CANDON, Ilocos Sur – Team Heart delivered a commanding finish in the fourth set to take down Team Hustle, 25-18, 18-25, 25-23, 25-17, in the PVL exhibition match of the 2026 Volleyball All-Star Showcase on Friday night at a packed Candon City Arena here.
Behind MVP Bella Belen, Team Heart split the first two sets in a tightly-contested opening before stepping up in the crucial moments of the third set to seize momentum.
From there, they carried that surge into the fourth frame, pulling away early and never looking back to close out the match and secure the P100,000 top prize in what turned out to be a fitting All-Star finale.
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“Ayun po, masaya po kami kasi nakapag-interact kami with the fans. So, parang sa part namin mas nakakatuwa na makita po yung fans na nag-e-enjoy,” said Belen, who finished with a game-high 15 points on 13 attacks and two blocks.
A blistering 11-1 start to the fourth set set the tone for Team Heart, which came off a narrow third-set win and maintained control all the way to match point, 24-17.
In a match filled with lighthearted twists — where coaches and line judges took service attempts, players rotated into officiating roles, and liberos even tried attacking — the exhibition fully embraced its All-Star spirit until the end.
On the final play, court assistant Jhyson Manzano was brought in by Team Heart’s Alyssa Valdez. He sealed the victory with a cross-court hit off a set from Jia De Guzman, with the ball deflecting off Kath Arado to cap off a crowd-pleasing finish.
“Talagang sobrang happy kasi sobrang daming fans sa Candon,” said Team Heart head coach Rald Ricafort.
“Sobrang happy din nila kasi nakikita nila ‘yung iniidolo nilang players. Kaya ako, na-overwhelm ako sa Candon kasi grabe ‘yung volleyball community dito. Parang hindi namin ini-expect na ganun ‘yung makikita namin sa arena,” he added.
Myla Pablo added 14 points on 11 attacks and three blocks, while Valdez and Erika Santos chipped in 10 points apiece for Team Heart.
De Guzman orchestrated the offense with 15 excellent sets, while Dawn Catindig and Jema Galanza contributed 10 and nine excellent digs, respectively.
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Team Hustle settled for the runner-up finish and the P50,000 consolation prize.
Brooke Van Sickle and Eya Laure led Team Hustle with 11 and 10 points, respectively. Kath Arado THEN finished with a double-double of 13 excellent digs and 10 excellent receptions.
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In the side events, Team Power — fresh off its win in the Spikers’ Turf All-Star Game — kept its momentum going by ruling the Infinite Volley Extravaganza Challenge behind Noel Kampton, Ysay Marasigan, Jayvee Sumagaysay, and fan Maria Ruzzel Rogel, defeating Team Passion’s Jared Schnake, Nas Gwaza, Jau Umandal, and spectator Keen Malintad.
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Meanwhile, Team Blue — composed of Arado, Alyssa Eroa, John Pepito, and Rikko Marmeto — topped the Crosscourt Sniper Challenge after outlasting Team Yellow, made up of Catindig, Justine Jazareno, Vince Lorenzo, and Menard Guerrero.
