Cignal defied the odds and dismantled Criss Cross’ aura of invincibility, emerging victorious in a pulse-pounding five-set war, 22-25, 25-19, 22-25, 25-21, 15-12, to inch closer to retaining its crown in the 2025 Spikers’ Turf Open Conference Finals, Wednesday night at the Rizal Memorial Coliseum.
After suffering three painful defeats to the same powerhouse squad earlier in the conference, the HD Spikers found redemption at the perfect moment.
Jau Umandal delivered in the clutch, leading the HD Spikers to snap the King Crunchers’ dominant 13-game winning streak and come within striking distance of a historic three-peat in the tournament organized by Sports Vision.
“Yun ang very commendable, ‘yung puso talaga, ‘yung laban. Kasi ‘yung skills, halos parehas eh. Maybe lamang pa nga sila, but siguro mas malaki ‘yung heart namin, ‘yung champion spirit na meron kami,” said Cignal head coach Dexter Clamor.
(C) Spikers Turf Images
Riding the momentum from an impressive fourth-set performance that forced a deciding frame, the HD Spikers stormed to a 5-1 lead in the fifth, leaving Criss Cross scrambling for answers.
But the King Crunchers refused to back down, trimming the deficit to one before tying the game at 11, thanks to the efforts of Nico Almendras, Jude Garcia, and Marck Espejo — who scored off a cross-court hit, blocked Steven Rotter, and broke through the defense, respectively.
Umandal ended the dry spell for Cignal with a perfectly executed off-the-block attack, but Espejo quickly countered to knot the score at 12.
From there, Umandal took charge. He delivered a blistering cross-court attack before smartly tipping the ball over for match point. Garcia attempted to keep Criss Cross alive, but his attack failed to clear the net, sealing the King Crunchers’ first defeat of the season.
“Ini-aim talaga namin na manalo kami this game. Pinaghandaan namin siya. ‘Yung sacrifices nandun, pero hindi pa tapos. Kailangan naming mas magtrabaho pa,” said Umandal.
The former league MVP led Cignal with 19 points, while JP Bugaoan — who suffered cramps in the fourth set and was taken to the locker room — still finished with 16 points despite not returning to the court.
Rotter contributed 13 markers, while Wendel Miguel chipped in nine points and seven excellent digs in the two-hour, 16-minute battle.
Cian Silang, who replaced starting setter Owa Retamar from the second set onward, dished out 23 excellent sets.
Vince Lorenzo anchored the floor defense with 37 excellent receptions and five excellent digs, bringing Cignal within reach of a three-peat in the tournament backed by ArenaPlus and Mikasa.
Cignal will look to clinch the championship on Friday at 6:00 PM at the Philsports Arena in Pasig.
(C) Spikers Turf Images
On the other side, reigning MVP Jude Garcia led Criss Cross with 21 points off 19 attacks and two blocks. Espejo added 15 points, including 13 attacks and two rejections, along with six excellent digs.
Almendras had 13 points and 21 excellent receptions, while Kim Malabunga chipped in 10 points.
Setter Ish Polvorosa orchestrated the offense with 32 excellent sets and two points, while Manuel Sumanguid patrolled the backline with 17 excellent digs and 21 excellent receptions.
