Manila: Filipino-American Brooke Van Sickle of Petro Gazz was named PVL Press Corps Player of the Week for the period Nov. 18-20. She earned the honor after finishing with 27 points, 15 digs, and 14 receptions in the Angels’ 25-21, 27-25, 23-25, 25-21 victory over the PLDT High Speed Hitters in the final day of the preliminary round at the Mall of Asia Arena on Thursday.
According to Philippines News Agency, Van Sickle, a two-time PVL Most Valuable Player, won over Cignal’s Katrin Trebichavska, Petro Gazz teammate Lindsey Vander Weide, Capital1 ace Oleksandra Bytsenko, ZUS Coffee’s AC Miner, Farm Fresh setter Alohi Robins-Hardy, and Choco Mucho veteran Royse Tubino in deliberations by reporters covering the country’s pioneering pro volleyball league.
The 5-foot-9 outside hitter was No. 8 in digging (3.23 digs per set), No. 9 in spiking (35.48 percent success rate), and No. 10 in scoring (160 points) in the preliminaries. “We’re definitely moving more cohesive as the games go on, so I’m really excited for that. I’m really proud of everyone stepping up and playing some gritty defense. We’re stepping in the right direction, slowly. It’s just a matter of working at practice and getting the reps in. I think we’ve got the team that gels the best right now,” she told reporters.
Two-time champion Petro Gazz, which moved up from eighth to fifth place with a 5-3 record, will face Creamline in a knockout match at the Smart Araneta Coliseum at 1:30 p.m. on Monday, with the winner punching a ticket to Thursday’s semifinals. The Angels, hoping to reach the Reinforced Conference semifinals for the first time since winning their last import-backed crown in 2022, are expecting a tough challenge against the Cool Smashers. “They’re a really tough team. We need to go back, watch film, make adjustments, and be on our A-game because they’re going to bring theirs,” Van Sickle said.
