Alpha Insurance leaned on a balanced offensive attack to sweep newcomer AEP-Cabstars, 25-23, 25-18, 25-20, securing a strong start in the 2026 Spikers’ Turf Open Conference on Wednesday at the Filoil Centre.
The Protectors battled through a tight opening set against the Cabstars before finding their rhythm and cruising through the next two frames, finishing the match in an hour and 20 minutes on the opening day of the tournament organized by Sports Vision.
(C) Spikers Turf Images
“Actually, nagkagulo nung first set kasi hindi rin namin alam ‘yung igagalaw talaga ng Cabstars. Fortunately, ‘yung ginamit ko nung first set ‘yung original lineup namin so kahit papaano na-control namin,” said Alpha Insurance head coach Mike Santos.
JM Ronquillo, who transferred to the squad along with Jau Umandal and Cian Silang following Cignal’s decision to take a leave of absence for this conference, quickly proved his worth, tallying a team-high 12 points on 11 attacks and one kill block off the bench for the Protectors.
Edward Camposano contributed nine points in just two sets, while Ranz Cajolo and Rommelito added seven and six points, respectively. Billie Anima and Umandal chipped in five points apiece.
Alpha Insurance dominated the attacking department, 43-32, and capitalized on the Cabstars’ 25 errors to gain a crucial momentum boost ahead of its clash with Invitational Conference champion Criss Cross in the tournament, which is also supported by Black Mamba, Alpha Insurance, Arena Plus, and Premiere EMS.
The Protectors will face the King Crunchers on Friday at 5 p.m. at the same venue.
(C) Spikers Turf Images
Meanwhile, the Cabstars showed flashes of promise early in the match but faltered in the later sets as errors piled up, ultimately falling short against the more composed Alpha Insurance.
Jay Rack De La Noche and Vince Abrot, both former Super Spikers, led the team in scoring with 14 and 13 points, respectively.
Fellow ex-Cignal standouts EJ Casana and Vince Lorenzo also made their presence felt on both ends of the floor. Casana dished out 14 excellent sets, added four points, and recorded three excellent digs, while Lorenzo anchored the defense with 18 excellent receptions.
The Cabstars will look to bounce back when they face VNS VNS Always Bright Laticrete on Friday at 3 p.m.
