–MARLO CUETO/INQUIRER.internet
Brooke Van Sickle is aware of the street to a deep playoff run within the Asian Volleyball Confederation (AVC) Girls’s Champions League gained’t be clean for the Petro Gazz Angels.
“We anticipate to get pushed. These are all championship groups,” mentioned Van Sickle after the Angels fell to Taiwan’s Taipower, 25-15, 25-16, 19-25, 25-20, on Monday—a loss that places their quarterfinal hopes in jeopardy.
However all just isn’t misplaced for the reigning PVL All-Filipino champions.
READ: Contemporary off title, no strain for Petro Gazz in AVC–Brooke Van Sickle
A win towards Hong Kong’s Hip Hing Girls’s Volleyball Crew of their closing elimination recreation on Tuesday will ship them via to the subsequent spherical of the 12-team continental match.
“We’ve to modify our mentality and go after it within the subsequent recreation. We’ve to stay collectively as a group as a lot as doable,” added Van Sickle, who completed with 13 factors, together with 11 assaults and two aces.
Petro Gazz import Gia Day led the cost with 16 kills for a complete of 18 factors. However the Angels seemed a far cry from the squad that surprised 10-time champion Creamline for the All-Filipino title simply over per week in the past.
Their 28 unforced errors helped ease the trail for Taipower, who capitalized on the host group’s miscues with medical effectivity.
Hsu Wan-Yun and Peng Yu-Rou led the Taiwanese cost, following up their sweep of Hip Hing with one other commanding win to e-book a crossover quarterfinal spot.
Dealing with a possible sweep, the Angels fought again within the third set, seizing momentum as Taipower faltered. Errors by Lin Cai-Zhen and Hsu allowed Van Sickle to strike with a robust cross to place Petro Gazz up 21-17.
Van Sickle, Aiza Maizo-Pontillas and Pleasure Dacoron then mixed to complete the set, with Van Sickle sealing it with an ace.
Restricted apply time
“I gained’t say it’s strain [from the championship]. It’s a unique match. Yeah, we gained the championship, however we’ve moved on,” Van Sickle mentioned. “Tonight, we’ll watch movie and shake it off. The primary recreation is over—be taught from it and transfer on.”
Taipower regrouped within the fourth set and took management behind Huang Ching-Hsuan and Hsu. A blistering crosscourt shot by Peng and a operating assault from Huang opened an eight-point lead, additional widened by Day’s back-to-back errors.
MJ Phillips briefly gave the Angels hope with a fast spike and a block to shut the hole to 22-18, however Remy Palma’s service error at match level sealed the loss.
Day, who has had restricted apply time with the Angels, isn’t getting too down in regards to the defeat.
“I believe that is additionally my first worldwide match so I’m actually excited to play with a unique model and likewise see so many alternative kinds in volleyball, I believe it’s a phenomenal factor,” she mentioned. “Like Brooke (Van Sickle) mentioned, the groups on this match are actually good at enjoying collectively and discovering their rhythm as a group so I believe that’s one thing we will be taught from and actually be enthusiastic about.”
“I sort of accepted the problem, so I’m excited for what the long run holds and I’m actually grateful that they invited me to return right here.” INQ
