Petro Gazz is welcoming back a familiar force.
Former PVL Best Import Lindsey Vander Weide is making her highly-anticipated return to the Angels for the 2025 Reinforced Conference next month, nearly three years after leading the team to championship glory.
The Angels officially confirmed the news Monday night, sending waves of excitement through fans and the volleyball community alike.
Back in 2022, the 27-year-old outside hitter played a pivotal role in securing the Angels’ most recent Reinforced Conference crown.
Vander Weide finished as the tournament’s fourth-best scorer with 161 points, ranked second in serving with a 0.37 average per set, and was fourth in spiking efficiency at 36.04-percent.
Her stellar performance earned her the league’s inaugural Best Foreign Guest Player award in the professional era, as well as Finals MVP honors after steering Petro Gazz to a clean sweep of Cignal in the championship series.
The Angels enter the upcoming conference as a formidable contender, fresh off their All-Filipino Conference triumph earlier this year.
The team Vander Weide is returning to still features much of the same core that once hoisted the title, albeit with a new coaching staff and a handful of fresh faces.
Adding to the sense of familiarity are several holdovers from her first stint with the Angels, including longtime friend and former University of Oregon teammate Brooke Van Sickle.
Vander Weide also comes back richer in experience, having honed her skills overseas with Changas de Naranjito in Puerto Rico, as well as stints with the San Diego Mojo, Athletes Unlimited, and the Orlando Valkyries in the United States.
