Tsuzurabara, Petro Gazz part ways

Japanese coach Koji Tsuzurabara has parted ways with Petro Gazz just months after steering the club to a breakthrough Premier Volleyball League (PVL) All-Filipino Conference title conquest.

Tsuzurabara has posted his farewells on his Facebook account, hinting at an end of more than a year of calling the shots for the Angels.

The 60-year-old mentor posted a picture himself and Petro Gazz program head Oliver Almadro expressing gratitude for hooking him up with the franchise for a head coaching gig.

“When I won the 2025 PVL All Filipino, I received so many congratulatory messages. And now that I’m leaving the team, I’m getting even more emails asking ‘why?'” Tsuzurabara wrote on his post on Sunday.

“In the midst of all this, I had a chat with my friend, Coach O. I’ve been friends with him since 2018. It was Coach O who recommended me to this year’s PGA. He was very kind to me and was a great understanding friend of mine. I’m so grateful.”

Tsuzurabara declined to divulge the reason for his departure pending the official statement from Petro Gazz.

Tsuzurabara replaced Timmy Sto. Tomas in the 2024 season and helped Petro Gazz win bronze in the AFC. The Angels finished sixth in the Reinforced Conference but bounced back big time in the six-month-long 2025 AFC at the expense of the dethroned Creamline behind the Filipino-American duo of two-time Most Valuable Player Brooke Van Sickle and MJ Phillips last April.

Petro Gazz also ruled the Philippine National Volleyball Federation Champions League last year.  

The Angels, however, are struggling in the PVL On Tour sans national team members Van Sickle and Phillips.

Petro Gazz lost three of its first four games in Pool A. The Angels will travel to Candon City in Ilocos Sur for its last preliminary round match against Choco Mucho.