The Criss Cross King Crunchers remained unbeaten and secured the first semifinal berth in the 2026 Spikers' Turf Open Conference after fending off the Savouge Spin Doctors in four sets.
More or less, Criss Cross has already given the rest of the field a glimpse of what to expect in the battle for the 2026 Spikers’ Turf Open Conference crown.
Beating the very team seen as capable of challenging them for the title for the second straight time, the King Crunchers once again flaunted their superiority, fashioning out a 25-21, 25-19, 20-25, 25-19 victory over the Savouge Spin Doctors on Friday to formalize their claim on the first semifinal berth at the FilOil Centre in San Juan.
Never mind that the Spin Doctors sparked hopes of a comeback with their big third-set win. But the setback only ignited the fire and determination of the King Crunchers, who quickly regrouped, reasserted their might over their rivals, and dominated the fourth set to notch their seventh straight win.
The victory widened the gap between Criss Cross and Savouge in the standings.
The King Crunchers remained unbeaten while Savouge absorbed its second loss against four wins, still holding second place but once again left searching for answers to solve Criss Cross’ puzzle.
The third-set loss marked only the second time Criss Cross has dropped a frame in seven matches, the first coming at the hands of 3B last week. Yet each setback only sharpens the King Crunchers’ killer instinct, as they moved three wins away from sweeping the double-round preliminaries.
They face the AEP-Cabstars on Wednesday, clash with the VNS Griffins on March 20, and then take on the 3B Event Masters on March 27.
"After namin matalo sa third set, pinagusapan lang namin na bumalik kami sa first set. Start ulit nang maayos, start strong, at happy happy sa loob ng court," said Criss Cross middle blocker Lloyd Josafat, who put the emphasis on blocks with nine to finish with 19 points, including 10 on attacks.
"'Yung last three games namin sa eliminations, preparation din namin siya papuntang semis so todo bigay pa rin, all out pa rin sa every game," he added.
Determined to extend the match, the Spin Doctors rallied in the third set behind the combined efforts of Shawie Caritativo, Dan Nicolas, JP Bugaoan and Mark Calado.
But the King Crunchers showcased their championship composure.
Alche Gupiteo continued to prove his worth while four-time league MVP Jude Garcia unleashed his fury to lead Criss Cross to victory.
Josafat also played a key role in the fourth set as the King Crunchers fended off the Spin Doctors’ fightback.
Garcia also delivered 19 points and seven digs while Gupiteo poured in 14 points and 20-of-28 excellent receptions.
The 2025 Invitational Finals MVP Adrian Villados sizzled with 39 excellent sets while also scoring a point in the high-octane matchup that lived up to the hype.
Calado, despite sitting out the second frame, still topscored for Savouge with 16 points while Bugaoan added 13 points.
Caritativo also came through with nine points and 17 excellent receptions.
Savouge will seek to regain its winning ways against 3B at 3 p.m. on Wednesday.