By KRISTEL SATUMBAGA
Call it a Van Sickle family affair.
Brooke Van Sickle powered Petro Gazz to a dominant 25-21, 25-19, 25-14 sweep of Galeries Tower to deliver a winning debut for her father, newly appointed head coach Gary Van Sickle, in the Premier Volleyball League Reinforced Conference on Thursday, Oct. 9.
The 27-year-old Brooke pumped in 14 points built on 12 kills and two aces for the Angels as they kicked off their title campaign on a high note at the City of Dasmariñas Arena.
“It was a full circle moment that I’m gonna try to enjoy. I’m really happy with the opportunity to be able to play with them again and be coached by my parents,” said Brooke, also referring to her mother, Lisa, who serves as assistant coach.
Putting personal matters aside, Gary welcomed the victory despite some early hiccups in the match.
“It was a good game. We came out a little slow, but overall it was a team effort,” said Gary.
“Any win is a good win in the PVL,” he added.
Returning import Lindsey Vander Weide also spelled the difference for Petro Gazz’s emphatic win, contributing 13 points on nine attacks, two blocks and two aces.
Vander Weise embraced the strong chemistry she shares with the team, which translated into a solid performance on the court.
“We have a lot of depthy and anybody can step in and make a difference so that makes me really comfortable with them,” she said.
Djanel Cheng also played a key role for the Angels, distributing the ball well with 14 excellent sets on top of four points. MJ Phillips, likewise, stepped up on the defensive end with four blocks to finish with 12 points.
Meanwhile, no player from Galeries Tower scored in double figures in its first match under new head coach Godfrey Okumu, with import Jelena Cvijovic and Dodee Risa Joey Batindaan each managing only nine points.
