Djanel Cheng and the Petro Gazz Angels during a PVL All-Filipino Conference game. –PVL PHOTO
MANILA, Philippines — With a sudden surge last yr fueled by a stronger connection, the Petro Gazz Angels look to sustain that momentum heading into the resumption of the 2024-25 PVL All-Filipino Conference.
The Angels won 4 straight games to finish 2024 on top of the standings with a 5-1 record with Brooke Van Sickle sustaining her MVP form and Myla Pablo flautning her resurgence.
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But each setters Djanel Cheng and Chie Saet imagine that the important thing to their winning streak has been their stronger chemistry.
PVL All-Filipino resumption: what happened and what to anticipate
“We actually clicked this time; regardless of the set or the receive, we found a way,” said setter Cheng.
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Saet said that Van Sickle and Pablo make their job easier with their offensive prowess but their familiarity with the popular sets of Aiza Maizo-Pontillas and Jonah Sabete in addition to middle blockers Remy Palma and MJ Phillips has been the sport changer for Peto Gazz.
“Our job as setters becomes easier, especially for Djanel and me, when we’ve spikers like Myla and Brooke,” Saet said. “The responsibility we’ve as setters is hard because we at all times must adjust to different timings.”
READ: SCHEDULE: PVL All-Filipino Conference 2024-2025
Their improved passing, a transparent results of their higher chemistry, also led to their hot start on this six-month competition.
“I feel our passing was an enormous factor. As setters, we gain our confidence from the passes, and naturally, if we’ve good passes, we are able to deliver the ball properly to the spikers,” Saet said.
Cheng credited the higher communication with Japanese coach Koji Tsuzurabara and the dedication of the coaching staff to improving the players and scouting their opponents.
“All of us had communication, even when it wasn’t perfect, there was higher communication with Coach Koji and among the many players,” Cheng said. “Our stats showed we had an excellent read on the opponent, and the support during each game helped. Those on the sidelines immediately identified the opponent’s weaknesses, approach the play, and the kind of sets to make use of.”
Petro Gazz returns to motion on Tuesday next week against Chery Tiggo at Philsports Arena.
