New Petro Gazz coach Gary Van Sickle relished his first win with the Angels and the warm reception he’s received in the Premier Volleyball League.
The head of the Van Sickle family made a winning start as the Angels coach after his daughter Brooke conspired with import Lindsey Vander Weide to sweep Galeries, 25-21, 25-19, 25-14, in the 2025 Reinforced Conference on Thursday at Dasmariñas Arena here. More than the victory itself, with Brooke executing his system and wife Lisa serving as assistant coach, Gary was thrilled to experience the league’s energy firsthand.
‘It’s been positive, not just because we won, but everyone’s friendly, the environment is electric, so that makes it fun to coach. The competition is pretty good. Coaches on the other side are tough, so we’re making adjustments as we go,’ said Gary. Gary admitted that the team is still adjusting to his coaching style, but he’s pleased how the Angels worked as one unit to dominate their first game.
‘We’re trying to implement little things here and there, but overall, the team is pretty well balanced,’ he said. ‘We’re just coming in, trying to make a little adjustments here and there, and we’ll go as, by mid-season, I think we’ll have adjusted what we want to do. But overall, I think the coaching staff has done a great job with that.’ Brooke, the two-time All-Filipino MVP, believes her experience from her parents coaching her for 10 years before college made it easier for them to call the shots for the Angels.
‘They taught me all my fundamentals, everything about volleyball, my volleyball IQ and everything. So it’s like picking up where we left off. I don’t feel anything weird about it. It’s actually nice to have the feedback right away because they watch every single game. They know the team very well,’ said Brooke.
Brooke is grateful to have her parents on her side and get instant feedback from them about the game.
‘I’m the type of volleyball player who breaks things down and really analyzes games. So I feel like it’s nice to finally have them right then and there versus having to wait until they wake up and watch the game and then get feedback on what I can improve on and stuff in the moment. So it’s really helpful,’ she said.
Gary faces a big test against defending champion Creamline on Tuesday at Smart Araneta Coliseum. ‘At least we have one runner in the belt, but Creamline’s going to be tough. That’s like a rival for us, so we’re going to practice tough the next couple of days. We have tomorrow off, and then we’ll get ready for Creamline, and hopefully we play a good match,’ the new Petro Gazz said.