Criss Kross King Cruncher at Spikers Turf – Photos from Spikers Turf
MANILA, Philippines — Criss Cross hosted a block party against Donaviators Iloilo with a landslide 25-18, 25-14, 25-16 victory over the Spikers at Ynares Sports Arena in Pasig.・Achieved 3rd place in the Turf Invitational Conference. on Sunday night.
Led by the impressive middle blocker duo of Gian Glorioso and Rex Inter, the King Crunchers racked up 19 blocks in a quick 1 hour and 24 minute demolition of the Denavigator.
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The win mirrored their dominant victory over the VNS Griffins on October 16 of last year, with Criss Cross falling just short of top-seeded Spin Doctors and Ultras, who had an unblemished record of 3-0. .
READ: Spikers’ turf: Criss Kross overcomes injury in Malabunga for debut win
Glorioso, a former Ateneo standout, scored a game-high 14 points with eight blocks and six attacks.
“Overall, I think it was a good performance. Obviously there are some things to improve on and things to work on. I think every time we win, it’s a collective effort,” Glorioso said. He talked about the team’s performance.
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“Whether you’re playing or not, preparing for a match starts with training, so I would say it was a collective effort for us,” he added.
Rookie outside spiker Nico Almendras and Open Conference MVP Jude Garcia each contributed 13 points, and Garcia also had 10 impressive receptions to support Glorioso’s standout performance.
Skipper Isai Marasigan scored eight points and six rebounds, while Inter added six points and solidified their net defense with five blocks.
Setter Ish Polvorosa showed off his playmaking with a great set of 13 and added four points, while libero John Pepito had nine digs and five impressive receptions.
The Denavigators suffered two losses in a row, falling to 1 win and 2 losses. Mats Gampon led DeNavigators with 11 points, but struggled to find consistent support from teammates Edward Camposano and Vince Himzon, who scored 7 and 6 points respectively.
Read: Spikers’ turf: Criss Kross aims high without Marc Espejo
Meanwhile, DN Steel Far East University defeated PGJC Navy in tough straight sets 25-19, 29-27, 25-23, extending their winning streak to three.
The Ultras claimed a share of the early lead in the season-ending conference with the Savage Spin Doctors.
“Madami pan dapat linishin kasi parang nagkakagro kanina.” FEU-DN Steel head coach Edison Oculo said, “Yong setter Ang Kumkuha’s first pitch, “Diaram kung sinon aatake.” ‘Oh Kukuha,”’ he said.
“Ang Daming’s error, and Yong’s serve, which was important in the second set, yeah, Ang Daming tapon. Baka kaya ganun kasi naga adjust siguro,” he added.
Just before losing the second frame, Dorick Saavedra took over and scored on a cross-court hit and an off-the-block attack to put DN Steel-FEU ahead 2-0.
The third set was a close one as Navy, determined to avoid a sweep, were tied point-to-point with DN Steel and FEU. Navy took an early lead, taking an 8-6 advantage at the first technical timeout. However, the Ultras fought back and took advantage of a series of quick hits and costly mistakes by Navy to take a narrow 10-8 lead.
In a tense battle, Navy regained a slight lead at 12-10 thanks to a swipe from Joben Dela Vega and a wide attack from Saavedra. Both teams traded strong attacks and well-timed blocks, with Saavedra and Mikko Espartero colliding with Dela Vega and Greg Doerer.
“Naganda run kami talaga sa navy,” said playmaker Benny Martinez, who contributed two points after an impressive 19 sets.
“Masarap feels like I named Pina Pa Nude Do in Ina Idol, and it’s Namin Gayoung Un Mga Dati.”
Read: FEU Tamaraws improve to 2-0 on Spikers Turf
A block from Doula Ndongala and a timely ace from Luis Miguel helped the Ultras break a 21-all count in the third set, and at first it looked like a late error from Dolor would have sealed the victory for DN Steel-FEU. Ta.
However, Navy successfully challenged the call and another Dorer kill cut the Ultras’ lead to 22-24, saving the Sea Lions a match point.
However, in the final rally, the Ultras’ defense held strong and Espartero delivered a crucial cross-court kill to seal the victory and cap off an exciting straight-set match.
Saavedra led the way in FEU-DN Steel’s 1:29 victory with 13 points, while Espartero and Lyric Mendoza added 12 and 10 points, respectively. Veny Ceballos collected 15 quality receptions and 3 quality digs for the Ultras.
Dela Vega scored 16 points with 13 attacks, two aces, and one block, and the Sea Lions went 1-1.
In La Salle-Eco Oil’s debut, the Green Oilers had a predictable victory over undefeated Martelli Meats (0-3) 25-21, 25-20, 25-13.
Noel Campton and Vince Maglinao. Both players missed key parts of La Salle’s semi-final game at the V-League University Challenge, but made their presence felt immediately upon their return.
Campton scored 12 points, including 11 from a hard-hitting attack, and also added eight impressive receptions. Maglinao, on the other hand, showed no signs of rust, scoring 11 points alongside teammate Josh Magalaman, matching his own tally.
Setter Eko Adajar orchestrated the offense with 15 great sets, while captain Menard Guerrero anchored the defense with nine great receptions and seven digs.