PVL: Petro Gazz eliminates PLDT to arrange Finals showdown vs Creamline anew

Petro Gazz Angels in the PVL All-Filipino Conference Finals. –PVL PHOTO

MANILA, Philippines — Petro Gazz will battle Creamline in the Premier Volleyball League Finals for the fourth straight time in the All-Filipino Conference after ousting PLDT on Thursday at Mall of Asia Arena.

The Angels showed their killer instinct in a do-or-die semifinal Game 3, beating the High Speed Hitters in straight sets, 25-17, 25-23, 25-15, to set up a best-of-three championship series against the Cool Smashers starting Sunday.

Creamline earlier booked a Finals berth after sweeping F2 Logistics.

Petro Gazz, which settled for a runner-up finish in last year’s first conference, tries to exact revenge against the defending champion Creamline in Game 1 over the weekend at 6:30 p.m. at the same venue in Pasay City.

Coach Oliver Almadro will be making his first PVL Finals as his Angels eye their maiden All-Filipino crown in their third try.

Petro Gazz only faced resistance in the second set as it squandered a 23-19 lead after committing a couple of errors and Dell Palomata and Jovy Prado trimming the deficit to one, 23-22.

But MJ Phillips put things back into order after nailing back-to-back quick attacks to lift Petro Gazz to the verge of victory.

Remy Palma and Grethcel Soltones conspired in the third set to pull away with a 17-7 lead. Substitute spiker Dzi Gervacio joined the party, scoring off a floating ball to tally the biggest margin, 11 points, 20-9, and never looked back.

PLDT coach Rald Ricafort, who left Petro Gazz after winning the Reinforced Conference last December, was eliminated by his former team in a rubber match.

The High Speed Hitters will be relegated in the battle for bronze series against the F2 Logistics Cargo Movers in another best-of-three series also on Sunday.

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