Petro Gazz crushes Hip Hing to clinch AVC quarterfinal berth

Petro Gazz reignited its campaign in the 2025 AVC Women’s Champions League with a commanding straight-sets victory over Hong Kong’s Hip Hing, 25-8, 25-12, 25-12, on Tuesday, April 22, at the Philsports Arena in Pasig City.

The win not only marked their first in the tournament but also secured them the final quarterfinal berth, setting up a high-stakes clash with Chinese powerhouse Beijing Baic Motor.

After dropping their opening match to Pool B leader Kaohsiung Taipower in four sets (15-25, 16-25, 25-19, 20-25), the Angels bounced back in emphatic fashion, delivering a near-flawless performance against the winless Hong Kong side. 

From the first whistle, Petro Gazz established its dominance, allowing Hip Hing no room to build momentum during the swift one-hour, 13-minute match.

The Angels were firing from all cylinders, with American import Gia Day leading the charge with 18 attack points, along with eight digs and three receptions. 

MJ Phillips contributed nine points off seven attacks, a block, and an ace, while Brooke Van Sickle chipped in a solid eight points in the team’s most fluid and confident outing so far.

Petro Gazz’s offensive arsenal was on full display, outclassing Hip Hing with a 46-9 edge in attack points. In total, eight different players contributed to the scoresheet, reflecting the team’s depth and cohesion. 

Meanwhile, Hip Hing struggled to generate rhythm, with their top scorers combining for just 10 points. A large chunk of their scoring—19 points—came from Petro Gazz’s unforced errors.

Head coach Koji Tsuzurabara credited the team’s improved performance to a collective shift in energy and better on-court chemistry, particularly highlighting Remy Palma’s impact and the enhanced connection between setters and attackers. 

“Everyone had a good performance,” he noted. “So with Rem [Palma], I expected a lot. So maybe I expected a change in atmosphere. So, she had a good performance.”

“They [Gia Day and Brooke van Sickle] also were good. I think maybe, 70 percent more towards the setter. Yesterday’s game, maybe 5 percent. But today’s better than yesterday,” he added.

Day echoed the team’s renewed focus, saying the key was simply enjoying the game, “I think this was a great game to find our rhythm as a team, to have fun, and enjoy each other’s play. We really just enjoyed every point, and that was the difference between today and yesterday. We could have given ourselves so much pressure, but we decided to really have fun."

The dominant victory advanced Petro Gazz to the crossover quarterfinals where they will face Pool A’s top seed, Beijing Baic Motor, a team that swept its preliminary matches against VTV Binh Dien Long An and Saipa Tehran. That match is set for Thursday, April 24, at 7:00 PM.