As Lindsey Vander Weide was wheeled off the court early in the opener, Petro Gazz appeared dead in the water, staring down a fired-up Creamline squad led by American import Courtney Schwan.
The Angels, suddenly handicapped without their import and with a monkey wrench thrown into their carefully laid game plan, seemed primed for a collapse.
But Myla Pablo, cold off the bench, came in like a hero to save the day — and save the day she did.
“Siyempre nagulat din sa nangyari kay Lindsey,” said the 32-year-old former league MVP, referring to the moment Vander Weide landed on teammate Ranya Musa’s foot and went down in pain.
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Shocking as it was, Pablo never lost focus. She already knew what needed to be done. And as Vander Weide was wheeled toward the dugout, Pablo stepped onto the court, shook off any lingering nerves, and got down to work.
“Pero siyempre, ako… Nung pumasok ako, kumbaga, walang pressure din sa loob ng court,” Pablo said.
“Kasi kapag may pressure ka, medyo hindi mo maiilabas ’yung laro mo eh, kaya sinabi ko, ‘For Lindsey talaga ’tong game na ’to.’ So ayun, ’yung effort naman ng bawat isa, gumana naman nung game,” she added.
Her performance was nothing short of vintage.
She racked up 26 points on 23 attacks, added two blocks and an ace, and paired it with seven excellent digs and seven excellent receptions as Petro Gazz ousted the Cool Smashers in four sets, 25-23, 25-19, 16-25, 25-14, to advance to the semifinals of the 2025 Premier Volleyball League Reinforced Conference.
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Pablo played a key role in giving the Angels an early 2-0 lead, teaming up with Brooke Van Sickle to fill the gaps left by the injured Vander Weide.
The import eventually returned to start the fourth set after Creamline mounted a comeback in the third to make the match competitive.
The 5-foot-10 outside spiker said Vander Weide’s presence, though limited, offered an extra spark for her and the team. She also gave them the confidence to push through and close out the match.
“’Yung adjustments din namin in the fourth set nga na ginawang opposite si Lindsey, malaking bagay talaga sa’min si Lindsey sa loob ng court. Kasi siyempre, ’yung presence pa lang niya sa loob ng court, nakaka-boost ’yung team namin,” said Pablo.
Now just one win away from returning to the championship match of the import-laced tourney, the ever-ready Pablo vowed to keep the same energy and stay sharp for their semifinals clash against Akari on Thursday.
“Always ready naman po kaming lahat, kahit mga second six lang kami. Pero siyempre, kapag pinasok kami ng mga coaches namin, kailangan mag-perform kami, and also na hindi naman kami nag-iisa eh. Kumbaga, ’yung team effort namin kanina, gumana rin talaga, especially sa mga coaches namin.”
