HOWARD Guerra orchestrated a dazzling display of playmaking, steering VNS-Laticrete to its second consecutive victory with a 26-24, 25-13, 25-27, 25-17 triumph over 3B in the 2026 Spikers’ Turf Open Conference on Wednesday at the Filoil EcoOil Center.
The 16-year-old Guerra took his playmaking to another level, dishing out a conference-best 37 excellent sets alongside six points. He previously recorded 18 excellent sets in the Griffins’ first victory against the Armed Forces of the Philippines last Oct. 27.
“We really prepared for this because, as you know, we just came from a win, and we are chasing victories. We want to take all our remaining games so we can secure the win in this conference,” said Guerra.
Guerra kept the VNS offense humming with his precise distribution, spearheading a balanced attack that kept 3B guessing throughout the one-hour, 44-minute contest as five Griffins finished in double figures.
Team captain Noy Pedrosa led the charge with a game-high 18 points on 16-of-26 attacks, while Jau Umandal recorded a triple-double with 16 points, 11 excellent receptions and 10 excellent digs to help the Griffins climb to fifth place with a 2-3 record in the tournament organized by Sports Vision.
CJ Segui added 13 points, while Djomari Gamotea and Andrie Bakil chipped in 12 and 10 points, respectively, completing VNS’ balanced offensive effort.
Meanwhile, Mohammad Patadon anchored the Griffins’ defense with 26 excellent receptions and 14 excellent digs.
Despite surrendering the extended third set, VNS maintained its offensive grip on the match, outclassing the Event Masters in the major scoring departments with a commanding 62-49 advantage in attacks, a 14-5 edge in blocks, and an 8-5 cushion in service aces.
With the Griffins beginning to find their rhythm, they will look to sustain their momentum against contender Savouge in a Sunday showdown at 5 p.m. at the same venue.
Meanwhile, 3B absorbed its second consecutive defeat to slide to a 1-3 record. TMT
