The Premier Volleyball League All-Filipino Conference Finals were exactly what Brooke Van Sickle expected them to be.
Despite the pressure of playing under the bright lights of the Smart Araneta Coliseum and facing the most beloved team in the league, Van Sickle shone in her PVL Finals debut — driven to secure her first major title.
The 27-year-old Fil-Hawaiian outside hitter delivered for the Angels, who nearly blew a 2-0 set lead before regaining their composure in the fifth set to claim a 25-17, 25-20, 18-25, 20-25, 15-10 Game 1 victory on Tuesday night.
“Yeah, I mean, it’s exactly what I expected it to be. I know Creamline has a big fanbase, so it was very loud. It was very hard to think at some points, which was nice because it drowned out all the thoughts,” said Van Sickle after her first Finals appearance.
“So, yeah, it was everything that I expected. You know, five-setters can go either way at that point. You just don’t know who’s going to win or lose,” she added.
(C) PVL Images
Van Sickle posted a game-high 24 points, with 21 attacks, two blocks, and one ace, along with 14 excellent digs and six excellent receptions.
As she nears her first major championship, Van Sickle reflected on the experience, savoring the pressure and the opportunity to shine. She remains focused on the present rather than looking too far ahead.
“I’m just grateful for this journey, and I’m really proud of the team for even making it to the finals. But that being said, it’s not over. This win doesn’t matter. It’s still, you know, best two out of three,” said the reigning All-Filipino Conference MVP.
Van Sickle also encouraged her teammates to adopt the same mindset, understanding that the Cool Smashers — who are chasing their own “five-peat” — will come out strong in Game 2 on Thursday.
“So, we can’t get ahead of ourselves and think, ‘oh, championship,’ because as soon as you start doing that, it’s going to get taken away. We have to stay grounded and present and continue to focus,” she said.
“Even though we won, there are a lot of things we need to work on. We only have one day, so I guess we’ll visualize as much as possible. It’s not over at all,” Van Sickle added.
The University of Oregon product expects nothing less than a dogfight in Game 2 and vowed to give it her all, leaving everything on the court to secure the win.
“But I’m expecting Thursday, Creamline is going to come out and play their best volleyball possible, and we have to be ready as a team. We can’t let what happened in the third set affect us. We can’t be low energy or back off because this is the team you can’t do that with. So, yeah, fighting.”
#WATCH: Brooke Van Sickle, MJ Phillips, Jonah Sabete, and Coach Koji Tsuzurabara react to Petro Gazz’s epic Game 1 win—just one step away from making franchise history with their first-ever PVL All-Filipino crown 🏐
📹 @jonashdcd /Tiebreaker Times#PVL2025 pic.twitter.com/FSrsVvbFhF
— Tiebreaker Times (@tiebreakertimes) April 8, 2025
