November 29, 2025 | 12:00am
MANILA, Philippines — Kung papanig ang kapalaran ay may tsansa si Lindsey Vander Weide ng Petro Gazz na maging kauna-unahang import sa kasaysayan ng Premier Volleyball League (PVL) na nagwagi ng dalawang korona.
Iginiya ni Vander Weide ang Gazz Angels sa finals ng 2025 PVL Reinforced Conference matapos talunin ang Akari Chargers, 25-19, 25-17, 15-25, 22-25, 15-13, sa knockout semifinals noong Huwebes.
Ito ang pang-pitong finals appearance ng Petro Gazz na hangad ang ikaapat na gold medal.
Nagreyna ang Gazz Angels noong 2019 at 2022 PVL Reinforced Conference at noong 2024 All-Filipino Conference.
Noong 2022 ipinarada ng Petro Gazz si Vander Weide na nagresulta ng kanilang kampeonato.
“It’s been awesome. I said if I ever came back to the Philippines, it would be with Petro Gazz again, and I’m just so happy that I did,” sabi ng 28-anyos na American hitter.
Isa si veteran libero Bangs Pineda sa mga nakasama niya sa 2022 champion team.
“It’s a lot of the same girls as it was back in 2022. And I said on the very first day I got here, I looked at Bang and said, ‘Let’s run it back,’” ani Vander Weide kay Pineda na naglaro ng dalawang taon sa Nxled bago bumalik sa Petro Gazz ngayong taon.
Wala na sa dating tropa sina Djanel Cheng, Aiza Maizo at Remy Palma.
Ngunit katuwang ngayon ni Vander Weide ang kanyang college teammate na si Brooke Van Sickle bukod kina Myla Pablo, Fil-Am MJ Phillips, Jonah Sabete at rookie setter Jules Tolentino.
“Yeah, it’s a different lineup than in 2022. But the players who aren’t starting can step in at any moment. We have incredible depth and experience,” ani Vander Weide.
Makakatapat ng Petro Gazz ang ZUS Coffee sa gold medal match sa Linggo sa Smart Araneta Coliseum.
Sinapawan ng Thunderbelles ang PLDT High Speed Hitters, 25-22, 28-26, 25-22, papasok sa kauna-unahan nilang finals stint.