In a match delayed for over three hours because of the rain, the Petro Gazz Angels recovered from a second set loss to take down Black Mamba-Army, 25-19, 22-25, 25-20, 25-21, Sunday at the PCV Socio-Civic Cultural Center in Bacarra, Ilocos Norte.
Their win gave Petro Gazz a share of the lead in the Premier Volleyball League Open Conference along with Creamline and Chery Tiggo, both winners on Saturday.
But the Angels had to wait a while before securing their victory.
The game was stopped at 4:36 p.m. as rains caused slippery spots on the floor, and play only resumed around 8:00 p.m.
The Angels already had a 1-0 lead and a 4-1 advantage in the second set, but the Lady Troopers rallied to claim the victory in the second frame behind veterans Jovelyn Gonzaga, Royse Tubino, and Nerissa Bautista.
Petro Gazz regained its bearings in the third set, and in the fourth frame they displayed their poise in weathering the Lady Troopers' rally.
A Gonzaga hit had put Black Mamba-Army within one point, 21-20, but hits by Grethcel Soltones as well as miscues by Tubino allowed the Angels to secure the victory.
"Siyempre lahat naman ng team, gusto manalo kasi first game," said Ria Meneses, who anchored Petro Gazz's net defense and finished with 16 points including a whopping nine kill blocks. "Nagsunod-sunod na lang siya."
Soltones finished with 18 points to lead Petro Gazz's attack, while veteran Myla Pablo had 16 points on 14 kills and two blocks.
Gonzaga finished with 17 markers for Army, while Joanne Bunag scored 14 points and Tubino contributed 13 markers.
The PVL resumes on Monday afternoon with a two-game bill.
Chery Tiggo, coming off a straight sets victory over PLDT on Saturday, will take on Cignal HD at 6:00 p.m. A victory will give them the solo lead early in the conference.
At 3:00 p.m., Sta. Lucia and PLDT will face off, with both teams looking to bounce back from losses on Saturday.