Alpha Insurance finally broke through in the Spikers’ Turf Open Conference, sweeping an undermanned PGJC-Navy side, 25-21, 26-24, 25-19 to close out its first-round eliminations campaign on a high note at the Filoil EcoOil Centre in San Juan on Wednesday.
It marked the Protectors’ first victory after a tough start with four consecutive losses. While they took advantage of the Sealions’ depleted lineup, the straight-set triumph reflected the team’s determination to make an impact in the league organized by Sports Vision.
“Fortunately, we saw that Navy was really lacking in manpower. Some of their players couldn’t play due to school and work commitments,” said Alpha Insurance head coach Mike Santos in Filipino, who previously served as Navy’s interim head coach in the Invitational Conference.
Despite that, Santos credited his team’s growth and ability to learn from past losses as key to their breakthrough win.
“Our previous matches against strong teams like Cignal, Criss Cross, and Savouge helped us gain valuable experience. We even gave VNS a tough fight,” added Santos.
Vincent Nadera led the way for the Protectors with 17 points on 15 attacks and two kill blocks. Edward Camponsano and JJ Javelona provided strong support with 15 and 14 points, respectively, while also tallying 11 excellent receptions each.
Setter Jerome Lopez orchestrated the offense with 16 excellent sets in the one-hour, 23-minute match, while Neil Manato anchored the defense with 11 excellent digs. The team also displayed composure in edging out Navy in a tight second set.
Riding on this victory, the Protectors will need to step up their game as they take on the formidable Criss Cross King Crunchers at the start of the second round of elims on Sunday at 1 p.m. at the Ynares Sports Arena in Pasig.
The loss was a major setback for PGJC-Navy, which dropped into a tie with Alpha Insurance at 1-4. The Sealions were further weakened by the absence of veterans Greg Dolor, Omar Lioc and Marvin Hairami, who were pulled out for training related to their promotions. Additionally, Joeven Dela Vega was ruled out of the tournament due to illness.
Despite the adversity, John Ashley Jacob stepped up for Navy with 10 points, including nine attacks, while Jeric Carangian and Peter Quiel contributed eight and seven points, respectively. The team remains hopeful that their key players will return later in the tournament.
Navy looks to bounce back when they face Savouge on Sunday at 6 p.m.
