Savouge fended off Japanese guest team KondohGumi Hyogo’s brave stand in the third set as the Spin Doctors pulled off a 25-16, 25-19, 34-32 victory to wheel back into contention in the semifinal round of the 2024 Spikers’ Turf Invitational Conference semifinals on Friday at the Filoil EcoOil Centre.
The Spin Doctors rebounded from their straight-set loss to the powerhouse Cignal HD Spikers in the semis opener last Wednesday, fashioning out the victory in 88 minutes as shutout wins marked the first four games of the round-robin semis among five teams.
Despite securing the victory, Calderon expressed frustration over his team’s recurring tendency to become complacent when ahead.
“Actually, lumalabas na naman ‘yung ugali ng team ko na masyadong complacent kapag lamang. Akala nila tapos na pero hindi pa naman 25. Sabi ko kanina sa last timeout, ginusto niyo yan kailangan niyo yan habulin (Actually, my team’s habit of being too complacent when leading came out again. They think it’s over even though it’s not yet 25 points. During the last timeout, I told them, ‘You wanted this, now you have to chase it).” said Calderon.
The Hyogo-based squad reached set point first in the third set, 24-22, but consecutive errors gave the Spin Doctors a lifeline to stay in the match.
What followed was a nail-biting exchange of volleys – and mishits and miscues – as both teams fought off multiple match points in a tense back-and-forth battle. The Spin Doctors missed their chances to close out the set but managed to survive a few set points from the Japanese team.
Savouge leaned on critical plays from Shawie Caritativo, Giles Torres, JD Diwa and Hero Austria, while KondohGumi relied on Seishiro Nakata, Kaito Onomichi, and Ryouma Kakimoto to keep them in contention during the pressure-filled stretch.
With Hyogo holding set point at 32-31, Caritativo delivered a clutch through-the-block hit to tie the score. Torres then followed up with a crucial block on Takaya Akamatu, propelling Savouge to match point.
The Spin Doctors finally sealed the win when Nakata’s attack error ended the extended third set, much to Calderon’s relief.
Calderon earlier implored her players to wrap things up quickly. Despite securing a 3-0 sweep, the victory wasn’t as straightforward as Calderon had hoped.
“Tapusin nyo na, gusto ko ng umuwi. Wala pa akong tulog,” Calderon said in jest – or perhaps half-seriously – as her team struggled to close out the match.
Torres led Savouge with 14 points on 12 attacks and two blocks, Caritativo tallied 13 points in two sets and finished with nine excellent receptions, while Renzel Antonio added 11 markers.
The victory thus put Savouge back in the finals race after its loss to Cignal last Wednesday. However, another challenge looms as the Spin Doctors prepare to face the red-hot Criss Cross side on Wednesday, in what promises to be another grueling test of their mettle.
Onomichi paced Hyogo with 15 points, eight excellent receptions, and four digs.
KondohGumi, a selection of university players from Hyogo, will next face Philippine collegiate team FEU-DN Steel, also on Sunday.
