CEBU CITY — Alpha Insurance made an emphatic introduction to the bigger stage, stunning the star-studded Savouge in five sets, 25-22, 19-25, 26-24, 22-25, 16-14, to open the Spikers’ Turf Invitational Conference on Saturday at the SM Seaside Cebu Arena here.
It was an action-packed opener, with the Protectors outlasting the Spin Doctors in a thrilling finish—a fitting start to a new format designed to give the country’s premier men’s volleyball league a bigger share of the spotlight in its 10th season.
Under the new setup, the Spikers’ Turf will share the spotlight with the Premier Volleyball League, with select men’s matches scheduled between women’s games on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays, alongside separate playdates on Wednesdays and Sundays.
Alpha Insurance made the most of its moment, holding its nerve in a tense fifth set to stun one of the conference’s most talent-laden teams and begin its campaign on a high note before a record crowd of 13,180 fans.
“Mahirap kasi ang lalim din ng bench nila. Kahit sino puwedeng hugutin ni Coach Sydney (Calderon), talagang magpo-produce. Talagang nahirapan kami. Kudos sa team nila kasi ang hirap nilang kalaban,” said Protectors head coach Mike Santos.
“Kahit naman sino, good start ang gusto. Actually, hindi nga kami good start—great start kasi hindi biro ‘yung kalaban namin. Silver medalist ‘yan, lumaban ng championship nung nakaraan at meron pa silang additional players. Hindi sila madaling talunin,” he added.
After allowing the match to slip away in the fourth set, Alpha Insurance faced another late-game challenge in the decider. Trailing 10-12, the Protectors clawed their way back as Reymark Betco and Axel Van Book spearheaded a 4-1 run to put them on the brink of victory at 14-13.
Mark Calado briefly halted the rally with an off-the-block hit to tie the score at 14-all. However, Dan Nicolas’ costly service error gave Alpha Insurance another opportunity before EJ Casaña slammed the door shut with a massive rejection on Kyle Villamor to seal the thrilling win.
The Protectors’ response in the decider proved crucial after they failed to close out the match in the fourth set. Showing composure under pressure, they finished the job and pulled off an opening-day upset against a stacked Spin Doctors squad.
Book finished with 21 points, while Betco added 20 to lead Alpha Insurance, which seized the early lead in the standings.
The Protectors also drew solid contributions from Vince Himzon, Jetlee Gopio, Rocky Motol, and Barbie San Andres, who scored nine points apiece, while Ranz Cajolo chipped in seven markers in the two-hour, 16-minute victory.
Casaña dished out 24 excellent sets to go with four points, while rookie libero Lance De Castro impressed in his Spikers’ Turf debut, recording 26 excellent receptions and 16 excellent digs.
On the other side, Calado led Savouge with 18 points on 14 attacks, three blocks, and one ace. Ramirez and Villamor contributed 14 and 10 points, respectively.
Rikko Marmeto tallied 29 excellent receptions and 11 excellent digs for the Spin Doctors, while Cian Silang recorded 20 excellent sets against his former team.
Alpha Insurance will look to sustain its winning momentum against the winner of the National University-Far Eastern University V-League Finals matchup on October 22, while Savouge seeks a bounce-back victory against defending champion Criss Cross on October 21.
