Kim Malabunga stared down a familiar ghost — and this time, he did not blink.
In a moment heavy with memory and pressure, the veteran middle blocker delivered when it mattered most. And he turned past heartbreak into redemption as he anchored Criss Cross’s championship-clinching victory over Savouge in Game 3 of the 2026 Spikers’ Turf Open Conference Finals on Sunday at the Filoil Centre.
The decisive sequence came in the closing stretch of the fourth set, when the Spin Doctors refused to go away as the tension peaked. Malabunga stepped up at the net, first breaking a 23-all deadlock with a crucial quick attack that put the King Crunchers at match point.
But Savouge still had one last push, forcing Criss Cross to finish the job at the net. There, Malabunga rose once more and delivered the championship-clinching block on Louie Ramirez — an image that mirrored a painful moment that had haunted him, and the entire Philippine volleyball community, for months.
“Actually, yung last two points na ‘yon, sobrang kinakabahan ako nung time na ‘yon. Kasi parang naalala ko yung last time na ako yung nasa loob during the World Championship,” said the 29-year-old middle blocker after the 28-26, 25-17, 26-28, 25-23 win.
That winning moment brought him back to the 2025 FIVB Men’s Volleyball World Championship, where a similar sequence at the net ended in heartbreak for Malabunga and Alas Pilipinas against Iran in the group stage. A potential game-winning block was ruled invalid due to a net touch.
With a ticket to the Round of 16 within reach, Malabunga went up for an emphatic block on Ali Haghparast. It sparked wild celebrations from the SM Mall of Asia Arena crowd and the entire Alas Pilipinas squad, who believed they had sealed the victory.
However, Iran challenged the play, and after review, the point was overturned when replays showed Malabunga’s right hand had grazed the net. The match continued, momentum shifted, and the Filipinos ultimately faded in a marathon five-set loss.
Deflated by the overturned call, Alas Pilipinas could not recover. Iran held its composure and closed out the match, 21-25, 25-21, 17-25, 25-23, 22-20, denying the Philippines a historic Round of 16 breakthrough.
That moment never left Malabunga.
(C) Spikers Turf Images
He carried the weight of it long after, owning the mistake in silence as it lingered in his mind — even surfacing in lighter moments, like when he wore a national team jersey for Halloween and jokingly referred to it as his “multo.”
But in the championship moment with Criss Cross, some of that burden finally began to lift. Redemption arrived not in words, but in a block at the net that closed the loop on a memory he had carried for months.
“Inaalala ko na baka mag-error ako, paano ‘yung team? Pero dahil tinulungan nila ako, yung mga nasa loob kanina, na-motivate nila ako na kailangan ko lang mag-perform para matulungan sila at magtulungan kami,” said Malabunga, who made the decisive play with Alas Pilipinas coach Angiolino Frigoni watching from the sidelines.
“Inisip ko kasi na baka mag-error pa rin ako, na baka madamay ang team at ma-down sila. Inisip ko na lang na kailangan ko lang lagpasan ‘yung takot na ‘yon kasi natatakot na ako kanina. Takot na takot ako kanina,” he added.
Fully aware of what had happened before, Malabunga made sure not to relive the same ending. He stayed disciplined and composed in the moment the match demanded it most, carving out a finish he would come to cherish forever.
This time, there was no doubt. The point stood — and so did he.
“Sinigurado ko ‘yon, sinigurado ko ‘yon. Kahit i-replay dahan-dahan ‘yung talon ko noon — sobrang dahan-dahan ‘yon. Kasi medyo may trauma talaga ‘yung last time. So pinilit kong ‘di mangyari ulit para sa kanila.”
