Marck Espejo believes the Criss Cross King Crunchers have what it takes to finally achieve a breakthrough in the Spikers’ Turf – even if he and other key players will be pulled out mid-conference for national team duties with Alas Pilipinas.
Runners-up to Cignal in their first three conferences in the country’s first men’s volleyball league, the King Crunchers are determined to end their streak of silver finishes and capture their long-awaited first championship in the 2025 Invitational Conference, which fires off Monday (Oct. 27) at the Filoil EcoOil Arena in San Juan.
However, Espejo, Kim Malabunga, and Eco Adajar are expected to leave the squad midway through the tournament once Alas Pilipinas begins its buildup for the 33rd Southeast Asian Games, set for early December in Thailand.
“For the past years, umaalis din ako, so nag-training sila non-stop. Mas buo talaga sila na Criss Cross kahit wala ako,” said Espejo, who has often joined the King Crunchers late in the conference after fulfilling overseas commitments.
“Siguro magiging challenge lang ’to sa kanila kasi tatlong silver na kami. Nasa Criss Cross na yung hunger at pressure na this time, kailangan makuha na yung gold,” he added.
To strengthen their campaign, Criss Cross bolstered its lineup in the off-season with the acquisition of Noel Kampton and Popoy Colinares, additions expected to enhance the team’s depth and scoring options.
For Espejo, the upcoming tournament won’t just be about firepower – it will test endurance and resilience.
“Medyo short lang din itong conference, so kung sino yung may malakas na katawan at walang injuries, yun ang aabot siguro. Confident ako na papasok ang Criss Cross sa Final Four,” said Espejo.
Eight local squads, led by Cignal, will battle for the title, while two guest teams – Kindai University (Japan) and ProVolley Academy (Australia) – will join the semifinal stage to spice up the competition in the season-ending conference organized by Sports Vision.
Given the unusual situation of players being called up for national duty mid-conference, the league has introduced a special rule allowing affected teams to sign replacement players to fill their rosters and maintain competitive balance.
