The FEU Tamaraws celebrate a point against PCJC-Navy in the 2025 Spikers' Turf Invitational Conference, October 31, 2025 at the Paco Arena in Manila. PVL Media
MANILA -- Far Eastern University-DN Steel recovered from a collapse in the third set and took care of business in the next frame against PGJC-Navy for their first win in the 2025 Spikers' Turf Invitational Conference on Friday at the Paco Arena in Manila.
The Tamaraws squandered a whopping nine match points in the marathon third frame but regained their composure in Set 4 to come away with a 25-23, 25-16, 31-33, 25-17 triumph.
They surged to a 13-6 lead in the fourth set and never relinquished control, eventually wrapping up the match in an hour and 58 minutes to improve their record to 1-1.
"Sa boys namin, kahit anong gawin niyan laban ‘yan. Nakita mo ‘yung galing sa bench papasok, medyo kahit sinong gamitin ko papasok at lalaban talaga. ‘Yun ang pinakamagandang character ng brotherhood na meron kami," said FEU-DN Steel head coach Eddieson Orcullo, praising the team's collective grit.
Down 17-20 in the third set, the Tamaraws leaned on Charles Absin, Mikko Espartero, and Dryx Saavedra to mount a furious rally, eventually reaching match point at 24-22.
Yet the Sealions refused to yield, fending off all nine match points before a Paul Salboro centerline fault handed them their own set point.
Joeven Dela Vega then capitalized with a pipe attack that extended the match, 33-31.
But that was the last gasp for PGJC-Navy. The youthful FEU squad regained its rhythm in the fourth, with Saavedra spearheading the charge en route to a game-high 22 points built on 20-of-34 attacks and two blocks.
Absin made a strong impact off the bench, finishing with 12 points on 10-of-13 spikes and two rejections despite playing only the final three sets.
The trio of Lirick Mendoza, Espartero, and Salboro added 10 points each, while senior setter Ariel Cacao orchestrated the offense with 34 excellent sets in a well-balanced showing for Orcullo's crew.
FEU-DN Steel looks to sustain its momentum when it faces Alpha Insurance (1-1) on Sunday at 2 p.m. at the Filoil EcoOil Centre.
For the Sealions, Peter Quiel—an FEU alumnus—led the charge with 12 points, while Greg Dolor was limited to just 10 markers.
Dela Vega chipped in eight, and Bonjomar Castel added nine points, including several key hits in the third set.
PGJC-Navy (0-3) will continue its search for a breakthrough victory when it battles defending champion Cignal on Wednesday at 6 p.m., still at the Paco Arena.