Myla Pablo (right) and the Petro Gazz Angels during the PVL All-Filipino Conference semifinals against Choco Mucho Flying Titans. –MARLO CUETO/INQUIRER.net
MANILA, Philippines —Myla Pablo slumped to the floor in relief after drilling the game-winning off-speed hit, propelling Petro Gazz past a gritty Choco Mucho and moving them one win closer to the 2024-25 PVL All-Filipino Conference Finals.
Pablo admitted she was starting to feel a pinch in her previously injured calf, but she knew she had to push past her troubles to help the Angels survive with a 24-26, 25-18, 25-17, 27-25, win.
READ: PVL: Petro Gazz outplays Choco Mucho to close in on Finals berth
“I had to lay down—I was feeling something in my calf again. Throughout the four sets, my mind wasn’t fully in the game because of the trauma from my past injury with F2 Logistics. I pushed through that calf injury before, and it ended up getting sprained,” said Pablo in Filipino after scoring 13 points.
“When Brooke (Van Sickle) said, ‘You can play,’ I knew the team, especially Coach Koji (Tsuzurabara), needed me. I did my job. I was cautious on the court, still scared. Afterward, I just prayed, ‘Lord, please keep me safe from that kind of injury.’ Once the game was over, I felt relieved and tired, but also thankful.”
Myla Pablo for the win! #PVL2025 | @LanceAgcaoilINQ pic.twitter.com/GRezrXX9cE
— INQUIRER Sports (@INQUIRERSports) April 1, 2025
Tested by the never-say-die Flying Titans, the Angels needed to score eight straight points to erase a 15-21 fourth-set deficit and stayed composed through a lengthy ball in/out video challenge, which was deemed inconclusive due to Pablo’s shoe and the linesman’s flag obstructing the camera angles.
Choco Mucho saved two match points but Pablo came to the rescue, hitting two consecutive kills to give Petro Gazz a 2-0 record in the semifinals.
Determined to redeem herself after committing costly attack errors in their Game 1 loss to ZUS Coffee in the quarterfinals, Pablo was eager to deliver for her team and asked Djanel Cheng for the ball in the crucial moments, even after being blocked by Royse Tubino, which tied the set at 25.
Petro Gazz Angels’ Myla Pablo during the PVL All-Filipino Conference semifinals against Choco Mucho Flying Titans. –MARLO CUETO/INQUIRER.net
“I asked Cheng, ‘Cheng, I’ll make up for it, give me another chance.’ What’s great about Cheng is the trust she has in us, even during crucial moments,” she said.
“I learned a lot from those tight situations, especially against ZUS. I thought, ‘Here I am again, in the same position.’ So, I told myself we really needed to win this in four sets. On the court, we kept communicating—if I’m hitting, someone will cover me. That trust within the team really worked for us.”
READ: PVL: Myla Pablo not just stronger, but also smarter now
Petro Gazz Japanese coach Koji Tsuzurabara lauded Pablo for showing her killer instinct and putting the Angels on the verge of returning to the finals for the first time in two years.
“Myla improved mentally. She used to have a lot of spikes that went out or into the net. Now, we worked on the mental side. She showed a good mindset,” Tsuzurabara said.
The former league MVP also dominated the front line with five kill blocks along with the opposite spiker Aiza Maizo-Pontillas, who had a perfect 4-of-4 in blocking.
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“If I can’t score on offense or receive, I focus on blocking. There’s always something else to do on the court. I think I helped Brooke a lot—she was working on both offense and defense, while I concentrated on blocking. Nang (Aiza) also stepped up with four blocks. Even though Remy wasn’t playing, we showed maturity and leadership on the court, and I think that made the difference,” Pablo said.
Pablo and the Angels aim to sweep the semifinal round against the Akari Chargers on Thursday at Smart Araneta Coliseum.
