Flying like an angel

Jules Tolentino kept her fingers crossed when Petro Gazz took its turn to pick the second to the last aspirant to be called on stage in the first round of the annual Premier Volleyball League (PVL) Draft.

She’s been praying all night during the tense proceedings to be selected by the Angels.

Wish granted. Petro Gazz took her in as the 11th overall pick.

Fittingly dressed in white, Tolentino was given her wings as an Angel and was warmly welcomed by team captain Remy Palma, ace spiker Myla Pablo and team manager Cha Cruz-Behag.

“I feel like, yeah, I’m in the right team,” the 22-year-old setter said during her interview in the DAILY TRIBUNE’s weekly sports show, Off the Court, recently.

Little did she know that she would turn into a vital cog for Petro Gazz.

Big role

In the high-octane world of the PVL, where veterans command the floor and every point is a battle of wills, a rookie playmaker is often expected to wait in the wings.

But for the De La Salle University product, the script was written differently.

When the Angels hoisted the shiny 2025 PVL Reinforced Conference championship trophy last November, the young setter stood at the center of the celebration — no longer just a draft pick with a dream, but a fundamental piece of a title-winning machine.

It was a journey that began with a prayer and ended with the confetti of a “super surreal” professional breakthrough.

“Even before the drafting night, I tried to manifest that Petro Gazz would pick me. I prayed, ‘Lord, please let Petro Gazz pick me.’ When it happened, I was so grateful. Also, to my coaches and Ates, I’m very thankful to them for being patient with me, and that really helped my confidence,” she said.

For a freshman, stepping into a room full of established stars and champion veterans with the likes of Pablo, three-time Most Valuable Player Brooke Van Sickle, MJ Phillips and setters Chie Saet and Djanel Cheng could have been intimidating.

Instead, Tolentino saw it as an opportunity to be a sponge.

“I’m very thankful (to the Petro Gazz management). I had no expectations (coming into the team),” she admitted.

“I just tried to work for my keep. And I’m just thankful that the trust they have given me boosted my confidence, especially since it’s just my first year with the team,” added the only selection by Petro Gazz in the last Draft.

Setting a standard

Playing alongside champion playmakers in veterans Saet and Cheng has been a luxury for Tolentino.

For her, having “Mama Chie” and “Achi Djanel” has helped her in bridging the gap from being a newbie to a pro-ready offense facilitator.

Her seniors weren’t just teammates but mentors.

“Mama Chie and Achi Djanel helped me a lot, especially with reading opponents’ tendencies. Since I’m new to the league, their feedback was really important. I tried to absorb everything they told me,” she said.

“Playing alongside champion playmakers has been a luxury,” Tolentino added.

“They teach me more about the technical side — about where the ball should go and how to identify sets to get high-percentage attacks. Everything is still new to me, but with their help, it further developed my growth.”

Beyond the tactical board, the veterans provided the emotional anchor Tolentino needed when the bright lights of the PVL started to feel a bit too hot.

“Most of the time I still come up to them and they usually tell me, ‘Just breathe and relax.’ When I get rattled, it affects my decision-making,” she shared.

“So, hearing them say, ‘Chill and don’t overthink,’ really helped me personally.”

Champion playmaker

Expectations were high for the Angels when they brought back American reinforcement Lindsey Vander Weide to reclaim the crown it lost last season.

The Angels’ campaign was shaky but still managed to get through to the playoffs.

Tolentino got her first taste of a high-stakes game when the Petro Gazz collided with then-defending champion Creamline in the knockout quarterfinal.

She held her own against the Cool Smashers’ decorated setter Kyle Negrito as the Angels advanced to the semifinal — a collision course with last season’s runner-up Akari.

Tolentino passed a test of character and will, steering Petro Gazz to a thrilling five-set escape to advance in the final against a young and hungry ZUS Coffee side.

The Thunderbelles, led by their high-scoring American import Anna DeBeer, drew first blood in the championship match.

As the sets grew tighter and the pressure mounted, Tolentino found herself at a crossroads.

“At the start of the first set, I really felt the pressure and I was nervous,” Tolentino recalled.

“But I realized that as the setter, I’m the center of the team. If I panic, everyone else will panic, too. Even though I’m a rookie, I knew the hitters were counting on me.”

It was here that head coach Gary Van Sickle played a pivotal role. He recognized that Tolentino’s biggest hurdle wasn’t her decision-making, but her heart.

“He kept reminding me to be confident. Sometimes that’s what I lack, especially in close moments,” she noted.

“He told me to stay composed because I’m the one driving the team. That really helped.”

The result? A composed performance that belied her years.

Petro Gazz changed the complexion of the match by taking the extended second set before finishing off ZUS Coffee in the next two frames, 21-25, 28-26, 25-23, 25-20, for its third import-laden title and second of the year after annexing a breakthrough All-Filipino Conference crown.

Tolentino began her year with a silver-medal finish in her swan song as a Lady Spiker in the University Athletic Association of the Philippines (UAAP) and ended it as a champion in the pros.

“It’s super surreal,” she said, beaming.

“It’s my first championship ever in the pro league. My year started with a second-place finish and ended as a champion. It’s a huge confidence booster.”

Winning culture

What makes Petro Gazz a perennial contender isn’t just the talent on the roster, but a standard of excellence that Tolentino quickly learned to respect.

“I think it’s the culture. My Ates have high standards, not just with the team but also on themselves,” Tolentino explained.

“I feel like no matter how many or how big the challenges are, my Ates can handle all of it. I think time and experience made them stronger. We face adversities together as a team.”

For Tolentino, the journey from a hopeful draftee to a champion setter is a testament to the power of manifestation, hard work, and the humility to learn from those who paved the way.

She didn’t just join a team; she joined a sisterhood that pushed her to realize her potential under the most intense pressure imaginable.

“I just thought that I must not waste the opportunity given to me,” she concluded.

As Petro Gazz looks toward defending its AFC crown beginning next month, it will rely on a young setter who has proven she can handle the heat.

The rookie jitters are gone, replaced by the calm, calculated confidence of a champion.

Tolentino is no longer just “a rookie pick.”

She is the future of the Petro Gazz offense — and she’s just getting started.