Wilma Salas of the Petro God’s Angels in the PVL Reinforced Conference. –MARLO CUETO/INQUIRER.net
MANILA, Philippines — Wilma Salas and Petro Gaz are gearing up for a tough quarterfinal matchup against 2019 finals rival Creamline in the 2024 PVL Reinforced Conference.
The showdown scheduled for Tuesday is a rematch of the 2019 Enhanced Conference Final between the Angels and Kool Smashers, with this time the Cuban returnee looking to extend the Petro Gaz dynasty and score a win for his late teammate Janisa Johnson.
“In the cream line, a lot of people are waiting for this fight. It’s difficult, but we go to court to fight. We go to court for anything. [confidence] With young players [after a slow start]”It was a great win,” Salas said after beating Cherry Tigo 25-20, 25-16, 25-12 on Thursday to clinch sixth place with 21 points.
Schedule: 2024 PVL Reinforced Conference Quarterfinals
Creamline finished third in the preliminary round with a 6-2 record despite being without three players – Totz Carlos, Alyssa Valdes and Gemma Galanza – while Petro Gaz overcame a 1-3 start to reel off four straight wins on their way to the quarterfinals.
“We go onto the court to compete. We always go onto the court with a smile on our face and to have fun,” said Salas, who scored a total of 74 points, including a career-high 40 points in a win over PLDT last week.
“I think this is always going to be the key for Petro Gaz to win. [a game]And now we know that the last part is more important. We are going to give it our all in this second round and beyond.”
This was Petro Gaz’s first win of 2019, and the former Best Foreign Guest Player believes the PVL has changed dramatically, with talented foreign and local players improving the quality of the game.
Read: PVL: ‘Solidarity’ is what inspires Wilma Salas in Petro Gaz’s comeback
“In 2019, [another] Good imports [Janisa]”But I think the imports are better this year, that’s the difference. I think they’re going to be harder to beat,” Salas said.
Petro Gaz will have a different lineup than its 2019 squad, with only Jonah Sabete, Janelle Chen and Ivy Perez remaining, while coach Koji Tudzurabara will be mentoring MVP Brooke Van Sickle, Remy Palma, Ethan Arce, Myra Pablo and Aisa Maizo Pontillas.
But Salas’ goal remains the same: to win a third consecutive reinforcement championship for Petro Gaz for Johnson.
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“This meeting is a special one dedicated to Janisa. Sometimes it feels like she is in court. I feel her support. [for] “Team. So we’re going to be on the court to win for Janisa,” she said.
