Tsuzurabara bids Petro Gazz sayonara

Petro Gazz heads to a new direction without the mentor who steered the franchise to a first-ever Premier Volleyball League (PVL) All-Filipino Conference championship.

Japanese coach Koji Tsuzurabara turned to social media to announce his departure from the team just three months after the Angels’ season-opening title conquest.

“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 last Sunday.

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

“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.”

Petro Gazz has yet to make an official statement on the shocking development as of press time.

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 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.

Petro Gazz also found success outside of the PVL, having won the Philippine National Volleyball Federation Champions League crown last year.

However, with Alas Pilipinas members Van Sickle and Phillips out due to national team duties, the Angels have been struggling in the ongoing PVL On Tour.

Petro Gazz lost three of its first four games in Pool A, missing its chance of claiming an outright quarterfinals seat. Only the top two teams in each pool will advance directly to the quarters while the No. 3 to No. 6 teams will play in a knockout match for a Last 8 seat.

PLDT and Nxled are on top of Pool A with unbeaten 3-0 win-loss slates.

The Angels will travel to Candon City in Ilocos Sur for its last preliminary round match against Choco Mucho, which also sports a 1-3 mark.