Criss Cross showed its championship nerve when the match tightened at the worst possible time. The defending champions survived a furious AEP-Cabstars stand before completing a 25-20, 29-27, 25-15 victory in the Spikers’ Turf Open Conference at the FilOil Playtime Centre on Sunday, March 1.

The King Crunchers extended their winning streak to three and remained spotless in the tournament. They needed every ounce of their experience after the Cabstars threatened to steal the momentum midway through the contest.

AEP-Cabstars put the champions on the ropes in the second set and nearly changed the tone of the match. The challengers surged ahead 24-21 following a four-touch violation, putting themselves three points away from handing Criss Cross its first dropped set of the conference.

The breakthrough never came despite multiple chances.

Second-set escape shifts control

Pressure mounted on the King Crunchers, but their veteran core delivered when it mattered most. Nas Gwaza misfired on a free-ball opportunity, and Lloyd Josafat followed with consecutive stuffs on Gwaza and Vince Abrot to ignite the comeback.

The Cabstars regrouped and forced another set-point situation in the extended frame. However, they struggled to land the finishing blow against Criss Cross’ disciplined net defense and steady sideout play.

Josafat’s emphatic block evened the score at 25 before Alche Gupiteo countered Abrot’s sharp down-the-line hit. Jay Rack dela Noche briefly restored AEP’s edge at 27-26, but EJ Casana’s costly service error — their sixth failed closeout attempt — reopened the door for the champions.

Jude Garcia made sure the opportunity would not slip away. Returning to rotation, Garcia unleashed back-to-back kills from the opposite side, flipping the set completely and draining the Cabstars’ momentum.

King Crunchers close with authority

With the second-set scare behind them, Criss Cross wasted no time asserting full control. The King Crunchers stormed to a 6-2 start in the third and never allowed AEP-Cabstars to recover.

The challengers showed signs of fatigue after the emotional setback, while the defending champions tightened both their floor defense and transition attack. Criss Cross methodically widened the gap before sealing the straight-sets win with authority.

“Makikita kasi ‘yung maturity ng team ngayon,” said the four-time league MVP. “Nasa right path kami ng gusto naming mangyari this conference. ‘Yun ‘yung ina-eye talaga namin, ‘yung maturity ng bawat isa.”

Garcia finished with a match-high 16 points built on 14 attacks and two blocks. Gupiteo added 13 points and 10 excellent receptions to claim Best Player of the Game honors.

“We started flat and lost our focus for a while,” Gupiteo said. “Good thing we reset our mindset in time.”

Noel Kampton contributed nine points despite playing only in the first two sets, while Josafat produced seven points on four attacks and three kill blocks. Adrian Villados orchestrated the offense with 21 excellent sets as Nico Almendras, Kim Malabunga, and Poy Colinares chipped in four points apiece.

AEP-Cabstars slipped to 1-2 in the standings despite another strong outing from Dela Noche, who paced the squad with 16 points. Gwaza and Abrot backed him with 10 and nine markers, respectively.