Criss Cross briefly looked like it was slipping back into old habits in Game 1 of the 2026 Spikers’ Turf Open Conference Finals.
When Savouge erased momentum and stole the second set, it was a familiar script for a franchise that had once struggled to close out championship moments. But this version of the King Crunchers is no longer defined by collapse—it’s defined by response.
Instead of unraveling, Criss Cross steadied itself, reclaimed control in the next two frames, and carved out a 25-20, 26-28, 25-18, 25-20 victory to move just one win away from back-to-back titles.
The difference, according to four-time MVP Jude Garcia, is experience—the kind forged through both heartbreak and triumph.
“Dati,’ di namin ma-handle, ngayon nakukuha na namin, so nag-iimprove yung bawat isa,” Garcia said.
That composure was not built overnight. Before finally breaking through last season in the Invitational Conference, Criss Cross had absorbed three straight Finals defeats—each one adding layers to a team that once struggled to finish what it started.
Their breakthrough came in dramatic fashion, outlasting Japanese guest squad Kindai University in a five-set classic to finally claim their maiden championship. Since then, those lessons have lingered.
Against Savouge, they surfaced again at the most critical moment.
The Spin Doctors’ second-set rally could have shifted the tone of the series, but instead it became a stress test for a group that now knows how to survive pressure situations.
“Sobrang laking factor talaga nung championship experience namin last championship kasi makikita doon kung paano ma-ha- handle yung emotions namin—yung lamang sila, yung kalaban,” Garcia explained after finishing with 26 points.
“Kumbaga, nahahandle na namin ‘yun,” he added.
Still, Criss Cross knows the job is far from finished. If anything, the near-miss in Set 2 served as a reminder that experience alone won’t be enough against a Savouge squad capable of turning matches on its head.
For Garcia, the message heading into Game 2 is simple: there is no room for comfort.
“Focus pa rin sa goal, huwag maging complacent sa ginagawa namin. Dodoblehin o kaya triplehin namin ang effort sa Game 2 kasi alam naman namin na lalaban talaga ang Savouge. Kailangan talaga yung mindset and focus namin, nandoon dapat sa game.”
