CANDON, Ilocos Sur – Savouge head coach Sydney Calderon expressed pride and gratitude over being part of the historic 2026 Volleyball All-Star Showcase.
Calderon earned the nod to coach Team Power after guiding the Spin Doctors to a second-place finish in the elimination round of the Spikers’ Turf Open Conference.
“Very excited lang din kaming lahat kasi first time siyang mangyari, and aside from first time mangyari, history na siya at naging coach din ako dito. So, very thankful ako sa opportunity,” she said, just moments after the welcome ceremony at the Hotel Van Gogh here.
Interestingly, Calderon will handle a Team Power squad composed mainly of Criss Cross players — the same team Savouge recently battled in its first-ever Finals appearance in the Spikers’ Turf Open Conference, where they settled for a silver-medal finish.
The King Crunchers contingent is led by five-time Spikers’ Turf MVP Jude Garcia, along with Adrian Villados, Noel Kampton, Lloyd Josafat, Menard Guerrero, and Kim Malabunga, with Jaron Requinton and Ysay Marasigan completing the lineup.
(C) Spikers Turf Images
Calderon admitted she is looking forward to coaching the Criss Cross players, who were a constant thorn in Savouge’s campaign throughout the previous conference.
“Nakakapanibago and at the same time happy, kasi from Spikers Turf last season, kumbaga nasa kabilang team sila and right now, hahawakan ko sila,” said Calderon.
“But yeah, I have a time na makapag-training with my team, lalo-lalo na sa mga Criss Cross players. Nag-training kami noong Monday. So, masaya po. Hindi sila mahirap i-handle din. Very welcoming din sila,” he added.
Adding another layer of excitement is Calderon’s matchup against Team Passion, which features four Savouge mainstays in Mark Calado, Vince Imperial, Giles Torres, and Rikko Marmeto.
Despite the familiarity on both sides, Calderon expects personal ties and relationships to take a back seat once the game begins, with both squads expected to deliver a highly competitive clash in the All-Star stage.
“Ayun din yung sabi ko sa kanila. Walang tropa-tropa. Walang coach sa kabila. Kung nasa akin kayo, maglaro kayo para sa akin, hindi para sa kanila maglaro. So, expect it’s gonna be a good game this coming Friday.”
