Criss Cross, Clearskiiin aim to keep perfect slates intact

Defending champion Criss Cross and ClearSkiiin face separate challenges as they seek to protect their unbeaten records and sustain their strong starts in the 2026 Spikers’ Turf Invitational Conference quadruple-header on Sunday at the Filoil Centre.

Both squads will look to extend their winning streaks, with the King Crunchers aiming to reaffirm their title credentials while the UV Smashers seek to prove that their early success is no fluke. However, ClearSkiiin faces a stern test against a determined Far Eastern University-DN Steel side in the tournament organized by Sports Vision.

Criss Cross (4-0) opens the quadruple-header against AEP-Cabstars (1-3), while ClearSkiiin (4-0) puts its unbeaten record on the line against the Tamaraws (2-2) at 1 p.m.

The quadruple-header continues with Alpha Insurance (3-2) taking on 3B (1-3) at 3 p.m., followed by Savouge (2-2) against VNS-Laticrete (2-3) at 5 p.m. All four squads are looking to gain valuable ground in the standings as the race for the semifinals heats up.

Criss Cross enters its matchup riding high after a dominant victory over National University-Archipelago Builders, extending its winning streak to four games. Adrian Villados orchestrated the King Crunchers' offense with 38 excellent sets in the victory.

Villados is expected to once again dictate the tempo and keep the defending champions' attack firing on all cylinders, with Jude Garcia, Amil Pacinio, Jaron Requinton, and Noel Kampton providing plenty of offensive options.

With multiple hitters capable of taking over at any given moment, Criss Cross boasts an unpredictable attack that could spell trouble for the Cabstars.

“Ginawa lang namin yung best namin, and magandang boost ’to sa next games namin. Magandang lessons din yung mga lapses namin,” said Villados.

“Okay naman yung ginalaw namin. May kaunting lapses lang. Sabi ng coaches, tuloy lang, dagdag kumpiyansa at tiwala sa team, and celebrate each point. Then sa past few days, nag-step up sila, yung mga bata, and laking pasasalamat namin na nandiyan sila,” he added.

Meanwhile, the Cabstars are determined to bounce back after suffering a straight-set loss to Alpha Insurance. They will bank on the firepower of Leo Aringo, Dave Lardizabal, and Wayne Araño to challenge the defending champions and pull off a much-needed upset.

ClearSkiiin, meanwhile, will look to carry over the fighting spirit it displayed in its five-set escape against the Armed Forces of the Philippines. The UV Smashers had to dig deep to preserve their unbeaten record after nearly squandering a two-set advantage.

That same resilience will be crucial against a determined FEU-DN Steel side, which is eager to snap its two-game losing streak and hand ClearSkiiin its first defeat of the tournament.

The UV Smashers will once again lean on JM Ronquillo, Nas Gwaza, Renzel Antonio, Klint Mateo, and Loisa Gamban to spearhead their bid for a fifth consecutive victory.

The Tamaraws, on the other hand, will look to Dryx Saavedra, Kyle Tandoc, Amet Bituin, Doula Ndongala, and Rhodson Du-ot to lead their charge as they seek to arrest their slide and spoil ClearSkiiin’s unbeaten run.

With four intriguing matchups on tap, Sunday's action promises plenty of fireworks as the contenders look to preserve their winning streaks while the chasing pack fights to gain ground in an increasingly competitive race for the semifinals.