Reporting note: this article draws on tiebreakertimes.com.ph; LodiScore provides the summary and editorial framing.
3B evened its record at 1-1 in the 2026 Spikers' Turf Invitational Conference with a 25-18, 25-12, 23-25, 25-21 victory over the Armed Forces of the Philippines on Wednesday at the Filoil EcoOil Centre. The result gives the Event Masters their first 3B Spikers' Turf win of the campaign and drops the Cavaliers to 0-2.
Harry Ocay again carried the heaviest scoring load, finishing with 21 points built on 18 attacks, two aces and one block, plus 15 excellent receptions. Unlike the season opener, the support around him arrived on schedule.
Ocay's 21 Points Anchor the 3B Spikers' Turf Win
Ocay had produced 23 points in 3B's 25-21, 15-25, 22-25, 16-25 loss to ClearSkiiin, a performance that stood out mostly because so little came with it. Against AFP, the Jose Rizal University standout was one option in a functioning attack rather than the only one.
"My mindset was just that I need to help my team, and I need to come in, defend, and kill the ball," Ocay said.
The numbers behind that quote are modest but telling: 15 excellent receptions alongside the scoring output meant Ocay stayed in the rally after the serve, not just at the end of it.
Berdal and Castaneda Give 3B a Second Scoring Route
Carl Berdal supplied 19 points and 16 excellent receptions, while Christhian Olaes and Ralph Cabalsa added 12 points apiece across nearly two hours of play. Dominic Castaneda distributed 21 excellent sets, spreading the attack widely enough that AFP could not load up on one pin.
Joemar Naife and Joshua Datu anchored the floor defense with 10 and nine excellent digs respectively. The Event Masters finished with a 63-48 advantage in attacks, a margin that explains the outcome more clearly than the four-set scoreline does.
Head coach Arjay Francisco said the third set slipped because he deliberately changed his personnel. "I told my players, this is one team we can beat, so let's work on it," he said. "In the third set they caught up because we put in the reserves so they could at least experience the live court. In the fourth set we reset again, we brought back our real starters, so we got the win."
AFP Falls to 0-2 Despite Abdilla's 26 Points
AFP absorbed its second straight defeat. Ranran Abdilla, who sat out the Cavaliers' opening loss to defending champion Criss Cross, led all scorers with 26 points on 24 attacks, one ace and one block, and added 11 excellent receptions.
Herald Domingo chipped in 10 points, while Edwin Tolentino and Kevin Liberato contributed eight apiece. The veteran side shook off a sluggish start to take the third frame and pushed the fourth to 25-21, but could not close the gap created in the first two sets.
Sunday Tests for Both Sides
3B returns to the same venue on Sunday at 1 p.m. against the Savouge Spin Doctors, with a second consecutive win on the line. AFP faces AEP-Cabstars at the same time, still searching for a first victory in the conference.
For the Event Masters, the question is whether the balance shown against AFP holds when the opposition is stronger. Ocay's scoring has been consistent across two matches; the supporting cast has not yet been tested twice.
This report is based on the original coverage by tiebreakertimes.com.ph.
