Call it a Van Sickle show.
Brooke the player, dad Gary as coach and mom Lisa as the assistant coach played their roles marking the Petro Gazz Angels’ emphatic 25-21, 25-19, 25-14 victory over Galeries Tower to start their campaign in the Premier Volleyball League Reinforced Conference at the City of Dasmariñas Arena in Cavite yesterday.
‘You’re the man of the hour,’ Brooke, who fired a match-high 14 points, told his father after the win.
‘It was a full circle moment and I’m going to try to enjoy every game, every point with them again and be coached by my parents again,’ she added.
‘We came out a little slow but overall, it was a team effort,’ said Gary, who took over from interim mentor Brian Esquivel.
Lindsey Vander Weide unloaded 13 hits on her return to the same franchise she led to the title of this same conference three years ago.
And she liked what she saw from their team.
‘We have a lot of depth, anybody can step in and make a difference so that makes me really comfortable with them,’ said the 2022 Reinforced Conference Best Foreign Player.
There is hope that Vander Weide, along with the Van Sickles, could help the squad reclaim the championship it last won three years before.
And this win was a good first step towards that goal.
‘It’s going to be tough but we’ll see,’ said Vander Weide.
MJ Phillips, back after her Alas Pilipinas stint, likewise delivered, chipping in 12 hits.
The result spoiled the debut of Galeries Tower bench tactician Godfrey Okumu, who succeeded Lerma Giron.