Criss Cross finally seems to be piecing together a puzzle it has struggled with over the past year.
With a roster packed with firepower and a deep arsenal of weapons, the King Crunchers are built to dismantle the Cignal dynasty. Yet, despite their loaded lineup, they have twice fallen short, settling for back-to-back runner-up finishes against the HD Spikers in the past two conferences.
Now, however, Criss Cross appears to be closing in on the answer.
“We’ve learned from the past year na hindi porket marami kaming panalo sa early games, eh ‘yun na ‘yun. That’s not the goal,” said starting setter Ish Polvorosa.
“At the end of the day, kailangan pa rin naming maging steadfast. Our mindset should be one game at a time towards that championship na pinapangarap namin.”
Since joining the league, Criss Cross has made an immediate impact. They finished second in the previous Open Conference eliminations with a 7-1 record before topping the season-ending Invitationals at 8-1.
Those stellar campaigns led to back-to-back finals appearances — only to end in heartbreak against Cignal on both occasions.
Each time, the team had its eyes fixed on the championship from the outset. But this time, Polvorosa wants his squad to take a different approach: focusing on each game and each play, understanding that every small step contributes to the bigger picture.
It’s a philosophy the 27-year-old playmaker has personally embraced this year, and it’s already working wonders for the King Crunchers’ title hopes.
“I think at this point in my career, I’ve gotten to the point na, you know, I really want to win, but at the same time, I don’t feel like I need to win to fulfill my soul. Parang alam mo ‘yun? This year, ‘yun ‘yung naging mantra ko para mas ma-ease ‘yung burden sa’kin,” said Polvorosa.
“Yung mental fortitude ko na dapat nandun lang ako sa every point — hindi ako nagde-dwell dun sa ‘Ay, gusto ko makuha ‘yung championship.’ Parang masyado siyang nakatingin lang sa end. Kumbaga, ang natutunan ko from last year, i-enjoy din namin ‘yung journey namin and i-celebrate namin ‘yung bawat win, bawat point.”
(C) Spikers’ Turf Images
Polvorosa has been a steady presence for Criss Cross throughout the first round of eliminations, averaging 18 excellent sets per game. His standout performance came in a five-set thriller against Savouge, where he dished out 26 excellent sets.
He also played a key role in the emergence of Jaron Requinton, who secured a starting spot after an impressive showing in their season-opening win against VNS-Laticrete.
But more importantly, Polvorosa orchestrated the King Crunchers’ dominant straight-set victory over the HD Spikers, 25-23, 25-21, 25-17, capping off the first round with a flawless 5-0 record. He finished with 18 excellent sets and four kill blocks.
“Ang hirap din talagang manalo sa Cignal. So we prepared really well for them, and every team naman sa Spikers’ Turf, we prepare for them kung paano kami mananalo sa kanila. It’s just that today we played really well,” said the former Ateneo star.
“As a team, we played better against them today. Technically, ‘yun ‘yung kailangan pa naming dagdagan pa and i-improve pa.”
Still, Polvorosa emphasized that sweeping the first round — or even the entire eliminations — would mean nothing if they fall short in the championship again. For him, the key is maintaining focus on the journey, not just the destination.
“I think we did well in the first round, but there are still things we need to improve on. May mga lapses pa na dapat ‘di na kami nagkakamali. I know we can work on those in training,” said the former league Best Setter.
“Hindi pwedeng na-sweep namin ‘yung first round, ‘yun na ‘yon. So we have to stay in the game and kailangan focus pa rin don sa goal namin na championship.”
