Visitors validate what Angels at all times knew: Nothing will likely be simple in AVC

Brooke Van Sickle is aware of the street to a deep playoff run within the Asian Volleyball Confederation (AVC) Women’s Champions League received’t be clean for the Petro Gazz Angels.

“We expect to get pushed. These are all championship teams,” stated Van Sickle after the Angels fell to Taiwan’s Taipower, 25-15, 25-16, 19-25, 25-20, on Monday—a loss that places their quarterfinal hopes in jeopardy.

But all isn’t misplaced for the reigning PVL All-Filipino champions.

READ: Fresh off identify, no force for Petro Gazz in AVC–Brooke Van Sickle

A win in opposition to Hong Kong’s Hip Hing Women’s Volleyball Team of their ultimate removing recreation on Tuesday will ship them thru to the following spherical of the 12-team continental event.

“We have to switch our mentality and go after it in the next game. We have to stick together as a team as much as possible,” added Van Sickle, who completed with 13 issues, together with 11 assaults and two aces.

Petro Gazz import Gia Day led the rate with 16 kills for a complete of 18 issues. But the Angels seemed a some distance cry from the squad that surprised 10-time champion Creamline for the All-Filipino identify simply over per week in the past.

Their 28 unforced mistakes helped ease the trail for Taipower, who capitalized at the host workforce’s miscues with scientific potency.

Hsu Wan-Yun and Peng Yu-Rou led the Taiwanese rate, following up their sweep of Hip Hing with any other commanding win to e book a crossover quarterfinal spot.

Facing a possible sweep, the Angels fought again within the 3rd set, seizing momentum as Taipower faltered. Errors through Lin Cai-Zhen and Hsu allowed Van Sickle to strike with a formidable go to position Petro Gazz up 21-17.

Van Sickle, Aiza Maizo-Pontillas and Joy Dacoron then mixed to complete the set, with Van Sickle sealing it with an ace.

Limited observe time

“I won’t say it’s pressure [from the championship]. It’s a different tournament. Yeah, we won the championship, but we’ve moved on,” Van Sickle stated. “Tonight, we’ll watch film and shake it off. The first game is over—learn from it and move on.”

Taipower regrouped within the fourth set and took keep an eye on at the back of Huang Ching-Hsuan and Hsu. A blistering crosscourt shot through Peng and a working assault from Huang opened an eight-point lead, additional widened through Day’s back-to-back mistakes.

MJ Phillips in short gave the Angels hope with a handy guide a rough spike and a block to near the distance to 22-18, however Remy Palma’s carrier error at fit level sealed the loss.

Day, who has had restricted observe time with the Angels, isn’t getting too down in regards to the defeat.

“I think this is also my first international tournament so I’m really excited to play with a different style and also see so many different styles in volleyball, I think it’s a beautiful thing,” she stated. “Like Brooke (Van Sickle) said, the teams in this tournament are really good at playing together and finding their rhythm as a team so I think that’s something we can learn from and really be excited about.”

“I kind of accepted the challenge, so I’m excited for what the future holds and I’m really thankful that they invited me to come here.” INQ