Vander Weide rises as Angels thwart EV Crossovers in thriller

ILAGAN, Isabela – Lindsey Vander Weide, silenced and sidelined in the spotlight just days ago, reclaimed her role as Petro Gazz’s heartbeat in the clutch, powering the Angels to a gutsy 25-15, 20-25, 25-23, 25-21 victory over Chery Tiggo in the PVL Reinforced Conference here on Saturday.

Faced with the possibility of losing grip on their Top 3 bid in Pool B, the Angels summoned their inner fire – and Vander Weide lit the match.

The raucous weekend crowd at the Capital Arena turned into a sea of red and white, roaring with every Petro Gazz point. And in the decisive moments of the fourth set, it was Vander Weide who answered the call, rising from a Set 3 struggle and delivering four crucial points in a 5-0 finishing kick that flipped a 20-21 deficit into a dramatic win.

Brooke Van Sickle may have earned Best Player of the Game honors by matching Vander Weide’s 25-point effort, but it was the latter’s late-game brilliance that sealed the deal in one-hour and 57 minutes.

Taking over when it mattered most, Vander Weide ignited the closing run with a thunderous spike that broke a nerve-wracking exchange. She then stymied Cess Robles at the net with a timely block, before the Crossovers unraveled under pressure – committing a costly net violation that gave the Angels the edge.

Vander Weide, known for her signature hang time and whip-like arm action, then closed the door with a pair of emphatic kills – a perfectly placed crosscourt missile into Zone 5, followed by a punishing finish off a Chery Tiggo overpass.

Her performance as electrifying as it was composed, served as a statement – not just of individual brilliance, but of the team’s renewed resolve.

“It was phenomenal,” said Van Sickle after the match. “Chery Tiggo did a fantastic job. They really pushed us to our physical and mental limits. But in the end, we stuck together.”

That unity proved to be the difference.

Despite dropping a shaky second set and being threatened late in the fourth, the Angels showed no signs of panic. Instead, they leaned on each other, their chemistry and the deafening cheers of the crowd that never let up.

With the win, Petro Gazz improved to 2-1, staying within striking distance of unbeaten leaders ZUS Coffee and Akari.

In stark contrast, the loss pushed Chery Tiggo to 0-3 – a tough pill for a team known for its competitive spirit but still searching for its first win in the year-ending conference organized by Sports Vision and backed by ICTSI, Milcu, Mikasa and Fabriano.

For the Angels, though, the night was less about the standings and more about rediscovering their identity – gritty, fearless and fueled by belief – both in themselves and in the fans who never stopped believing in them.

Myla Pablo and MJ Phillips each delivered 10 points, while Ranya Musa chipped in eight markers to help lift the Angels, who entered the match looking to bounce back from a tough four-set loss to the Creamline Cool Smashers – a battle worthy of a championship clash.

Van Sickle and Vander Weide also made their presence felt on defense. Van Sickle tallied a remarkable 20 excellent digs, complemented by Pablo’s 10, along with 15 solid receptions, while Vander Weide added 11 receptions of her own.

Rookie setter Jules Tolentino continued to impress, dishing out 21 excellent sets, while veteran Djanel Cheng contributed crucial plays that anchored the Angels’ third-set escape.

On the other side, Yuni Batista led the Crossovers with 21 points, Robles added 14 markers and nine receptions, while Ara Galang contributed nine points. Pauline Gaston and Mylene Paat chipped in six points apiece.

In a riveting test of nerves and composure, the Angels survived a fierce Chery Tiggo rally to escape with a pivotal third set win and seize a crucial 2-1 set lead in their intense showdown.

What once looked like a comfortable nine-point advantage for the Angels, 16-7, quickly dissolved as the Crossovers unleashed a spirited comeback. With ace libero Karen Verdeflor anchoring the floor defense, Chery Tiggo strung together a series of defensive stops and converted on transition plays, pulling even at 21 and again at 22, then 23 after a powerful hit by Yuni Batista.

But just when momentum appeared to have shifted entirely, Van Sickle showed nerves of steel and the instinct of a closer. Rotating to the left pin, the Fil-American drilled a sharp crosscourt hit that electrified the crowd, then followed it up with a smart off-speed shot that slipped past a well-formed double block, landing perfectly in the open Zone 5.

That clutch two-hit sequence iced the dramatic set, allowing Petro Gazz to escape the momentum-swinging frame with a hard-earned win, despite the Angels’ own struggles late in the stretch – including Vander Weide being repeatedly stymied by Verdeflor’s stellar reads and digs.