Jonah Sabete couldn’t hide her joy as Petro Gazz’s years of hard work finally paid off with the Angels' first PVL All-Filipino crown.
Jonah Sabete couldn't help but savor the sweet reality of finally achieving what once felt out of reach: a PVL All-Filipino Conference title.
The 5-foot-7 winger couldn’t help but laugh as she echoed the now-viral meme on social media: “Step by the step namin, biglang sumakses.”
And true enough, that’s exactly how it felt for the Petro Gazz Angels, who finally broke through with their first-ever All-Filipino championship after years of heartbreak, including two previous runner-up finishes against Creamline.
“Actually, sobrang saya namin, syempre first time. Ilang beses na kaming nasa championship— twice, All-Filipino—ngayon yung step by the step namin, biglang sumakses,” Sabete said during the championship press conference.
[ALSO READ: A look back: The four other times Creamline and Petro Gazz clashed for the PVL crown]
Sabete was still beaming after the Angels' stunning four-set win over the Cool Smashers in Game 3, 25-21, 25-16, 23-25, 25-19, on Saturday night at the PhilSports Arena.
It was sweet vindication for the 31-year-old spiker, who delivered 16 crucial points in the title-clinching win.
A long-time Petro Gazz mainstay, Sabete has been with the club since its formation in 2019, save for short stints with F2 Logistics in the PSL and Sta. Lucia during the PVL’s maiden pro season in 2021, before returning home in 2022.
Asked what made the difference this time, especially after falling short in Game 3 of the 2023 Finals against the same team, Sabete kept it simple.
“Kasi maglalaro lang talaga ako eh, ‘yun lang ‘yung goal ko. Pero binigay din talaga ni Lord sa amin ito,” said Sabete.
“Sobrang proud ako sa teammates ko, at sinabi rin namin na ilaban na namin ito na parang walang bukas, para kahit papaano makuha namin yung championship at ma-feel din yung All-Filipino championship.”
[ALSO READ: MJ Phillips, Jonah Sabete fuel Petro Gazz's 2025 PVL title push with lessons from 2023 heartbreak]
And this time, Petro Gazz’s efforts—step by step— finally paid off.