While living dream, Van Sickle takes Angels along for the ride
It’s been almost a full year now since Brooke Van Sickle decided to relocate and take her volleyball talents to the land of her mother’s birth.
She has had no regrets, with the Filipino American hitter seeing this opportunity as the chance to live a dream.
“I [always] loved volleyball, and I feel like playing here, I found a different kind of love for volleyball,” Van Sickle said in appreciation of being Petro Gazz’s top gun. “Now, I feel like I enjoy it more.
“Back when I was in college, I feel like I didn’t have as much fun as I’m having now,” she went on. “So it’s like a different kind of love. This is my dream job.”
“I can confidently say [that] ‘Yeah, playing in the PVL [is] fantastic and to be able to have this opportunity is, I’m privileged to be able to have it and I’m so grateful,’” Van Sickle said as Petro Gazz heads into the new year at the top of the standings with a 5-1 slate.
“Playing here and being here is just amazing, and everyone’s so nice and wonderful here,” she added. “This is everything I dreamed of. So I’m very excited to see what [2025] has or what comes.”
Two-time MVP
Van Sickle, who already has MVP awards from the PNVF and PVL, recognizes that it took some time for the Angels to adjust to her arrival together with new Japanese mentor Koji Tsuzurabara. But with what the team has so far achieved in terms of elevating its game, Petro Gazz has become a consistent title contender.
After things headed south in the Reinforced Conference, Petro Gazz is using this All-Filipino to right the ship again.
“Life happens and sometimes you’re going to win, sometimes you’re not,” she said. “And I feel like the biggest lessons you can learn is to be able to pick yourself up from when you’re down and be able to build that grit and that determination.
“And if it doesn’t go well, then just brush it off and continue to stay optimistic,” she went on. “And I feel like we’re doing a really good job of that.”
