Nothing beats a championship that has to be earned the hard way.
For Jude Garcia, that meant a Finals series where Criss Cross had to survive every swing of momentum, fend off a relentless Savouge side, and dig deep in the most pressure-filled moments just to capture the 2026 Spikers’ Turf Open Conference crown.
“Sobrang sarap sa pakiramdam talaga kasi sabi ko nga sa mga teammates ko sa third and fourth sets, walang madaling binibigay sa amin si Lord,” said Garcia, who took home his fifth Conference MVP award along with the Best Opposite Spiker and Finals MVP honors.
“Kailangan talaga naming paghirapan every point and every set. Pag pinaghihirapan ‘yan, mas sumasarap ang championship, kaya nakuha namin ‘yung game kanina,” he added.
The three-game championship series was anything but smooth for Garcia and Criss Cross.
They opened with a 25-20, 26-28, 25-18, 25-20 victory in Game 1, where they looked in control for most stretches, relying on structure and composure to draw first blood and move closer to a second straight title.
However, Savouge quickly responded in Game 2, flipping the momentum with a commanding 25-22, 25-21, 25-19 win to level the series. The match saw Garcia limited to just 10 points as the Spin Doctors neutralized much of his offensive impact.
(C) Spikers Turf Images
As expected, Game 3 proved to be the toughest test, with both teams trading blows in a tightly-contested battle that pushed nearly every set to the limit.
But when the pressure peaked, the 27-year-old rose to the occasion, unleashing a 27-point explosion to power the King Crunchers to a 28-26, 25-17, 26-28, 25-23 victory and their first-ever Open Conference title.
“Talagang ‘yun na ‘yung Criss Cross.
“Last interview ko, sinabi ni Sir Jonathan Ng sa amin, ‘yung team owner namin, ipakita niyo talaga kung sino ‘yung Criss Cross — hindi kayo ‘yung naglaro ng Game 2 ng finals.’’ ‘Yun ‘yung pinakita namin talaga sa Game 3 ngayon, kaya nakuha namin ‘yung championship,” he added.
The triumph could signal the start of a Criss Cross dynasty, as the King Crunchers now hold back-to-back titles across conferences and continue to establish themselves as the team to beat moving forward.
For Garcia, however, they’re taking nothing for granted.
While the results point to sustained success, he believes the group still has to earn everything that comes next, one season at a time — and this grueling conference only reinforced that nothing will come easy.
“Nagsisimula pa lang kami,” said the former FEU standout.
“Yun ‘yung masasabi ko kasi hindi namin masasabi na ito na ‘yung dynasty namin, so kailangan talaga naming trabahuhin every season na darating sa amin. Kailangan talaga naming paghirapan lahat.”
