Despite Petro Gazz’s tough loss to Taipower in her international debut, Gia Day cherished the opportunity to represent the Angels in the AVC Women's Champions League.
Gia Day’s international debut for the Petro Gazz Angels in the 2025 AVC Women’s Champions League did not go as many expected.
Day delivered an impressive 18-point outing built on 16 kills, a block, and an ace. However, her strong performance wasn’t enough to lift the Angels past Taiwan’s Kaohsiung Taipower, as the newly-crowned PVL All-Filipino champions absorbed a tough 15-25, 16-25, 25-19, 20-25 loss in their Pool B opener.
Despite the result, the American spiker remained upbeat, choosing to focus on the lessons learned from facing world-class competition.
“This is actually my first international tournament, so I’m really excited to play against different styles and also see so many different ways volleyball is played,” Day said during the post-game press conference.
“Like Brooke [Van Sickle] said, the teams in this tournament are really good at playing together and finding their rhythm, so I think that’s something we can learn from and be excited about.”
The road to the AVC wasn’t the smoothest for Day and her new teammates, as the Angels had little time to develop chemistry before the tournament began. But that didn’t stop the 6-foot hitter from feeling right at home.
“We only had two and a half practices together — and one of those was just a serve-and-pass session,” Day shared. “But I’m really thankful to the girls for welcoming me so well. Brooke, MJ [Phillips], and all the local girls made me feel really loved and supported.”
“I don’t feel too much pressure — aside from what I put on myself — and I know I can help even more once we build more rhythm,” she added.
[ALSO READ: No championship hangover for Petro Gazz even after AVC defeat, says Brooke Van Sickle]
Above all, Day walked away from her AVC debut reminded of the importance of staying present. especially in the heat of high-level competition.
“My biggest takeaway is just to be in the moment together. To enjoy it point by point,” she said. “Coach kept reminding us, and Rem [Palma], our captain, kept saying the same thing — to stay in the moment and focus on the next point.”
Petro Gazz will be out to clinch the second quarterfinal slot from Pool B when they take on Hong Kong’s Hip Hing Tuesday at 7:00 p.m.