By KRISTEL SATUMBAGA
Japanese coach Koji Tsuzurabara has parted ways with the Petro Gazz Angels, just months after steering the team to its first-ever Premier Volleyball League (PVL) All-Filipino Conference title.
On his social media post over the weekend, the 60-year-old coach expressed gratitude to Petro Gazz head of volleyball operations Oliver Almadro for the support he received during his tenure.
“When I won the 2025 PVL All-Filipino, I received so many congratulatory messages. And now that I’m leaving the team, I’m getting even more emails asking ‘Why?’” Tsuzurabara wrote, alongside a photo of himself with Almadro.
“In the midst of all this, I had a chat with my friend, Coach O… He was very kind to me and was a great understanding friend of mine. I’m so grateful. Thank you, my friend,” he added.
The team is yet to issue an official statement regarding his departure.
Tsuzurabara joined Petro Gazz in January last year and immediately made an impact, guiding the team to a bronze-medal finish in the 2024 All-Filipino Conference.
He later led the Angels to the Philippine National Volleyball Federation (PNVF) Champions League crown, culminating in their historic 2024-25 All-Filipino title — the franchise’s first in that conference after winning Reinforced Conference crowns in 2019 and 2022.
Currently, the Angels are competing in the PVL On Tour, where they sit at fourth place in Pool A with a 1-3 win-loss record.
