The VNS-Laticrete Griffins manage to stay alive in the race for the last Spikers' Turf Open Conference semifinals spot by eliminating the PGJC-Navy Sealions.
VNS-Laticrete overcame its struggles with inconsistency to eliminate an undermanned PGJC-Navy squad, securing a decisive 25-23, 25-19, 25-19 victory in the 2025 Spikers’ Turf Open Conference at the Filoil EcoOil Centre in San Juan on Friday.
The Griffins improved to 2-6, tying with Alpha Insurance Protectors for fourth place.
Alpha Insurance had earlier fallen to the Savouge Spin Doctors, keeping the race for the final semis berth alive. The first three semifinal spots have already been claimed by the Criss Cross King Crunchers (7-0), Cignal HD Spikers (6-1), and the Spin Doctors (5-3).
VNS' victory thus set the stage for a high-stakes showdown against Alpha Insurance tomorrow (Sunday), with the winner securing a critical advantage in the race for the final semis berth.
Meanwhile, PGJC-Navy (1-7) is officially out of contention, with only two playdates remaining in the double-round eliminations of the tournament organized by Sports Vision and supported by Arena Plus and Mikasa.
“We need to win against Alpha. This match is extremely important, so we have to bring our best game. Our team has been inconsistent – we have moments where we play really well, but then we drop off. We just have to be consistent all throughout,” said VNS-Laticrete head coach Ralph Ocampo in Filipino.
After losing steam in the opening set, PGJC-Navy looked poised for a comeback in the second, surging to a 19-15 lead. However, the Sealions failed to score another point as RK Medino, Jayvee Sumagaysay and CJ Segui combined for 10 straight points, giving VNS a commanding 2-0 set lead.
The Sealions kept the third set competitive but struggled to sustain their momentum, particularly due to a lack of depth in their lineup. The Griffins took advantage with another late surge to seal the 77-minute victory.
Player of the Game Segui led VNS-Laticrete with 17 points on an efficient 16-of-28 attacking clip, while also contributing 10 excellent receptions.
Medino, a 16-year-old spiker, was a revelation, delivering 14 points on 10 attacks, three blocks, and an ace.
Meanwhile, Kenneth Culabat chipped in 11 points, 13 digs and nine receptions.
Peter Quiel tallied 15 points off 10 spikes and five blocks for Navy, while Jack Kalingking also made an impact with 21 receptions and 10 digs.
With key players Greg Dolor and Joeven dela Vega missing in action, PGJC-Navy struggled to keep up. Even if they win their remaining matches, the maximum points they can accumulate is eight, which is not enough to stay in the semis race.