Petro Gazz coach Koji Tsuzurabara and ace spiker Brooke Van Sickle. Photos from PVL Media Bureau
MANILA, Philippines – Galeries' shocking win over Cignal continued to make waves as Petro Gazz took precautionary measures against upset-seeking Capital1 on Saturday.
Coach Koji Tsuzurabara admitted that they were prompted to meet before their game against the Solar Spikers, sharing that they "were very worried" for the possibilities coming into the qualifying round.
READ: PVL: Petro Gazz routs Capital1 to capture QF spot
But thankfully for Tsuzurabara, his wards took care of business against the Roger Gorayeb-mentored crew, 25-19, 25-23, 25-21, in the qualifying round of the 2024-25 Premier Volleyball League (PVL) All-Filipino Conference.
With this, the Angels are now quarterfinal-bound, seeking redemption from a sixth-place finish last 2024 Reinforced Conference.
READ: PVL: Petro Gazz joins Creamline as teams with 10 wins
"Two days ago, Cignal versus Galeries. Cignal lost, so we were very worried. We had a meeting before the game," said Tsuzurabara.
"You want to win, but the opponent team also wants to win. I didn't know (what would happen in) today's game, but everyone did their best," he added.
Van Sickle shared the same sentiment, saying that rankings don't really matter and the Galeries-Cignal game was a "wake-up call."
"That game was awesome to watch. Both teams came fighting. I thought Galeries had excellent defense. They were able to transition the ball very well that game. Congrats to them for winning. Definitely, in a way, it was a wake-up call," the reigning All-Filipino Conference MVP said.
"It was a reminder that it's anyone's game," Van Sickle added.
Meanwhile, Petro Gazz's quarterfinal rival will be the winner of Pool A of the play-in tournament.
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