Petro Gazz taps ex-Oregon star

Petro Gazz will be parading Lindsey Vander Weide when the Premier Volleyball League opens its Reinforced Conference in October.

The Angels made the announcement, saying that the 24-year-old former Oregon University spiker will be their reinforcement in the season-ending conference.

Weide, the 6-foot-3 outside hitter, is the first import to get formally hired by clubs in the lone professional women's volleyball league in the country.

She played for the AEK Athens in Greece as well as in Hungary and France following a fruitful collegiate stint for the Ducks in the US National Collegiate Athletic Association.

She was the Best Outside Hitter in the Pac-12 Conference and won the same award during her professional campaign in Hungary.

But tough task awaits Weide in the PVL.

Petro Gazz, after all, is the reigning champion in the import-flavored conference after American Janissa Johnson and Cuban Wilma Salas steered it to the title over Venezuelan Aleoscar Blanco and Thai Kuttika Kaewpin of Creamline to the title in 2019.

The league, however, didn't hold the import-laced tourney for two years due to the pandemic.

"Our newest Angel has landed here in Manila," Petro Gazz said in a social media post.

"Let's all welcome, Oregon University alumni, Lindsey Vander Weide."

Weide will join a solid Petro Gazz side that is powered by veterans Aiza Maizo-Pontillas, MJ Phillips, Remy Palma and Gretchel Soltones under head coach Jerry Yee.

The Angels, however, finished sixth in the previous Invitational Conference with a forgettable 2-4 win-loss card.