Savouge finally secured the breakthrough they had long been waiting for, reaching the Spikers’ Turf Open Conference Finals for the first time in franchise history.
The milestone marked a defining moment for the Spin Doctors program, as years of what-ifs and near misses since joining the league in 2024 finally turned into a shot at the title stage of the country’s premier men’s volleyball league.
However, their breakthrough run ended in heartbreak. Savouge fell short in the championship round after bowing to Criss Cross in a gripping three-game Finals series that denied them a storybook finish to their first title-stage appearance.
Still, Spin Doctors head coach Sydney Calderon believes this is only the beginning for the team, insisting that the experience will only strengthen their resolve moving forward.
“Expect Savouge na magiging challenger talaga sa lahat ng team,” Calderon said just moments after their Game 3 loss last Sunday at the Filoil Centre.
“Magiging maganda lagi yung laro kasi yun naman talaga yung purpose kung bakit ko itinayo yung team — to deliver quality volleyball, not only for power but also floor defense and everything,” she added.
(C) Spikers Turf Images
Now that they have reached the Finals, the next step for Savouge is turning that milestone into a championship push, as they look to take the final leap from contenders to titleholders.
And the Spin Doctors need not look far for motivation — especially with their Finals conquerors once having walked the same path they are on now, just a couple of years ago.
“First experience sa silver, not bad. Sinabi ko din naman, naging positive ako kasi for Criss Cross, it took [three] silvers bago sila nakapag-champion,” Calderon said.
The King Crunchers endured three consecutive Finals losses at the hands of Cignal before finally breaking through and claiming their first-ever championship last December, defeating Kindai University in the Invitational Conference title match.
That same long and winding journey to the top is now what Savouge hopes to follow. For now, they will regroup from a Finals run that, while ending in disappointment, has only sharpened their hunger for a first title.
“Talagang it takes time, may process talaga. Magiging positive lang ako sa team kasi kahit first time namin lumaban sa championship, maganda rin naman talaga yung pinakita ng team ko,” Calderon said.
“Happy pa rin ako for the team. Kita niyo naman kanina, hindi ako nasad. Na-feel ko na kung ano yung totoong championship na laban. Hopefully, pag nakapasok kami next season, mas gagalingan namin.”
