Brooke Van Sickle wasted no time making her mark in Philippine volleyball, winning the 2024 All-Filipino Conference Most Valuable Player in her debut season.
However, despite her stellar performances — including a 1st Best Outside Spiker award in the 2024 Reinforced Conference — Petro Gazz fell short of the championship stage in her first two conferences.
That’s why clinching a spot in the 2024-25 All-Filipino Conference Finals was particularly special for Van Sickle.
The Angels secured their Finals berth in dominant fashion, sweeping the round-robin semifinals with a commanding 25-22, 25-20, 25-18 victory over Akari on Thursday at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.
“It feels very surreal. It’s been a very long conference, and there have been a lot of ups and downs, and to be where we are right now is amazing,” said the Fil-American outside spiker postgame.
“I wouldn’t want to do it with any other team. I’m so glad that my teammates are there for me at all times. They’re just a group of wonderful girls — on and off the court, just awesome. Just awesome people. I’m really excited to share this experience with them, just going to the finals and everything. I’m ecstatic. This is awesome.”
For Van Sickle, this Finals appearance felt destined even before the conference began.
She noticed a shift in the team’s chemistry — stronger bonds, deeper trust, and a heightened sense of connection.
“When I got here, everyone was doing their jobs, but I feel like this conference is different. When we enter the practice gym, I feel like everyone has a different aura and mindset to them,” said the University of Oregon product.
“We’ve just been pushing each other this whole time. Just nonstop picking each other up when we’re down, helping spread words of affirmation, and just helping each other out.”
(C) PVL Images
Petro Gazz dropped only two matches this conference — an early preliminary-round loss to Creamline and a shocking Game 1 defeat to the ZUS Coffee Thunderbelles in the quarterfinals.
But those setbacks only fueled their resurgence. After falling to Creamline, the Angels went on a 10-game winning streak. Following their slip against ZUS Coffee, they responded with five straight victories, including a perfect sweep of the semifinals.
“The thing is, I’m not very surprised, because they’re just wonderful people, and they’re selfless,” Van Sickle said. “When I say Petro Gazz is like a family, we are.
“And there’s no drama, there’s no chismis, and all that kind. It’s awesome to be able to open up emotionally to them, to be vulnerable with my team, and just seeing the reaction from it is amazing — just knowing that my team’s got my back at all moments, just like how I want to be for them. So yeah, I hope it goes well, but we’ll see.”
Game 1 of the best-of-three Finals is set for Tuesday at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.
As of publishing, Creamline and Choco Mucho are battling for the last Finals spot. A Cool Smashers victory would secure their ticket, while a Flying Titans win would force a playoff.
#WATCH: Brooke Van Sickle believes this is the moment for Petro Gazz to finally claim the All-Filipino crown 🏐
📹 @justinvalencia_ /Tiebreaker Times#PVL2025 pic.twitter.com/qpKCByT9cl
— Tiebreaker Times (@tiebreakertimes) April 3, 2025
