Veteran spiker Myla Pablo has been bending over backward as her resurgence led Petro Gazz to the 2024-25 Premier Volleyball League All-Filipino Conference finals.
Pablo was a two-way threat during the semifinals, displaying her attacking prowess backed by steady blocking to help her team return to the championship round for the first time in two years.
Behind her solid performance, the Angels completed a three-game sweep of the round robin semifinals to forge a best-of-three championship series against five-peat-seeking Creamline.
The two-time Most Valuable Player wreaked havoc at the frontline with five kill blocks to finish with 13 markers as Petro Gazz beat Choco Mucho 24-26, 25-18, 25-17, 27-25 for a second straight semis win last Tuesday at the Philsports Arena.
Two days later, Pablo uncorked a game-high 16 points anchored on 11 kills, four kill blocks and an ace in the Angels’ finals-clinching 25-22, 25-20, 25-18 victory over Akari at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.
Returning to the finals in a Petro Gazz uniform for the first time since playing a relief role in the 2022 Reinforced Conference culminated the 31-year-old hitter’s rebirth.
Pablo expressed gratitude for the trust given to her by Japanese coach Koji Tsuzurabara and the unending support of her teammates led by Brooke Van Sickle, whom she dedicated their finals run.
"Sobrang happy nga po na nasa finals na kami. Hindi lang naman ako 'yung nagta-trabaho. Halos lahat din kami, nagsstep-up, pati 'yung mga subs namin, sina Nang (Aiza Maizo-Pontillas), sina (Djanel) Cheng, gumawa rin." said Pablo.
"Sabi ko nga, kung bibigyan ako ng opportunity ni coach to play, ba’t hahayaan ko pa na mawala kaya binigay ko 'yung best ko at kinailangan kong tulungan si Brooke sa opensa at blocking. Happy rin ako sa mga setters na binibigyan ako ng kumpiyansa sa loob ng court."
For her solid semifinal showing, Pablo earned the last PVL Press Corps Player of the Week presented by Pilipinas Live of the season for the period of April 1 to 3.
The Tarlac-native earned her second Player of the Week this conference after besting her teammate Van Sickle and Creamline aces Bernadeth Pons and Pangs Panaga for the weekly plum deliberated by print and online reporters covering the six-month tourney.
Pablo and the rest of the Angels now face the daunting task of dragging reigning four-time champion Cool Smashers off the throne for a breakthrough all-local crown after winning it all in the 2019 and 2022 editions of the import-laden conferences.
"Sabi nga ni ate Chie (Saet), iba pa rin talaga pag All-Filipino. Kapag Reinforced kasi, hindi lang naman sa import 'yung gumagawa, pero sa All-Filipino kasi, lahat yan, tulong-tulong as a team hanggang sa makuha yung Finals." Pablo said.
"Sabi nga ni coach Koji, hindi lang 100 percent. 200 percent talaga. Nasa finals na kami, ba’t bibitawan pa namin?"
Game 1 of the finals will commence on Tuesday at the Big Dome and will be streamed live and on-demand via the Pilipinas Live app and on www.pvl.ph.
