Criss Cross continued to rise above the competition in the 2025 Spikers’ Turf Invitational Conference, seizing a hard-fought 25-23, 24-26, 25-22, 25-18 triumph over rival Cignal on Sunday night at the Filoil EcoOil Centre.

The King Crunchers stood firm under pressure to move to a 3-0 record, preserving their status as the league’s only unbeaten squad near the early phase of the elimination round.

Villados steadies Criss Cross in heated rivalry

While the spotlight often falls on scorers, it was playmaker Adrian Villados who orchestrated the victory, issuing 34 excellent sets to keep Criss Cross’ offense flowing across multiple attackers. His composure anchored the team through momentum swings, especially after dropping a tight second set.

Despite Cignal’s firepower, Criss Cross showed balance across rotations, with Noel Kampton and Jaron Requinton providing needed scoring bursts and solid floor defense. Jude Garcia led the charge with 24 points, backed by steady reception from John Pepito, who tallied 19 excellent receptions and seven digs.

Bench depth and late poise lift King Crunchers

Both teams traded runs in the third and fourth sets before Criss Cross capitalized on Cignal’s late breakdown. A costly error stretch from the Super Spikers turned a close 21-18 fourth-set margin into a comfortable closing run for the King Crunchers, who benefitted from 28 opponent miscues across the match.

Cignal, now at 2-1, played with grit but suffered a tough blow when Jau Umandal injured his ankle late in the third set. Steven Rotter scored 22 points, while Louie Ramirez and Lloyd Josafat added support, but it wasn’t enough to slow Criss Cross’ surge.

Criss Cross will test its unbeaten slate against contender Savouge on Wednesday at 4 p.m. at the Paco Arena, while the Super Spikers aim to rebound versus PGJC-Navy at 6 p.m.