Criss Cross enters a pivotal moment in the Spikers’ Turf semifinals as it battles eliminated UST-Gameville today, Nov. 27, needing a clean win to clear its path to the finals. With three teams locked at 3–1, every match today carries major consequences, and the King Crunchers can remove all tiebreak threats simply by taking care of business.

A loss, however, could flip the standings entirely. A stumble would reopen the door for Cignal, whose faint hopes hinge on Criss Cross dropping this assignment and creating a possible three-team logjam at 3–2. Such a scenario would force the semis race into set ratios and match-point computations.

But Criss Cross is refusing to entertain that possibility. The team steadied itself after its loss to Kindai University, sweeping ProValley before outlasting Savouge in a five-set grind that pushed them into the three-way tie. That late push has reinforced their urgency as they prepare for a UST-Gameville squad playing with a depleted lineup in the semis.

Criss Cross opposite Jude Garcia said the group returned to training with the mindset that even a weakened opponent can derail a finals bid if they lose focus.

UST-Gameville hangs tough despite depleted roster

Though out of the finals picture, UST-Gameville finally broke through in the semis with a sweep of ProVolley Academy. Their campaign, however, has been disrupted by the loss of stars Josh Ybañez, JJ Macam, Al-Bukharie Sali, and head coach Odjie Mamon, all serving with Alas Pilipinas for the 33rd Southeast Asian Games.

Their absence has left the Golden Spikers scrambling for stability, but the group continues to push for a strong finish despite the odds stacked against them.

Savouge, Kindai U collide in a must-win showdown

At 5 p.m., Savouge and Kindai University face off in a winner-take-all duel for the other finals seat. The matchup is expected to be explosive, with both teams seeking to rebound after taxing performances earlier in the week. The Japanese guests, in particular, aim to recover after falling to the Super Spikers on Tuesday.

Savouge leans on Mark Calado, Giles Torres, and Dan Nicolas, while hoping Shawie Caritativo regains his stride. Kindai University, meanwhile, rides the firepower of Ryutaro Aun, who erupted for 27 points in their previous outing despite the lack of additional double-digit support.

Cignal meets ProVolley at 3 p.m., a match it is expected to dominate. But even a convincing win won’t be enough to return to the finals unless Criss Cross slips in the day’s opening game. Head coach Dexter Clamor emphasized that they intend to close the semis strong regardless of how the standings unfold.