Protectors End Skid with Sweep of Griffins, Set Sights on Semis

Alpha Insurance secured a dominant victory to snap their two-game losing streak, sweeping winless VNS Always Bright Laticrete in straight sets, 25-21, 25-12, 25-15, in the final match of the 2026 Spikers’ Turf Open Conference elimination round on Friday at the Paco Arena.

With the win, the Protectors finished the elimination round in third place with a 5-5 record and 16 points, tightening the competition for semifinal spots. They now await the result of the 5 p.m. match between fellow semifinalists Savouge and AEP-Cabstars, which will decide the final seeding.

“This win is really important to boost the players' morale. The good thing is, the semifinals are round-robin, so we still have a good chance,” said Alpha Insurance head coach Mike Santos.

“In the huddle earlier, I reminded them that we came from a loss, so we had to give our best to build momentum heading into the semis, and they responded well,” he added.

Cian Silang led the way for Alpha Insurance in the 1-hour-and-6-minute victory, finishing with 22 excellent sets and three points, giving the Protectors a strong boost as they head into the round-robin semifinals of the tournament organized by Sports Vision.

Nathaniel Del Pilar delivered his best performance of the conference, contributing 13 points on a solid 10-of-15 attacking record, along with two kill blocks and an ace to lead the offense for Alpha Insurance.

Ranz Cajolo made the most of his starting opportunity, adding 12 points, including three of the team’s seven kill blocks, while Jau Umandal came off the bench to chip in 11 points, helping to round out the Protectors’ well-balanced attack.

Despite the return of their star spiker, CJ Segui, who rejoined the team in their previous loss to Criss Cross, the Griffins couldn’t avoid a winless campaign. Segui still managed a team-high 10 points along with nine excellent receptions in the match.

Jun Frank Edang also stepped up for the Griffins, contributing eight points in a supporting role during the loss.