Showing maturity well beyond its years, young Far Eastern University-DN Steel rebounded from a grueling third-set collapse to topple the veteran-laden PGJC-Navy in four sets, 25-23, 25-16, 31-33, 25-17, on Friday, October 31, at the Paco Arena in Manila.

Despite squandering nine match points in the marathon third frame, the Tamaraws regrouped and surged in the fourth to secure their first win of the 2025 Spikers’ Turf Invitational Conference.

Tamaraws reset and dominate after collapse

FEU-DN Steel opened the deciding frame with a blistering 13-6 run and never looked back, finishing the contest in one hour and 58 minutes to even its record at 1-1.

Head coach Eddieson Orcullo praised his team’s poise and depth, noting the contributions from his bench and the resilience shown late in key moments.

Dryx Saavedra spearheaded the Tamaraws’ attack with 22 points, built on 20 kills and two blocks. Charles Absin provided a spark off the bench with 12 points on efficient hitting, while Lirick Mendoza, Mikko Espartero, and Paul Salboro chipped in 10 markers each. Ariel Cacao orchestrated the offense with 34 excellent sets.

Navy fights hard before running out of steam

PGJC-Navy refused to go down quietly after trailing late in the third set, fending off all nine match points before Joeven Dela Vega forced a fourth set with a clutch attack.

However, the Sealions ran out of answers in the final frame. FEU’s young core remained steady and composed, thwarting Navy’s bid for a comeback win.

Former FEU standout Peter Quiel led Navy with 12 points, while Greg Dolor added 10 and Bonjomar Castel tallied nine markers. The Sealions fell to 0-3 and will face defending champion Cignal next.

FEU-DN Steel aims to build momentum when it faces Alpha Insurance on Sunday, November 2, at the Filoil EcoOil Centre.