Savouge sweep FEU, and suddenly the Spin Doctors look like a different team. They took down Far Eastern University-DN Steel 25-23, 25-18, 25-19 on Wednesday at the FilOil Centre in the Spikers' Turf Invitational Conference.
That's two wins on the bounce for Savouge, which evened its record at 2-2 after opening the conference 0-2. The whole thing took one hour and 21 minutes.
Savouge sweep FEU and pull away late in each set
The opener was the tight one. Joeven Dela Vega denied Amet Bituin at the net to push Savouge to a 24-22 edge, Doula Ndongala answered for the Tamaraws, then Dela Vega closed the frame with a kill, 25-23.
Set two flipped after a 9-all tie. Savouge ripped off a 10-3 run capped by JP Bugaoan's block on Joshua Idong, stretching the lead to 19-12, and Muhamed Diop's attack fell short to seal it 25-18.
FEU made one last push in the third. Kyle Tandoc denied Dela Vega at the net to trim the gap to 18-17, but Savouge responded with a 7-2 closing run finished by Bugaoan's back-row attack, 25-19.
Mark Calado and Jared Schnake carry the load
Calado led the Spin Doctors with 17 points, all of them from attacks. Schnake added 12 on nine attacks and three blocks, giving the pair a combined 29-point night.
"Our confidence will be boosted again," Calado said. "Our wins keep coming, and it's better to fight in the next games coming off a win than a loss."
Head coach Sydney Calderon framed the result as recovery more than revenge, and made clear the team treated this one as non-negotiable.
"This win is a big help for us because it's a recovery for us … though emotionally, those first two losses were a waste," Calderon said. "In the third game we were starting to find our rhythm, and in this fourth one we really went all-out, because this is a must-win for Savouge — this is what dictates whether we reach the semifinals, and we're gauging the team's outcome."
VNS Laticrete Griffins up next for Savouge
Savouge goes for a third straight win on Sunday against the VNS Laticrete Griffins at 5:00 p.m. at the FilOil EcoOil Centre.
Ndongala the lone bright spot for FEU-DN Steel
Ndongala was the only Tamaraw in double figures, tallying 12 points on nine attacks and three blocks. Kyle Tandoc and Charles Absin chipped in eight points apiece as FEU absorbed its second consecutive defeat.
FEU gets a shot at a reset on Sunday against the ClearSkin UV Smashers at 1:00 p.m., also at the FilOil Centre.
The original report comes from tiebreakertimes.com.ph.
