Back-to-back champion Criss Cross has bolstered its roster ahead of the next Spikers’ Turf conference with the signing of former UAAP Most Valuable Player Kennedy Batas.
The former Ateneo de Manila University spiker joins a loaded King Crunchers squad led by five-time Spikers’ Turf MVP Jude Garcia, rising star Alche Gupiteo, and veteran Noel Kampton, among several other key contributors.
“Kweenedy has entered the court. From powerful swings to royal flair, the Crunchers’ throne just got a fresh spark,” the team wrote in its announcement on social media.
Criss Cross is coming off a successful title defense in the Open Conference, where it outlasted Savouge in a thrilling three-game Finals series last April.
Prior to that, the King Crunchers captured their first-ever championship in the country’s premier men’s volleyball league after defeating Kindai University of Japan in five sets during the gold medal match of the 2025 Invitational Conference.
(C) UAAP Season 88 Media Team
Batas remains the only player to win the UAAP Men’s Volleyball MVP award since the pandemic who is not named Josh Ybañez, earning the league’s top individual honor in Season 87.
The 6-foot outside hitter strengthens an already formidable wing rotation that includes Garcia, Kampton, Pemie Bagalay, Nico Almendras, Ysay Marasigan, and Jaron Requinton, many of whom are also capable of playing the opposite hitter position.
A native of Santiago, Isabela, Batas spent four seasons with the Ateneo Blue Eagles and led the team to a Final Four appearance in his final campaign during UAAP Season 88.
Following the conclusion of his collegiate career, Batas reflected on his journey with Ateneo in an emotional farewell message, expressing gratitude for the experiences and lessons he gained while representing the Blue Eagles.
“What once started as a simple dream slowly turned into a journey that shaped not just my career, but who I am as a person,” Batas wrote. “Wearing ‘Ateneo’ across my chest was never just about competition. It was about learning how to rise after every fall, how to keep going even when it’s hard, and how to give everything you have for something greater than yourself.”
The former MVP emphasized that the most valuable takeaway from his time in Ateneo extends beyond volleyball.
“More than volleyball, what’s more important is the character formation that came along with this journey,” he said.
Batas also thanked his teammates, coaches, friends, family, and supporters who stood by him throughout his collegiate career before bidding farewell to the school that became his home.
“As what a famous cartoon character once said, ‘How lucky I am to have something that makes saying goodbye so hard.’ Indeed, I am truly lucky,” he wrote.
“If this is the end of the chapter, I’m so proud of how the story was written. Salamat, mahal kong Ateneo!”
