Savogue’s Sydney Calderon during the 2025 Spikers’ Turf Open Conference awarding of bronze. –MARLO CUETO/INQUIRER.net
MANILA, Philippines — After steering Savouge to its second straight bronze medal finish in the 2025 Spikers’ Turf Open Conference, coach Sydney Calderon said she is planning to field another team, where she might play and coach, for the next men’s volleyball club tournament.
Mark Calado drilled 14 points and tallied 15 excellent receptions as Savouge completed a bronze medal series sweep of VNS-Laticrete, 25-19, 25-23, 25-22, to return to the podium on Friday at Philsports Arena.
READ: Spikers’ Turf: Savouge breaking stereotypes on way to semifinals
Calado capped his breakout conference as a Spin Doctor, emerging as the conference’s top scorer with a total of 229 points.
“I’ve adjusted a bit now. They really trust me. I made sure to adapt to their system so I could keep going strong in this conference,” said Calado in Filipino.
“I’m really happy because I was able to help Savouge, and I’m very thankful to Madam [Sydney Calderon] for giving me the chance to play on their team. The trust they have in me is always there. I really hope we can continue this momentum in the next conference and win the championship.”
Savouge continued to fall short of the finalists Cignal and Criss Cross, losing to the rivals in the two-round elimination and semifinal round-robin.
Savogue Spin Doctors celebrate their bronze medal finish in the 2025 Spikers’ Turf Open Conference. –MARLO CUETO/INQUIRER.net
But Calderon is confident that the Spin Doctors will get over the hump next conference. However, she said that this will be her last with the team as she plans to field another squad, which is still pending the league’s approval.
“This will be my last stint as head coach. You might see me cheering for my team from the other side, or you might see me playing next conference. We’ll just have to wait and see. We were actually talking with Ms. Mozzy [Ravena]. I’m planning to start a team that really empowers the LGBT community. It’s going to be an all-LGBT team. That’s my dream, and I hope it gets approved. If it does, you might see me playing for that team,” she said.
READ: Spikers’ Turf: Savouge eyes gold with new recruits
The Savouge CEO, an advocate of LGBT rights, is set to interview possible coaches for the Spin Doctors but nothing is set in stone as she can still be part of their coaching staff depending on the other team’s application.
Madz Gampong helped Savouge clinch bronze with 10 points and five digs. Giles Torres had eight points, while Shawie Caritativo added six points.
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VNS-Laticrete placed fourth, with CJ Segui leading the way with 19 points.
