Mark Calado and Giles Torres delivered as Savouge overcame a slow start, the loss of key player Sherwin Caritativo due to injury, and a determined challenge from VNS-Laticrete to carve out a 21-25, 25-15, 26-24, 25-22 victory in the Spikers’ Turf Open Conference at the Rizal Memorial Coliseum on Wednesday.
The Spin Doctors had to dig deep, erasing a five-point deficit in the pivotal third set and pulling through in the clutch to seize control of a match that was far different from their previous dominant victory over VNS.
This time, the young and fearless Griffins came out with relentless energy, seizing the momentum from the Spin Doctors’ lineup experiment to claim the opening set and push their battle-tested opponents to the limit.
Calado fired a game-high 30 points on 26 attacks, three kill blocks and an ace, while Torres dropped 21 points on 11 attacks, six kill blocks and four aces for the Spin Doctors, who missed the services of Caritativo in the fourth due to an ankle injury.
Caritativo suffered an injury after a bad landing and did not return, momentarily disrupting Savouge’s offensive rhythm. Sensing an opportunity, the Griffins surged ahead, even holding a 16-11 lead at the second technical timeout.
However, Savouge regrouped and leaned on Calado’s brilliance to shift momentum. The explosive hitter spearheaded the fightback on his way to a scintillating 32-point performance, proving to be the difference-maker when it mattered most.
“I told my teammates in the third set, when we were trailing, that every point must be earned, and we had to stay composed and fight for each one,” said Calado in Filipino. “We found our rhythm, gained consistency, and took the set – and eventually, the match.”
Savouge found itself in yet another nail-biting battle late in the fourth set, squandering a slim two-point lead as VNS’s Jayvee Sumagaysay stuffed Charlee Magpayo at the net, followed by an illegal back-row attack call on Calado.
With the pressure mounting, Hero Austria stepped up in place of Caritativo, delivering back-to-back points before Renzel Antonio denied KC Culabat at the net. This crucial 3-0 surge gave the Spin Doctors a commanding 23-20 advantage.
VNS fought back as Bryan Jaleco found a way off the block, momentarily halting Savouge’s momentum. However, Torres responded with a quick attack, bringing his team to match point. Rash Nursiddik’s slide attack kept the Griffins’ hopes alive for one more rally, but Austria sealed the one-hour, 44-minute victory with a decisive cross-court kill.
Savouge experimented with its starting lineup early on but struggled to find rhythm, prompting head coach Sydney Calderon to revert to her usual rotation. The adjustment proved effective, fueling a dominant second-set performance and a hard-fought win in the extended third.
Despite the victory, Calderon pointed to unforced errors as a major hurdle in the opening set.
“I constantly remind the team that errors are within our control. We gave away the first set with around nine or ten errors,” Calderon explained, noting that Savouge tallied a total of 27 miscues in the match.
“But in the second set, we only had four errors—that’s a huge adjustment from my team. It all comes down to controlling mistakes. Skill-wise, they played well,” she added.
Antonio contributed eight points, while Austria provided a spark off the bench with seven. JC Enarciso orchestrated the offense with 15 excellent sets, while Rikko Marmeto anchored the floor defense with 15 excellent receptions and nine digs.
One more win on Friday will secure Savouge the bronze medal, but with VNS showing remarkable resilience, the Spin Doctors know they’ll need to bring their best to finish the job.
Jaleco led the way for VNS with 15 points on 12 attacks and three kill blocks, while CJ Segui had 14 points and 13 excellent receptions.
Culabat added 11 points, eight excellent digs, and 11 excellent receptions for the Griffins.
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