Criss Cross may have swept archrival Cignal in their two preliminary round encounters in the 2025 Spikers’ Turf Open Conference, but Jaron Requinton reminded his team to never forget history.
The King Crunchers had to endure a frustrating opening set but bounced back in the next three to stun the HD Spikers, 19-25, 25-14, 25-20, 25-19, remaining undefeated on Friday at the Filoil EcoOil Centre in San Juan City.
This victory mirrored Criss Cross’ earlier dominant win over Cignal in the first round, where they secured a convincing 25-23, 25-21, 25-17 sweep.
While their recent victories provide a significant confidence boost, Requinton cautioned his squad against complacency.
“Maganda ito sa confidence namin na natatalo namin ‘yung mga teams na malalakas like Cignal na lagi naming kalaban sa championship,” said Requinton, who led the way with a game-high 18 points.
“Nakaka-boost din siya ng morale, at the same time, dapat matuto rin kami na hindi kami maging complacent sa panalo na ito. Kasi pagdating ng semis, mawawala ito lahat, back to zero lahat.”
(C) Spikers Turf Images
The semifinals will feature a single round-robin format where all teams will start with zero wins and zero losses, rendering the preliminary results irrelevant.
In the 2024 Invitational Conference, Criss Cross claimed victory over Cignal in the semifinals, only for the HD Spikers to exact revenge in the gold medal match with a stunning straight-set triumph.
A similar scenario unfolded in the 2024 Open Conference, where Criss Cross edged Cignal in the semis but faltered in the best-of-three finals, losing in just two games.
“Bawal lang talaga kami maging complacent sa mga bagay-bagay,” asserted Requinton.
Now at 8-0, Criss Cross is just two wins away from sweeping the preliminaries, with matches against PGJC-Navy and Savouge remaining on their schedule.
Although they have already secured a semifinal spot, Requinton emphasized that the King Crunchers will maintain their intensity in their remaining matches.
“Siyempre, ‘yung proper mindset pa rin na dapat palaban pa rin talaga kahit pagod na. It’s all in the mind na lang,” he concluded.
