Petro Gazz Angels proved once again their dominance in the Philippine volleyball scene after winning the 2025 Premier Volleyball League Reinforced Conference.
The Angels defeated the rising Zus Coffee Thunderbelles in four sets, 21-25, 28-26, 25-23, 25-20, to secure their third Reinforced conference title.
The team won its first Reinforced title in 2019 and secured another crown in 2022.
However, the Angels’ third title was not an easy win since they had a slow start to the conference.
The team settled for the No.5 seed after the double preliminary rounds and had to beat defending champions Creamline Cool Smashers in the quarter-finals.
Petro Gazz also had to beat the Akari Chargers in the semi-finals before emerging as champions during the gold medal match.
Brooke Van Sickle, who was named as the Most Valuable Player of the tournament, praised her team’s composure throughout the entire conference.
“I’m really proud of our team for just having that grit and staying locked in and focusing when it really matters.
“And, I mean, it just goes to show; it doesn’t matter how you start in a season, it just matters how you finish. So, I’m really proud of everyone,” Van Sickle said, according to ABS-CBN News.
Best performers
Aside from winning the MVP plum, Van Sickle was also named as one of the Best Outside Spikers of the conference alongside Savannah Davison of the PLDT High Speed Hitters.
Trisha Tubu of the Farm Fresh Foxies won the Best Opposite Spiker title, while Cloanne Mondoñedo of the Thunderbelles bagged her first Best Setter award.
Meanwhile, Maddie Madayag of the Choco Mucho Flying Titans and Jeanette Panaga of the Cool Smashers were the Best Middle Blockers of the 2025 Reinforced Conference, while Thang Ponce of the Flying Titans earned her fifth Best Libero recognition.
ZUS Coffee reinforcement Anna DeBeer was named as the Best Foreign Guest Player for helping the young team secure the silver medal.
DeBeer told reporters after the finals match that she is proud of the growth of the Thunderbelles and expressed hope for a possible return in the PVL next year.
“Everyone’s been asking me. I’m not sure. It just depends on how everything works out. But I would love to be back,” the 24-year-old American said, according to SPIN.ph
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PVL 2026
The 2026 PVL All-Filipino Conference is expected to kick off in late January 2026, but the league is already facing an early setback after the Chery Tiggo EV Crossovers announced its exit from the professional scene after five years.
“With heavy hearts, we announce the closing of the Chery Tiggo EV Crossovers’ chapter, after 11 unforgettable years in professional volleyball.
“From our beginnings as the Foton Tornadoes to our journey as the Chery Tiggo EV Crossovers, we celebrate the milestones: the championships, the talent we developed, and representing the Philippines on the biggest stage,” the team said in a statement released on Tuesday.
With the Crossovers’ exit from the league, PVL is only left with 11 teams competing in the first tournament in 2026.
But PVL president Ricky Palou insisted that the league will remain competitive despite the departure of Chery Tiggo, adding that the PVL is open for a new team for the 2026 All-Filipino Conference.
“If we have credible applicants for the 12th slot, we will entertain them,” Palou said, according to SPIN.ph.
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SportJustSport writers