Criss Cross delivered a statement victory over defending champion Cignal on Wednesday night, a resounding win that could signal a changing of the guard.
The King Crunchers conquered their longtime tormentors – breaking a streak of heartbreaks, including two finals defeats last year. But this time, the underdogs flipped the script and emerged triumphant, completing a stunning straight-set 25-23, 25-21, 25-17 triumph over the once-unshakable powerhouse at the FilOil EcoOil Arena in San Juan.
The win marked Criss Cross’ third victory over Cignal in eight head-to-head matchups.
What was expected to be a fierce, down-the-wire clash between two 4-0 teams turned into a defining moment for Criss Cross. After battling through two tightly contested sets, they turned the third into a coronation, launching a blistering finishing kick that left the HD Spikers reeling.
Holding a slim 16-14 edge at the final technical timeout, the King Crunchers unleashed a ruthless 9-3 run, with Jude Garcia, Gian Glorioso and Nico Almendras producing clutch plays while Cignal crumbled under pressure. Wendel Miguel’s costly errors from the back row added to the defending champions’ woes, sealing their fate.
The triumph catapulted Criss Cross to sole leadership at 5-0, relegating Cignal to second at 4-1 as the first round of eliminations of the tournament organized by Sports Vision came to a close.
Desperate to shift momentum, Cignal coach Dexter Clamor shuffled his rotation in the closing stretch. But after JP Bugaoan momentarily halted Garcia’s attack at 16-18, the King Crunchers responded with six unanswered points, highlighted by Almendras’ back-to-back brilliance – a roof block on Steven Rotter followed by an emphatic spike after the King Crunchers’ scrambling defensive stand.
Cignal’s frustration became evident as Miguel misfired on consecutive backrow attacks, allowing Garcia to fire an ace that brought Criss Cross to match point. Though Garcia, the reigning Open Conference MVP, served into the net in the ensuing play, Almendras wasted no time on their second chance – delivering the final blow off Louie Ramirez’s hands, the ball sailing out of bounds to cement a historic victory.
Criss Cross not only toppled the reigning champions but proved the King Crunchers are no longer underdogs but are now living up to their name as true title contenders.
Ish Polvorosa masterfully directed the King Crunchers' balanced offensive attack to subdue the HD Spikers, dishing out 18 excellent sets while showcasing his exceptional defensive skills, including four kill blocks, in their dominant one-hour, 21-minute victory.
“I think we did well in the first round, but there are still areas we need to improve on, especially minimizing lapses and avoiding unnecessary mistakes. I know the team can study and correct these during training,” said Polvorosa in Filipino.
The King Crunchers caught Cignal off guard, racing to an early 2-0 lead before pulling away late in the third set for their fourth straight-set victory in the Open Conference, which is supported by Arena Plus and Mikasa.
“We’ve learned our lessons from past conferences. Just because we won several early games doesn’t mean we should be complacent. That’s not the goal. At the end of the day, we need to remain steadfast, and our mindset should be one game at a time toward the championship,” Polvorosa added.
Garcia led all scorers with 19 points built on 16 attacks, two kill blocks, and an ace, while also contributing nine excellent receptions. Almendras and Jaron Requinto added 11 and 10 points, respectively.
Manuel Sumanguid anchored the floor defense with 19 excellent receptions and five excellent digs, while middle blockers Kim Malabunga and Glorioso chipped in seven and six points, respectively.
Now on a five-game winning streak, Criss Cross aims to extend its run to six when it opens the second round against Alpha Insurance on Sunday at 1 p.m. at the Ynares Sports Arena in Pasig.
For Cignal, Wendel Miguel led the team with 15 points off 13 attacks and two blocks, while Steven Rotter contributed 10 points. Jau Umandal was limited to just seven points and sat out the third set.
Cignal will look to bounce back against VNS-Laticrete in their next match, also on Sunday at 3:30 p.m.
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