Giles Torres of Savouge in action against VNS-Laticrete in the bronze medal match of the 2025 Spikers' Turf Open Conference, April 2, 2025 at the Rizal Memorial Coliseum. PVL Media

MANILA -- Savouge overcame a slow start and the loss of a key player en route to a four-set triumph against VNS-Laticrete, which brought them closer to a podium finish in the 2025 Spikers' Turf Open Conference on Wednesday.

The Spin Doctors hacked out a tough 21-25, 25-15, 26-24, 25-22 triumph against the Griffins at the Rizal Memorial Coliseum in the first game of the series for the bronze medal.

Savouge had beaten VNS comfortably in their first two encounters, including in the semifinals. But the Griffins came out firing this time around, pouncing on the Spin Doctors' line-up experiment to seize the opening set before pushing their opponents to the limit.

READ: Savouge turns back VNS anew ahead of bronze medal series

Mark Calado fired a game-high 30 points on 26 attacks, three kill blocks and an ace, while Giles Torres dropped 21 points on 11 attacks, six kill blocks and four aces for the Spin Doctors, who missed the services of Sherwin Caritativo in the fourth due to an ankle injury.

Caritativo suffered an injury after a bad landing and did not return, momentarily disrupting Savouge's offensive rhythm. Sensing an opportunity, the Griffins surged ahead, even holding a 16-11 lead at the second technical timeout.

However, Savouge regrouped and leaned on Calado's brilliance to shift momentum.

"I told my teammates in the third set, when we were trailing, that every point must be earned, and we had to stay composed and fight for each one," said Calado in Filipino. "We found our rhythm, gained consistency, and took the set – and eventually, the match."

Savouge found itself in yet another nail-biting battle late in the fourth set, squandering a slim two-point lead as VNS's Jayvee Sumagaysay stuffed Charlee Magpayo at the net, followed by an illegal back-row attack call on Calado.

With the pressure mounting, Hero Austria stepped up in place of Caritativo, delivering back-to-back points before Renzel Antonio denied KC Culabat at the net. This crucial 3-0 surge gave the Spin Doctors a commanding 23-20 advantage.

VNS fought back as Bryan Jaleco found a way off the block, momentarily halting Savouge's momentum. However, Torres responded with a quick attack, bringing his team to match point. Rash Nursiddik's slide attack kept the Griffins' hopes alive for one more rally, but Austria sealed the one-hour, 44-minute victory with a decisive cross-court kill.

Savouge celebrates a point against VNS-Laticrete in the bronze medal match of the 2025 Spikers' Turf Open Conference, April 2, 2025 at the Rizal Memorial Coliseum. PVL Media

Savouge experimented with its starting lineup early on but struggled to find rhythm, prompting head coach Sydney Calderon to revert to her usual rotation. The adjustment proved effective, fueling a dominant second-set performance and a hard-fought win in the extended third.

"I constantly remind the team that errors are within our control. We gave away the first set with around nine or ten errors," Calderon explained, noting that Savouge tallied a total of 27 miscues in the match.

"But in the second set, we only had four errors—that's a huge adjustment from my team. It all comes down to controlling mistakes. Skill-wise, they played well," she added.

Antonio contributed eight points, while Austria provided a spark off the bench with seven. JC Enarciso orchestrated the offense with 15 excellent sets, while Rikko Marmeto anchored the floor defense with 15 excellent receptions and nine digs.

One more win on Friday will secure Savouge the bronze medal.

Jaleco led the way for VNS with 15 points on 12 attacks and three kill blocks, while CJ Segui had 14 points and 13 excellent receptions. Culabat added 11 points, eight excellent digs, and 11 excellent receptions for the Griffins.