MANILA – D’Navigators-Iloilo survived every challenge brought to it by the Philippine Army Troopers to take a dominant 17-25, 25-20, 26-24, 25-18 victory in the 2023 Spikers’ Turf Open Conference on Sunday at Paco Arena in Manila.
Jade Disquitado, a member of the Philippine national volleyball team pool, anchored the offense with 19 points, including 18 attacks, while Jerome Cordez chipped in 14 markers for the Iloilo City-based spikers.
Setter JM Apolinario controlled the game with 27 excellent sets and two blocks , while Neil De Pedro showcased his versatility with nine points and 14 excellent receptions. D’Navigators moved up to solo first place with 4-0 slate.
After dropping the opening set, D’Navigators-Iloilo bounced back in the second set with a 25-20 victory and a close third set 26-24, thanks to clutch hits from Cordez and middle blocker Nas Gwaza.
The D’Navigators-Iloilo did not let go of the momentum since then. They finished the game with a lopsided fourth set with Rash Nursiddik, Disquitado, and Cordez taking turns to seal the win.
“I told them they were lacking in their work. They needed to work harder and do their part. This can’t happen or we’ll lose. I’m glad they listened,” recalled D’Navigators’ head coach John Kenneth Panes on what he told his players after the first set defeat.
Panes added that the D’Navigators-Iloilo will still continue to train despite their two-week break as Disquitado is to join the national men’s volleyball team’s 10-day training camp in Taiwan.
“Our job is not done yet, there is still room for improvement and we cannot be complacent. We need to keep working because we still have many remaining games,” the Ilonggo coach said.
The league-leading D’Navigators-Iloilo will return to action on March 1 to face PGJC-Navy, a team that is still finding its flow as they currently has 1-2 record for sixth place in the standings./PN
