have to want it, you will get it,” said Almadro.
Kat Tolentino paced the Flying Titans with 14 points while the rest of the team was held to single-digit production.
The Cool Smashers, on the other hand, wasted no time to stamp their class, pulling off a convincing 25-16, 25-21, 25-15 over the Cignal HD Spikers.
The Cool Smashers drew strength from Jema Galanza to avert a meltdown in the second set and come away with the straight-set victory.
Michele Gumabao finished with 14 points to help the Cool Smashers improve 2-0 in the standings while Jema Galanza and Tots Carlos both added 13.
Up by eight in the second set, 21-13, Creamline saw its lead cut down to three but Galanza managed to stop Cignal with an off-the-block hit before Gumabao followed suit to end the set.
