Spin Doctors Near Finals After Thrilling 4-Set Comeback Against Cabstars

Savouge elevated its game after a narrow first-set loss, defeating AEP Cabstars 25-27, 25-15, 25-19, 25-16, and moved one step closer to a spot in the 2026 Spikers’ Turf Open Conference Finals on Friday at the Filoil Centre in San Juan.

With the win, the Spin Doctors remain undefeated in the round-robin semifinals, holding a 2-0 record, and are now just one victory away from completing a perfect sweep of their three-game series.

Savouge now turns its attention to the Criss Cross-Alpha Insurance match, which was still in progress at the time of publishing. If the King Crunchers win, the Spin Doctors will secure their first-ever Finals appearance in franchise history.

"We stuck to our system, and I reminded the team to be ready for their drop balls and to anticipate the spikers’ approach on the other side. In the second set, we adjusted. I told them we couldn’t just rely on the drop balls; we needed to put more pressure on them. After that, everything fell into place," said Savouge head coach Sydney Calderon.

The Spin Doctors were on the verge of taking the opening set, leading 24-22, but allowed a 5-1 run from Nas Gwaza, Jay Rack Dela Noche, and EJ Casaña, who rallied the Cabstars to a 27-25 win.

However, Savouge bounced back in dominant fashion, winning the second set 25-15, and didn’t look back from there.

Vince Imperial played a pivotal role in the fourth set, contributing early scoring bursts to help the Spin Doctors establish a 14-9 lead, eventually clinching the match after 1 hour and 44 minutes.

Savouge's net defense proved overwhelming, with 23 blocks to AEP's six.

"Blocking is a key focus in our training. I have specific drills for it, especially since we didn’t perform as well in the eliminations. We wanted to improve in the semifinals, and it showed," Calderon shared.

Mark Calado led Savouge with 28 points, including 23 attacks and five blocks. JP Bugaoan added 16 points, with nine attacks and seven blocks. Louie Ramirez contributed 13 points, while Rikko Marmeto stood out with 21 excellent receptions and seven digs on 10 attempts.

Regardless of the outcome in the Criss Cross-Alpha Insurance match, the Spin Doctors will take on the Protectors on Sunday at 5 p.m. at the same venue.

The Cabstars, despite their loss, remain in Finals contention at 1-1 but must defeat Criss Cross on Sunday at 3 p.m. to keep their hopes alive.

Dela Noche led the Cabstars with 18 points, while Jared Schnake, who had 23 points in his previous game, was limited to 13 points on 13-of-41 attacking.