Game 2 heroes Jaron Requinton and Marck Espejo drew energy from sister team Creamline during their do-or-die clash against Cignal in the 2025 Spikers’ Turf Open Conference Finals last Wednesday.
The Cool Smashers, led by team captain Alyssa Valdez, made their way to the Philsports Arena in Pasig to show full support for the King Crunchers, who were aiming to bounce back after losing Game 1 to the defending champions.
Creamline stood behind the Criss Cross bench in the fifth set, cheering loudly and providing the emotional lift the team needed to push through the final stretch of their must-win battle against the HD Spikers.
“Yung pag-cheer nila sa likod namin sa bench nung nasa labas ako, sobrang nakaka-lift sila ng morale. Kumbaga, kung tahimik kami sa labas, sa bench, ‘pag naririnig namin sila, napapaingay din kami. Parang domino effect ba. Yung energy nila, nata-transfer din sa’min,” Espejo shared after their 25-20, 25-15, 18-25, 22-25, 15-12 win.
After playing limited minutes in the first four sets, Espejo subbed in early for Nico Almendras in the fifth. He contributed two of four points during a 5-1 run that shifted the momentum from a 4-7 deficit to a slim 9-8 lead.
Espejo revealed that Valdez and the rest of the Cool Smashers visited them in their room the night before Game 2, delivering an inspirational message that reminded them of their purpose and gave them the extra push they needed to stay focused.
(C) Spikers Turf
“Before pa naman, last night, pumunta sa room namin sila Alyssa [Valdez]. Kinausap kami, binigyan kami ng mga motivational wisdom. From dun, nakakuha kami ng morale. Mas tumaas pa yung feeling namin na feel namin, para sa’min talaga ‘tong [conference] na ‘to,” Espejo said.
Meanwhile, Requinton admitted it still felt surreal to see Creamline’s unwavering support, describing it as a full-circle moment as a longtime fan of Valdez.
“Sakin po, idol ko si Ate Ly tsaka siyempre most of the Creamline girls. Nae-excite ako maglaro this day kasi alam kong maglalaro sila. So wala, super duper inspired ako maglaro kasi pinapanood nila ako,” Requinton said.
Seeing Valdez and the rest of the team cheering from the sidelines helped the 24-year-old opposite hitter shake off his nerves and deliver back-to-back clutch hits that broke an 11-all deadlock and gave Criss Cross a 13-11 lead — one the HD Spikers would not recover from.
“Parang baliktad na ‘yung nangyari ngayon. Dati sila ‘yung pinapanood tas ngayon, halos buong team silang nanonood sila samin,” said Requinton, who finished with 17 points after being limited to just five in Game 1.
Despite securing the crucial Game 2 win, Espejo and Requinton are fully aware that the HD Spikers will not go down without a fight in the winner-take-all Game 3, bracing themselves for an all-out battle on the court.
“Tatrabahuin pa rin namin kasi yung Cignal naman, di naman basta-bastang bibigay ‘to. Champion team pa rin ‘to kahit anong mangyari. Sabi nga nila, ibang kwento na ‘tong finals.”
