Ageless Aiza makes heads turn

Aiza Maizo-Pontillas made a lot of heads turn after displaying a vintage performance for Petro Gazz in the semifinals of the Premier Volleyball League All-Filipino Conference late Tuesday at the Philsports Arena.

The 36-year-old Maizo-Pontillas did a lot of damage at the attack zone to lead the Angels to a 20-25, 25-21, 25-15, 25-16 victory over Chery Tiggo in their first semis encounter.

She finished with 15 attacks and three blocks for an 18-point effort that energized her teammates, especially in the third and fourth sets in which they completely buried the Crossovers.

“She’s a legend for a reason,” Petro Gazz middle blocker MJ Phillips said, adding that Maizo-Pontillas remains a force to be reckoned with despite the emergence of younger, more aggressive attackers.

Brooke Van Sickle agreed, saying that Maizo-Pontillas leadership both inside and outside the court was their biggest advantage as they seek to go deep into the playoffs.

“She’s a fantastic player, and like, everybody looks up to her kind of like a mom figure,” Van Sickle, who also showed finishing with 21 points from 18 attacks and an ace, including 12 digs and eight excellent receptions against the Crossovers, said.

“She takes care of everyone on and off the court, so I’m grateful to be teammates with her.”

Van Sickle, however, added that the job is far from over as they brace for more intense battles against elite teams like Creamline and the rising Choco Mucho.

“This is my first semis, but I definitely know that points and sets play a factor in how the finals go and things like that,” Van Sickle said.

“It’s gonna be a tough, tough battle. It’s gonna be down to the point, down to the, you know. We just have to make sure that we continue to focus on our side and take care of business.”

Phillips, who dropped 16 points despite playing only her second game this conference, stressed that they are competing with fire in their eyes under the leadership and guidance of Japanese coach Koji Tsuzurabara.

“I mean, we’re just very aware of the situation in the semis, with each team trying to push us against the wall. So, our mentality is always to be aggressive, no matter what, and not let them score first,” Phillips said.