Brooke Van Sickle made limited appearances during the first four sets, but when it mattered most, she stepped up to lead Petro Gazz to victory in the decider.
Van Sickle, who saw limited minutes in the first four frames, started in the fifth set and delivered a stellar performance to guide the Angels to a hard-fought 20-25, 20-25, 25-23, 25-15, 15-7 reverse sweep against the Chery Tiggo Crossovers on Tuesday night in the PVL All-Filipino Conference at the Philsports Arena.
The 2024 AFC MVP unleashed six points during Petro Gazz’s 8-3 run to open the deciding set, including scoring the team’s first five points, setting the tone for the lopsided finish.
Despite her heroics, Van Sickle was quick to credit her teammates, who stepped up during the crucial third and fourth sets to turn the game around.
Aiza Pontillas and Myla Pablo each tallied 18 points, while Nicole Tiamzon contributed 11 points off the bench.
(C) PVL Images
“I’m super proud of everyone. I’m pretty sure everyone brought great energy—it didn’t matter who was on the court,” said Van Sickle.
“I’m just really happy and proud of the team right now. We figured things out, pushed through the rough patches, and worked on our game. We got better today as a team, so I’m really happy,” she added.
The 5-foot-9 Filipino-American spiker still managed to finish with 10 points and 11 excellent digs, later explaining why her minutes were limited.
Van Sickle revealed that she underwent a minor procedure on her left knee shortly after Petro Gazz’s final match of 2024 against Cignal on December 14. The knee had been bothering her at the start of the conference.
“I did have a minor procedure done the day after we played Cignal. It was just something small—a cleanup for my knee—but I feel a lot better now,” she shared.
“In the beginning of the conference, I was a little bothered by it, but I feel really great now. And again, we always have constant communication.”
