Prized setter Ish Polvorosa continues to shine under the bright lights of the 2025 Spikers’ Turf Open Conference, steering Criss Cross in an unbeaten march straight to the finals.
The King Crunchers went on a sizzling 13-game sweep en route to a third championship collision against defending champion Cignal.
All thanks to the steady leadership and pinpoint playmaking of Polvorosa, who earned his second Spikers’ Turf Press Corps Player of the Week honor presented by Pilipinas Live for the period of March 26 to 30 -- the fourth straight week a Criss Cross player bagged the recognition.
The former Ateneo de Manila University playmaker powered the King Crunchers’ semifinals sweep.
He tallied 13 excellent sets he laced with three points and six digs in Criss Cross’ dominating 25-19, 25-20, 25-16 triumph over VNS-Laticrete Griffins last Wednesday at the Rizal Memorial Coliseum.
Polvorosa saved his best for last as he continued to be a thorn in the side of the HD Spikers, dishing 27 excellent sets for a 25-22, 19-25, 25-18, 25-21, win on Sunday to cap the semis unscathed.
But for the 27-year-old setter, all past performances from their unbeaten run mean nothing if the King Crunchers can’t finish the job.
"Personally, and for the team, these 13 games—they're all erased. I don't care about what happened in the last 13 games. I'm looking forward and very focused on the fact that we're going to the Finals next week," Polvorosa emphasized.
"It all boils down to those two or three games. We're going to take it one game at a time, one skill, and one point at a time. I think that's how we can progress toward our goal of winning the championship."
Polvorosa bested teammate Nico Almendras, Cignal’s Steven Rotter, and Savouge’s Mark Calado for the weekly citation handed out by reporters covering the league streamed live and on-demand via the Pilipinas Live app and on www.spikersturf.ph.
Criss Cross is seeking redemption after back-to-back runner-up finishes against Cignal when the best-of-three finals series unfolds on Wednesday.
"There’s pressure for both of us, but I think we’re still the underdogs here. We didn’t win against them last year, so this is the perfect opportunity for us to grab that championship," Polvorosa said.
"We need to keep building on what we’ve been doing, stay focused, and have the courage to finally take this title. We respect Cignal so much, and we know they won’t go down without a fight. That’s why we’re preparing for them just as much."
With two wins standing between them and a perfect championship run, Polvorosa and Criss Cross are locked in — ready to take the final step toward history.
