Brooke braces for Creamline’s onslaught

Reigning Most Valuable Player Brooke Van Sickle knows what she and Petro Gazz will be up against when they shoot for the Premier Volleyball League All-Filipino Conference crown on Tuesday.

Pitted against the league’s heavyweight Creamline in a best-of-three series at the Smart Araneta Coliseum, Van Sickle feels she needs to be strong mentally even after the Angels’ swept their semifinal matchup with Akari.

Like Petro Gazz, Creamline, made up of a galaxy of stars, also flashed its fangs when it smashed Choco Mucho to book a finals date.

“They’re a winning team and they’re always in the finals,” Van Sickle said.

“I’m gearing up already — kind of mentally preparing for that rematch,” she stressed.

The upcoming title showdown marks the fifth time Petro Gazz and Creamline will battle for the championship. But for Van Sickle, it will be a personal first.

“I know for a fact that if we do end up facing them again, it’s going to be a tough series. They’re a super hungry team, and we’re going to have to fight and prepare with a strong mind.”

Van Sickle joined Petro Gazz only recently, in 2024, and made her debut in February of that year, but she has already made a huge impact — something even her Creamline rivals are quick to acknowledge.

“After so many conferences, Brooke has adjusted very well to the system and discipline of her team,” Creamline ace Alyssa Valdez said.

The Filipino-American winger may be a newcomer to this storied rivalry, but she might just be the game changer.

“We can all see that she (Brooke Van Sickle) is fitted in well and is in sync with the system — that’s why their movement is so fluid and smooth,” she added.

Valdez, who is aiming to lead Creamline to a seventh consecutive finals appearance, knows each championship series presents a new challenge.

“It’s a different challenge every finals. After a long time of being here, it’s good that we continue to face different tests,” she said with a smile.

“And Brooke — welcome to the Finals.”