Spin Doctors Extend Streak to Four, Beat Cabstars to End Elims on High

Savouge ended its elimination round on a strong note, claiming its fourth straight win with a four-set victory over fellow semifinalist AEP-Cabstars, 25-21, 23-25, 25-20, 25-21, in the 2026 Spikers’ Turf Open Conference on Friday at the Paco Arena.

Despite being without Louie Ramirez and head coach Sydney Calderon, the second-ranked Spin Doctors split the first two sets with the Cabstars—who were also missing Jared Schnake and Vince Abrot—before dominating the final two sets to finish the eliminations with an 8-2 record.

“It’s been a great experience for us in both the first and second rounds. We’ve been addressing the issues we faced in our previous losses, and now we’re starting to fix them,” said assistant coach Macky Cariño.

“We’re working on everything, because after Holy Week, the semifinals will be a whole different ball game. We need to polish what we’ve been doing to be fully prepared,” he added.

In Ramirez’s absence, the offensive trio of Mark Calado, Shawie Caritativo, and JP Bugaoan stepped up to lead the charge, each contributing double-digit points to stabilize Savouge’s offense during key moments.

Calado topped the team with 16 points, 15 of which came from attacks. Caritativo nearly recorded a triple-double, finishing with 15 points, 26 excellent receptions, and nine excellent digs. Veteran middle blocker Bugaoan also made his mark, registering 14 points, including nine attacks and five of the team’s 11 kill blocks in the 1-hour, 41-minute match.

JM Paglaon set up the offense with 19 excellent sets and added two points, while Louis Gamban contributed eight points, and Joeven Dela Vega chipped in with seven.

On the other side, AEP-Cabstars finished the elimination round with a 5-5 record, securing fourth place.

Jay Rack De La Noche led the Cabstars with 23 points, including 21 attacks and two kill blocks, shouldering much of the offensive load in the absence of Schnake and Abrot. Nas Gwaza added 11 points, while Michael Doria contributed 10 points.

EJ Casana set up the Cabstars’ offense with 27 excellent sets and added two kill blocks, while Vince Lorenzo anchored the defense with 25 excellent receptions and eight excellent digs, despite the loss.