Leo Aringo delivered his best performance of the tournament to power AEP-Cabstars past the Armed Forces of the Philippines, 26-28, 25-20, 25-17, 25-18, overcoming Ranran Abdilla’s explosive 37-point outing to claim its first win in the 2026 Spikers’ Turf Invitational Conference on Sunday at the Filoil EcoOil Centre.
Aringo spearheaded the Cabstars’ fightback with a team-high 23 points on 22 attacks and one block. On the other hand, Abdilla erupted for 37 points and 16 excellent receptions in a losing effort for the Cavaliers.
The Cabstars appeared poised for a strong start after taking a 24-21 lead in the opening set, only for Abdilla to spark a late rally and snatch the frame away from AEP-Cabstars.
Refusing to let the narrow setback derail their momentum, the Cabstars regrouped and took control of the match. They dominated AFP in the next three sets to seal the one-hour, 44-minute victory and improve to 1-2 in the standings.
(C) Spikers Turf Images
“Happy kami doon sa first win namin against AFP,” said AEP-Cabstars head coach Kitty Antiporta. “Sabi ko lang sa mga players na ‘yung communication namin, saka at the same time, ‘yung resilience na every time na magkakamali kami. Kasi dun sa first set medyo nawala kami eh.
“Magandang challenge rin sa mga bata na i-look up ‘yung mga old players na hanggang ngayon, ganoon pa rin maglaro,” he added.
Dave Lardizabal backstopped Aringo with 15 points on 12 attacks, two blocks, and one ace, along with seven excellent digs. John Santiagudo and Paul Malaiba added 11 points apiece, with Malaiba also recording 17 excellent receptions.
John Wayne Arano orchestrated the offense with 25 excellent sets and three points.
AEP-Cabstars also held a commanding 56-33 advantage in attacks and capitalized on 33 unforced errors by AFP, making the most of its opponent’s miscues to sustain its momentum and complete the comeback victory.
The Cabstars will enjoy a nine-day break before returning to action against Alpha Insurance on November 4 at 3:00 PM at the same venue, aiming to build on their breakthrough victory and secure their second win of the conference.
(C) Spikers Turf Images
Abdilla, who set the Spikers’ Turf scoring record with 47 points in 2023, delivered another sensational performance three years later, erupting for 37 points while adding 16 excellent receptions.
However, his efforts went unrewarded. The Cavaliers fell to 0-3, remaining tied with VNS-Laticrete at the bottom of the 10-team standings.
AFP will look to snap its three-game losing streak when it takes on the Griffins on Tuesday at 3:00 PM at the Ninoy Aquino Stadium.
