Petro Gazz’s path to the semifinals of the 2024-25 PVL All-Filipino Conference was anything but easy. After a shocking Game 1 loss to ZUS Coffee, the Angels found themselves in a fierce quarterfinal battle that tested their resilience and determination.
It was an uphill climb for the powerhouse squad, as the Thunderbelles—no longer the league’s underdogs—pushed them to the limit. But fueled by experience and the urgency of the moment, Petro Gazz rallied back, sealing the series with a dominant Game 2 performance (25-19, 25-13, 28-26) and a hard-fought sweep in the deciding match (25-21, 25-19, 25-23) at the Philsports Arena.
Brooke Van Sickle, the 2024 AFC MVP, was quick to credit the Thunderbelles’ remarkable growth, acknowledging the threat they posed throughout the series.
“ZUS is a fantastic team. I'm really excited to just, every conference that goes by, they're just getting better and better and it's really cool to see,” said Van Sickle after securing a spot in the round-robin semifinals.
ZUS Coffee’s breakthrough this conference was nothing short of historic. After enduring two winless PVL campaigns and a grueling 20-game losing streak, the Thunderbelles finally flipped the script. They not only secured their first-ever franchise win but also strung together a winning streak that propelled them into the quarterfinals.
Emerging as a surprise contender, ZUS Coffee dominated its pool in the Play-In Tournament, earning the seventh seed. With momentum on their side, they stunned Petro Gazz in Game 1, proving that their days of struggling at the bottom were over.
Van Sickle, a fierce competitor herself, admitted that the Thunderbelles’ scrappy defense made them a particularly tough opponent. Even for a seasoned hitter, getting past ZUS Coffee’s floor coverage was a challenge.
“I keep saying this, I think they're one of the better teams on defense. They're so scrappy, and they just have this attitude when it comes to defense. That's awesome, and I hope that inspires the rest of PVL, being like, hey, for us, we're like, well, we have to match their defense,” she said.
The Thunderbelles’ defensive tenacity became a defining aspect of the series, pushing the Angels to dig deeper and refine their own game. Van Sickle, who thrives in high-pressure situations, recognized how ZUS Coffee’s relentless pursuit of every ball elevated the level of competition in the league.
“It pushes us in ways that are really awesome. As a hitter, it's hard. It's hard playing them because they're just gonna dig the ball, and you just don't know if, you know, they're just gonna ping it back over. And it's really cool and hard as a hitter," she explained.
“When you're getting a kill, they're always touching it like two times, three times—always. And it's stressful, but it's really cool to see. So, yeah, very inspired.”
