Lindsey Vander Weide has been battling illness the past few days. However, it didn’t look like that when she led the Petro Gazz Angels against the Akari Chargers in the PVL Reinforced Conference.
When the going got tough, Petro Gazz leaned on Lindsey Vander Weide.
She didn’t let her team down.
Vander Weide salvaged the Angels from the jaws of defeat, firing 22 points in the 29-27, 25-22, 19-25, 17-25, 15-11 thriller against the Akari Charger in the PVL Reinforced Conference Thursday, Oct. 23.
While PVL MVP Brooke Van Sickle kept the team ahead, it was Vander Weide who made the world of difference in the homestretch when the Chargers threatened to turn the tables, dropping the last three points for the win.
This despite Vander Weide not feeling at full strength entering Thursday’s match at the FilOil EcoOil Arena in San Juan.
“I’m not feeling good to be honest. But I was worse the last two days so I knew when I woke up and I was at least feeling decent that I was a hundred percent gonna play today no matter what,” she said.
“I wasn’t sure how great I was gonna do. I think I could have done a little bit better but for how I’m feeling right now, I’m happy that we won.”
Van Sickle turned in 19 points, all on attacks as the Angels rose to a 3-1 win-loss record in Pool B.
MJ Phillips chimed in with 13 points, while Myla Pablo added 12.
Petro Gazz actually raced off to a sizling start, breezing through the first two sets behind a prolific showing from Van Sickle.
But just when the Angels though they already set up a sweep, the Chargers refused to just roll over and die.
Akari was its usual self the next three sets, with Annie Mitchem leading the late run that spiced up what initially looked like a clinic for Petro Gazz.
Mitchem went off for 30 points, none bigger than the pair of off-the-block swings that put Akari behind by a whisker, 10-11.
But the Akari reinforcement was also quick to put those efforts down the drain after going for a supposedly sharp cross court hit that went straight into the net.
Vander Weide capitalized on that and made sure the Angeles would completely shut the door on the Chargers.
“It was really a team win. At the end of the day, we pointed out I don’t love how we played in third and fourth set. But the fact that we still won in five after losing the momentum showed what we can do as a team,” Vander Weide said.
Fifi Sharma had 18 points, while Eli Soyud and Ced Domingo added 14 and 13 points for the Chargers, who got their first taste of a loss in three games.
(With reports from Jamie Velasco)
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Like most sportswriters, Jan Ballesteros once dreamed of becoming a professional hooper. But he learned the hard way that it’s not for everyone.
He continues to be involved in the sport he loves, but this time as a member of the PBA Press Corps. Aside from primarily covering the PBA, he is also assigned to cover Gilas Pilipinas.