Though Remy Palma saw limited court time as Petro Gazz made its deep playoff push, her impact remained undeniable and deeply felt by the team and coaching staff alike.
Early in the conference, Palma logged heavy minutes and held the fort in the middle together with MJ Phillips.
But as the Angels tightened their rotation in the playoffs, the veteran middle blocker embraced a different role — that of a guiding voice. From the bench, she continued barking out instructions, rallying her teammates, and even taking over team huddles at times.
Palma admitted that leading a veteran-laden Petro Gazz squad came with its own set of challenges, especially with each player bringing years of experience and their own way of doing things.
The former league Best Middle Blocker acknowledged the difficulties of the role, but said it has been nothing short of fulfilling after she helped the team capture its first-ever All-Filipino Conference title in the Premier Volleyball League last Saturday.
“Leading a team composed of veterans, alpha women, and high-performance athletes was a challenging task yet a very fulfilling one. It takes a lot of courage, dedication, patience, and love to make it happen. Many times I needed to turn off my guards to meet everyone’s understanding,” said Palma.
“I think yung healthy communication din yung isa sa key para mas maging strong yung foundation ng team. Yung challenges nandiyan lang ‘yan parati eh, siguro malaking pasalamat ko lang din kasi committed yung bawat isa sa pag-abot namin sa goal this conference.”
Emotions ran high for Palma following Petro Gazz’s title-clinching victory over Creamline in Game 3 at the Philsports Arena, as she shared a touching moment with Japanese head coach Koji Tsuzurabara — whom she described as having a love-hate, father-daughter dynamic throughout the season.
Tsuzurabara holds his captain in high regard, acknowledging her pivotal contributions off the bench, particularly her leadership. He even referred to her as the hero when the Angels defeated the Cool Smashers to kick off the semifinals.
Palma acknowledged that there were moments when she and Tsuzurabara disagreed. However, what ultimately brought them together was their shared commitment to the bigger goal — winning the championship.
“Coach Koji and I have this unique love and hate relationship, parang tatay at anak lang din na kahit may mga pagkakataong hindi man kami nagkakasundo minsan pero mas mananaig yung purpose to make it and reach our goals,” shared Palma.
“Nag-flashback lang din siguro sa akin lahat yung pinagdaanan ng team over the past 6 months na duration ng liga. Yung pagmamahal at tiwala nila sa akin ay bunga na din nung sama-samang paghihirapan namin para maabot yung pinangarap naming AFC Championship.”
In a season defined by resilience and redemption, Palma’s journey showed that true leadership isn’t just about stats — it’s about being there for your team and earning trust through the challenges you face together.
#WATCH: The Angels speak out after clinching Petro Gazz’s PVL All-Filipino Conference title 🏆
📹@justinvalencia_ /Tiebreaker Times pic.twitter.com/ilotrbU0PL
— Tiebreaker Times (@tiebreakertimes) April 12, 2025
