Petro Gazz coaches split ways

With the PVL Reinforced Conference title wrapped up, Petro Gazz head coach Rald Ricafort and assistant coach Arnold Laniod will now go their separate ways when the UAAP men’s indoor volleyball season begins in late January or early February. Ricafort will coach UP and Laniod, La Salle. But they’ll be back together for the PVL Open Conference next year.

Winning the Reinforced Conference crown was destiny for Petro Gazz considering the Angels never beat hot favorite Creamline and F2 but made it to the finals via the quotient system.

Laniod was Petro Gazz’ head coach when the Angels took the 2019 Reinforced title. Ricafort took over this conference with Laniod sliding to an assistant’s role. From scouting to tactical planning to in-game adjustments, Ricafort and Laniod worked together smoothly. Because of the pandemic, the PVL cancelled the Reinforced Conference the last two years so Petro Gazz has won it back-to-back. This year’s competition was more challenging as the two major volleyball leagues had merged and only one import was allowed each team from two in 2019.

Angels’ Fil-Am stonewall MJ Phillips, voted the Best Middle Blocker, said she never imagined playing in a never-wracking finals where Petro Gazz clinched Game 1 over Cignal HD in a sweep and took a 37-35 decision in the third set. “I thought it would never end,” said Phillips who’s been in Manila since last April away from her family in Los Angeles. Phillips’ relatives in Zambales made her feel at home by staying in touch. Angels’ setter Djanel Cheng was on the 2019 and this year’s champion teams so victory couldn’t be sweeter. Cheng’s sister Des plays for Choco Mucho and although they share the same room at home, it’s all business on the court. In the elims, Petro blanked Choco Mucho, 3-0 with Djanel delivering 19 excellent sets and Des, 13 excellent digs and 13 receptions.

It was only after Creamline yielded two sets to Chery Tiggo in the last match of the semifinals that Petro Gazz formalized its finals entry. Creamline, Petro Gazz and Cignal finished with identical 2-1 records but the Angels and HD Spikers advanced via the quotient system. When the Angels got the gift from heaven by threading the eye of the needle to book a finals ticket, Ricafort said he knew the championship was in the bag.