Petro Gazz foils young ZUS Coffee squad to clinch third PVL Reinforced trophy

Inevitably, a time will come where a young up-and-coming squad will eventually dominate and reign over the Premier Volleyball League (PVL) scenery, but Petro Gazz showed that they simply had ample gas left in the tank to lord over the league once again.

Proving that experience is key, the Petro Gazz Angels flexed their championship pedigree to dash ZUS Coffee Thunderbelles’ hopes for a Cinderella-like ending, zooming to a four-set victory, 21-25, 28-26, 25-23, 25-20, to clinch their third PVL Reinforced Conference crown at the Big Dome, Nov. 30.

After the match that wrapped up in one hour and 54 minutes, the Angels now hold the league-best tally of Reinforced titles with three in total to push their franchise total to four championships, just behind the tournament-leading Creamline Cool Smashers with 10.

The Angels went off to a jittery start behind seven errors paired with 2025 PVL Best Import Anna DeBeer, who displayed her prowess in her powerful hits, which cost them their first set.

However, the composed Petro Gazz team adjusted by strengthening their net defense and enhancing their offense, which allowed them to execute a late 6-2 run fueled by three errors from Debeer and precise attacks from Lindsey Mae Vander Weide, ultimately snatching the extended set and leveling the match.

Petro Gazz’s locals followed in pursuit behind unpredictable sets in the third salvo to reinforce Weide from the seesaw of points as MJ Phillips flashed a solo 3-1 burst to march one set away from glory, 2-1.

Relentless, Phillips and Vander Weide combined for seven points to spark a 10-5 run capped off by a Chie Saet ace to nab a six-point cushion, 20-14.

Needing just the final nail into the coffin, Myla Pablo swung from the right side after Weide clinched the championship point to complete their comeback at the summit Reinforced Finals scene.

Weide, the same import who led Petro Gazz’s 2022 cast to that year’s Reinforced edition, snagged her second trophy behind a fiery 21-point outing alongside nine receptions.

Phillips, who went berserk since the sluggish first frame by logging in 15 of her 17 markers in the next three sets they won, received the Finals MVP nod.

ZUS’s AC Miner shone bright as she was named as the Rookie of the Conference behind her 16-point output in the gold medal match to backstop Debeer, who wound up with 18 markers.