Petro Gazz's campaign in the 2022 Premier Volleyball League had been a rollercoaster ride of emotions.

From absorbing a heartbreak in the championship to missing the Final Four before eventually hoisting another title, the season was quite a memorable experience for the Angels and their fans.

The Reinforced Conference – the season-ending tournament – was a real-life fairytale written by a team that faced adversities and challenges head-on.

Head coach Rald Ricafort shared that his team's willingness to work together, listen and take to heart his instructions, good chemistry and unquestionable determination to achieve a common goal were crucial.

"We're thankful because most of our players are like a sponge – they absorb everything. They follow our instructions. We're very grateful for their trust and they work as a team. Everyone's willing to do their respective roles and very receptive to instructions," he said.

But the Angels took a long and bumpy road before pulling it off.

Petro Gazz entered the import-laden conference, staged for the first time since the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic, as the defending champion but went under the radar as the focus was on the fancied Creamline squad's bid for a grand slam.

Returning F2 Logistics also took the spotlight as it brought in a familiar foreign guest player along with crowd-drawing Choco Mucho, back-to-back bronze medalist Cignal, PLDT as well as newcomer Akari with a young and talented roster backed by an Olympian import.

The Angels had some changes with Ricafort taking the coaching reins while tapping American Lindsey Vander Weide with former imports American Janisa Johnson and Cuban Wilma Salas – who were instrumental in their 2019 title run – unavailable.

In the eliminations, Petro Gazz was driving behind the shadows of Creamline and Chery Tiggo, squads many felt were meant to meet in the finals.