Criss Cross will enter the semifinals riding a red-hot six-game winning streak, while also-rans La Salle-EcoOil and D’Navigators Iloilo closed their respective campaigns with victories on the final day of the 2024 Spikers’ Turf Invitational Conference eliminations, Saturday at the Filoil EcoOil Centre.
The King Crunchers received the perfect boost ahead of the Final Four, clinching the top seed with a straight-sets win over fellow semifinalist Savouge, 25-22, 25-21, 25-22.
Criss Cross finished the eliminations with an 8-1 record, tying with Cignal, but its superior points allowed them to secure the top spot heading to the five-team, round-robin semifinals.
Nico Almendras played his best game yet in a King Crunchers uniform, scoring a game-high 19 points on 15 attacks, three aces, and one kill block in the one-hour, 31-minute victory.
“Importante sa amin ‘tong panalo na ‘to kasi ‘yun nga, magkakalaban pa kami sa semis so siguro kung ano ‘yung nilaro namin ngayon, mapapanood naman namin ‘yun and syempre mapapagaralan din,” said the former National University star.
Trailing by a solitary point late in the third frame, Criss Cross benefitted from four consecutive errors from the Spin Doctors–which gave them a 22-19 advantage.
Louis Gamban and Deanne De Pedro kept Savouge alive with back-to-back conversions, but Jude Garcia responded with a back-row hit to keep them at bay. Giles Torres then delivered a quick attack, narrowing the King Crunchers’ lead to 22-23.
Unforced errors continued to plague the Spin Doctors late, including a miscommunication on a receive that allowed Francis Saura to convert an attack, bringing Criss Cross to match point. Gian Glorioso then sealed the win with a quick attack.
“Masasabi ko lang is ‘yung tinraining namin lumabas lang ngayong game. Kung ano ‘yung adjustments na nakita ng mga coaches, siguro ‘yun ‘yung tatrabahuhin namin,” said Almendras.
Glorioso’s consistency was once again on display, scoring 10 points, which included three blocks, while Garcia had 10 markers as well to go along with 10 excellent receptions and four excellent digs.
Ish Polvorosa steered the offense with 19 excellent sets, while Rex Intal contributed eight markers.
On the other hand, Savouge will enter the semifinals as the fourth seed after sliding to a 6-3 record.
Norwel Sanama had an efficient scoring display, converting 15 of his 25 attack attempts while also getting two blocks and one ace to finish with a team-best 18 points. Torres added 11 markers in the loss.
(C) Spikers Turf Images
In the second match of the day, La Salle-EcoOil snapped its four-game losing streak with a straight-sets victory over VNS, 25-19, 25-22, 25-18, to conclude its campaign on a winning note.
The Green Oilers managed to salvage a fifth-place finish by defeating the Griffins, improving their record to 5-4, tied with PGJC-Navy. They secured the fifth spot due to a superior set ratio over the Sealions, who got knocked down to sixth.
With Noel Kampton out, Eugene Gloria filled in and impressed with 13 points, all from attacks, while Vince Maglinao tallied 11 markers on eight attacks and three kill blocks for La Salle in the one-hour, 11-minute contest.
What began as a promising campaign for the Green Oilers quickly took a disappointing turn, as their four-game winning streak to start the tournament was followed by four consecutive losses, ultimately eliminating them from Final Four contention.
“Lahat ng lessons na natutunan namin dito dadalhin namin preparing for the UAAP,” said DLSU head coach Jose Roque.
The Griffins, led by CJ Segui’s 16 points, ended their campaign in seventh place with a 3-6 record.
Meanwhile, D’Navigators Iloilo closed their campaign with a triumphant performance, ending a seven-game losing streak by defeating Martelli Meats in straight sets, 25-17, 25-14, 25-20.
Kyle Villamor delivered 11 points on nine attacks and two blocks to lead the D’Navigators’ balanced offensive strike. He also had 12 excellent receptions and five excellent digs to round out his all-around play.
