AEP Cabstars barged into the win column with a commanding 25-15, 25-17, 25-19 sweep of VNS Always Bright Laticrete in the 2026 Spikers’ Turf Open Conference on Friday at the Filoil Playtime Centre in San Juan.
Jay Rack Dela Noche led the charge with 18 points built on 17-of-33 attacks, powering the Cabstars to a 1-1 record in the tournament organized by Sports Vision.
(C) UAAP Season 88 Media Team
“Magandang bawi kasi pangit ‘yung game namin nung first game, so nakapag-adjust kami doon sa dapat namin ayusin ngayong match. Yung game plan namin nasunod din and at the same time maganda yung pinakita ng mga bata,” said Cabstars head coach Kitty Antiporta.
VNS showed signs of life in the third set, with John Mark Obongen igniting the Griffins’ stand as they kept pace with the Cabuyao-based squad and knotted the score at 17-all.
But the Cabstars responded with a decisive 8-2 closing run. Setter EJ Casaña sparked the surge with two blocks and an ace, sealing the straight-sets victory in just 76 minutes in the league supported by Alpha Insurance, Black Mamba, Premiere EMS, and ArenaPlus.
Casaña orchestrated the offense with 18 excellent sets on top of five points, while Vince Abrot contributed 10 markers. Paul Malaiba added nine points and Nas Gwaza chipped in eight as the Cabstars dominated the attack department, 49-30.
(C) UAAP Season 88 Media Team
Jerzy Santos scored nine points in two sets for the Griffins, who slipped to 0-2 in the double round-robin eliminations. Obongen finished with eight points in limited action, while Roniey Adviento had six.
Both teams return to the Taraflex on Sunday at the same San Juan venue. The Cabstars aim to build on their momentum at 1:00 PM against Criss Cross, while VNS looks to break through at 3:00 PM against 3B.
