Spikers’ Turf: ClearSkiiin fends off Cabstars to stay unbeaten

MANILA — ClearSkiiin battled to its second win in a row in the 2026 Spikers’ Turf Invitational Conference on Wednesday, overcoming AEP-Cabstars in a four-set affair at the Filoil EcoOil Centre.

The UV Smashers had to recover from a letdown in the second set on their way to a 25-18, 19-25, 25-23, 25-23 triumph. 

Angela Gayud came off the bench to give the UV Smashers a spark, as they improved to 2-0 in the tournament. Gayud finished with 13 points on 11 kills and two blocks.

“Credit to AEP-Cabstars. If you watched the match, they really brought their game. We did our scouting, they had some changes in the lineup and so forth, so it cost us a little bit,” said UV Smashers head coach Joe Bangit.

“It was an exciting match, it definitely exposed some things that we need to work on as a team,” he added.

AEP-Cabstars threatened to force a deciding fifth set, clawing back to tie the fourth frame at 20-all with a 3-0 run capped by Leo Aringo’s crafty drop shot.

However, just as the Cabstars sensed an opening, Gayud rose to the occasion with a powerful tip over three defenders before JM Ronquillo shut down Aringo with a timely block. The back-to-back plays restored ClearSkiiin’s 22-20 lead and brought the Smashers closer to victory.

The two teams traded points down the stretch, but AEP-Cabstars could not withstand the UV Smashers’ late surge, as Gayud and Jester Bornel delivered the finishing blows to seal the back-to-back wins.

Ronquillo led ClearSkiiin with 16 points on 13 attacks and three kill blocks, while team captain Louis Gamban and Bornel chipped in 11 points apiece.

Klint Mateo continued his stellar play, dishing out 27 excellent sets to go with four points, while Renzel Antonio delivered an all-around performance with six points, 24 excellent receptions, and eight excellent digs.

The UV Smashers held the advantage in attacks, 55-45, and blocks, 13-7, overcoming their 34 errors to secure the hard-fought victory.

AEP-Cabstars dropped to 0-2, sharing the bottom spot with the Armed Forces of the Philippines.

Aringo paced the Cabstars with 17 points and 16 excellent receptions, while Dave Lardizabal added 15 markers and eight excellent digs.