Kaohsiung Taipower broke away from a tight fourth-set battle with a relentless offensive surge, quashing Petro Gazz’s hopes of a comeback and clinching a 25-15, 25-16, 19-25, 25-20 victory to advance to the quarterfinals of the AVC Women’s Volleyball Champions League at the Philsports Arena on Monday, April 21.

Just nine days after celebrating their breakthrough Premier Volleyball League All-Filipino title, the Angels struggled to find their rhythm against the seasoned nine-time Top Volleyball League champions, who leaned on the consistent firepower of 21-year-old outside hitter Hsu Wan-Yun and 23-year-old wing spiker Tsai Yu-Chun to dominate.

The Taiwanese dismantled the Angels’ confidence early, taking the first two sets with clinical precision. Though Petro Gazz mounted a spirited third-set rally to avoid a sweep, Taipower recovered midway in the fourth, closing the door with a powerful finishing run to top Pool B.

The victory followed Taipower’s 25-10, 25-16, 25-14 demolition of Hong Kong’s Hip Hing on Sunday, setting them up for a quarterfinal showdown against the No. 2 team from Pool C in the knockout rounds.

In contrast, the Angels, fresh off their historic PVL title, looked like a shadow of their championship form and struggled to integrate new American import Gia Day.

Day showed promise early and during the third set, but her influence waned under pressure. Fellow import Brooke Van Sickle also attempted to spark a comeback, but her efforts couldn’t lift the Angels past the dominant Taiwanese squad.

Petro Gazz must now regroup for a must-win match against Hong Kong’s Hip Hing on Tuesday to keep their quarterfinal hopes alive.

The Angels saved two match points—first with a Van Sickle crosscourt hammer and then with a well-placed serve by Remy Palma—but a long serve by Palma sealed the match in one hour and 44 minutes.

“I was a little nervous because before, I was just a player, but I am a coach now. I trust my players to deliver in this game,” said Taipower head coach Chang Li-Yun, who once played under Petro Gazz tactician Koji Tsuzurabara in the Chinese Taipei national team.

The Angels avoided a sweep with a late surge in Set 3, punctuated by a Joy Dacoron quick and a Van Sickle ace. In the fourth, they forced an 8-all tie but faded as Taipower unleashed an 11-3 run. Peng Yu-Rou and Hu Xiao-Pei struck from the middle before a series of errors from Day and Palma closed the door on Petro Gazz’s comeback.

Hsu finished with 18 points on 16 attacks, plus 14 digs and three receptions. Peng and Tsai added 11 and 10 points, respectively. Team captain Huang Ching Hsuan chipped in nine points, while Hu and Lin Cai-Zhen added eight apiece.

Should the Angels advance, they will face Beijing Baic Motor—the Pool C leader—as their quarterfinal opponent. Baic Motor previously swept Vietnam’s VTV Binh Dien Long An and Iran’s Saipa Tehran.

Despite the loss, Day impressed in her debut with 18 points and eight digs, while Van Sickle had 13 points and eight digs. MJ Phillips added nine points, and Aiza Maizo-Pontillas contributed eight.