As the Premier Volleyball League (PVL) All-Filipino Conference heads into the playoffs, Petro Gazz attacker Brooke Van Sickle credits her usual routine as a key factor in maintaining peak performance.
Van Sickle, the reigning Most Valuable Player who delivered a stellar 17-point performance in Petro Gazz’s victory over Nxled, 19-25, 14-25, 17-25, late Thursday, emphasized the importance of discipline and consistency in her preparation.
“I think it’s good to have a routine. I feel like that’s very important in life,” Van Sickle told the DAILY TRIBUNE in a conversation.
She said her day starts with a familiar breakfast.
“I eat pancakes every morning,” said Van Sickle with a chuckle.
“I have a specific routine. I have pancakes every day and coffee. Every single meal prep. That’s all I eat before games.”
Beyond fueling up with her staple breakfast, Van Sickle takes time to relax, watch anime, and talk to her parents before shifting into game mode, proving that physical and mental preparation is the key to having a sizzling performance.
“I would say, first, the most important thing is taking care of our bodies,” Van Sickle said.
“We’ve dealt with a lot of injuries this past season, and, you know, I’m really proud of my team. It doesn’t matter who it is, they’re stepping up in those positions that we need, especially when people are out.”
On the other hand, her recovery routine includes ice baths, foam rolling, and ensuring she gets at least eight and a half hours of sleep at night.
“I love sleeping. So I would say, yeah, I just try to prioritize just how I feel,” she said.
“If something happens outside of volleyball or maybe I’m not feeling super hot that day, I try to make sure that I’m not showing that or I try to mask it when I’m around my teammates, because when it’s in the gym, you’re supposed to leave everything outside and get to work.”
With their dominant performance, the Angels were able to close their preliminaries on a nine-game winning streak, finishing with a 10-1 win-loss record to claim the No. 2 seed.
“I thought this past preliminaries was a good turnout for us. But at the end of the day, playoffs, it’s basically like a blank slate. We’re going to restart,” Van Sickle said, bracing for yet another crucial battle against dangerous Capital1 in the playoffs.