CANDON CITY– Playing in her home province of Ilocos Sur had long been a dream for Brooke Van Sickle. On Saturday night, that dream became a reality.
The Petro Gazz star shone brightly, leading her team to a commanding straight-set victory over Farm Fresh in the 2024-25 Premier Volleyball League All-Filipino Conference at the Candon City Arena.
“I’ve been dreaming about this moment to be able to come here,” said Van Sickle, who made a side trip to her family’s hometown of San Emilio before heading to Candon.
“I just wanted to see how it was because my grandpa would always tell stories about how much he misses this place. Unfortunately, he couldn’t come because of health concerns, but I can’t wait to bring the pictures to him. I’m very excited.”
Van Sickle delivered an exceptional performance in her Ilocos Sur homecoming, scoring a game-high 20 points to propel the Angels to a 25-21, 25-17, 25-19 triumph over the Foxies.
Playing in front of her family for the first time in her ancestral home added a mix of emotions to her game. Van Sickle admitted feeling pressure at first but said her teammates helped her settle down.
“I just wanted to come out and give them a good game,” she shared.
“At first, it was a little stressful because, with them being here, there were high expectations. It took a little bit for me to mellow out, but my teammates helped me very much with that.”
Van Sickle’s family traveled eight hours to watch her play, a gesture she deeply appreciated.
(C) PVL Images
“I’m very grateful. For them to come all this way to support me and to show me around – it’s super great. I feel lots of love,” she said.
The 2024 PNVF Champions League MVP also felt overwhelmed by the crowd’s energy and the support from the fans in Candon, which created a memorable atmosphere for the match.
“It’s amazing. Outside, it’s an electric feeling. Everyone’s high-energy and so loud, you can hear them from here. It was awesome just to be able to play here,” Van Sickle said.
“It’s like full circle for me because my grandpa grew up here, went to high school here. I got to visit San Emilio yesterday, and it was really cool to see where my grandfather and my mom used to stay.”
Van Sickle hopes this homecoming serves as a source of inspiration as the team navigates the long, five-month tournament.
“At first, coming here, knowing my family is from Ilocos Sur, it was already fulfilling. Now that I’ve played here and experienced the people and the beauty of this place, it adds more motivation for me,” she said.
“Just to be able to finally make that connection is really huge for me, and I’m very, very grateful.”
