Criss Cross pulled off a thrilling four-set victory over Cignal, 25-20, 22-25, 25-12, 26-24, in a crucial semifinal clash of the Spikers’ Turf Invitational Conference on Sunday night.
The win, more a testament to resilience and team spirit than an upset, marked a significant breakthrough for a squad that had endured repeated setbacks against the multi-titled HD Spikers.
Jude Garcia delivered a masterful performance, tallying 25 points in a grueling battle of relentless attacking and blocking. His efforts were pivotal, particularly during the fourth set when the King Crunchers clawed their way back.
But the match also unearthed an unlikely hero in rookie libero Philip Pepito, whose late-game exploits helped secure the dramatic come-from-behind win.
In a frenetic exchange of spikes, digs and saves, Pepito unexpectedly turned the tide. Stuck in the spotlight during a crucial rally, the defensive specialist executed an unorthodox third-ball pass after a fantastic save by Nico Almendras that clipped the net and dropped onto an unmanned area on the HD Spikers’ side.
The lucky break shattered a 24-all count, leaving Cignal stunned.
In the ensuing Cignal offensive, Louie Ramirez committed a crucial attack error, sealing Criss Cross’s emotional victory and propelling them to a 2-0 semifinal record, just one win shy of a dream finals berth.
The victory was Criss Cross’ eight straight while halting Cignal’s own win run to nine.
Now at 2-0, Criss Cross will aim for a finals berth against Savouge on Wednesday. Should they falter, the King Crunchers will have another chance against the winless Hyodo side on Friday.
Meanwhile, Cignal, now at 2-1, will look to rebound against Hyodo on Wednesday as the HD Spikers chase another finals appearance.
“Credits din talaga sa mga teammates ko kasi tinulungan nila ako, nagtulungan kami sa dulo kaya nakuha namin ito (Credit also goes to my teammates because they helped me, we worked together at the end, and that's how we got this win),” said Garcia
Captain Ysay Marasigan added 12 points and five digs while Almendras had 11 points, 17 receptions, and seven digs and Ish Polvorosa produced 19 excellent sets.
The win was particularly sweet for Criss Cross, which had been swept by the HD Spikers in the Open Conference finals last May and suffered a tough five-set loss to their archrivals in the preliminaries of this season-ending conference.
Determined to rewrite their narrative, the King Crunchers unleashed a dominant 13-point romp in the pivotal third set after splitting the first two frames.
The HD Spikers appeared ready to force a fifth set, holding the lead for most of the fourth. However, Garcia and the rest of Criss Cross regrouped, recovered and delivered under pressure to secure the thrilling win.
“Nakakapagod, sobrang ganda ng laro, sobrang exciting kasi pinaghandaan namin ang isa’t isa, kaya sobrang ganda ng laban (It was exhausting, but the game was really great and exciting because we prepared for each other, so it was such a great match),” said Garcia, who was named the game’s top performer.
“Lahat ng pinagensayuhan namin the past weeks, na-apply namin. Pero hindi pa rin tapos ang conference, sana magtuloy-tuloy ang panalo naming (All the training we’ve been doing over the past weeks really paid off. But the conference isn’t over yet, and I hope we can continue our winning streak)," he added.
