Van Sickle finds motivation in Cignal's upset loss to Galeries

MANILA, Philippines — With Galeries pulling the biggest upset in the history of the Premier Volleyball League (PVL) as it took down the tough Cignal side — this sent out a message to top teams.

Reigning Most Valuable Player (MVP) Brooke Van Sickle expressed how this event led the team to keep their sheer focus in facing the 11th-seeded Capital1 in the qualification level.

"That game was awesome to watch. Both teams came fighting. I thought Galeries had excellent defense. They were able to transition the ball very well that game. Congrats to them for winning. In a way, it was a wake-up call," she told the press.

Petro Gazz prevailed over Capital1 in a sweep, 25-19, 25-23, 25-21, to secure its playoff ticket.

"Now, every game really matters. It's a do-or-die situation right now. To be able to have 10 games (wins) is good for confidence. But we can't relax. It doesn't matter at this point. There are still more games ahead. We just have to keep pushing and improving. It's a long journey still," she added.

Knowing what happened last Thursday, Van Sickle shared that there is no room for complacency and made sure not to waste their advantage in the qualification round.

The Filipino-American hitter led the Angels with 19 points on 15 attacks, two blocks and an ace.

"It was a reminder that it's anyone's game. It's the tournament now. It's top six, bottom six, whatever the tournament is. Now, again, like how I said, it's a do-or-die situation. We have to take every point seriously and every team seriously."

With the Solar Spikers aiming to upset the Angels, Van Sickle acknowledged the challenge.

"Everyone's going to be fighting. Everyone wants to win. It's just who has the more disciplined fight and who's on. It's going to be a battle."

Capital1 banked on Leila Cruz's 16-point outing and Jorelle Singh's 10-point scoring, but it was not enough to conquer the prowess of Van Sickle, Myla Pablo, and MJ Philipps.

Philipps and Pablo chipped in 17 and 12 points, respectively.