Marck Espejo is confident that Criss Cross will finally break through in the Spikers’ Turf, even if he and other Alas Pilipinas members are pulled out mid-conference.
Runners-up to Cignal in their first three Spikers’ Turf conferences, the King Crunchers are aiming for their first championship in the upcoming 2025 Invitational Conference, which kicks off on October 27, Monday, at the Filoil EcoOil Centre in San Juan.
However, Espejo, along with Kim Malabunga and Eco Adajar, is expected to leave during the peak of the conference as Alas Pilipinas begins preparations for the 33rd Southeast Asian Games, scheduled for early December in Thailand.
“For the past years, umaalis din ako so nagte-training sila non-stop so mas buo talaga sila na Criss Cross na wala ako,” said Espejo, who used to join the King Crunchers late in the conference only after completing his commitments abroad.
“Siguro magiging challenge lang ‘to sa kanila kasi three silver na po, yung hunger and pressure nasa Criss Cross na kailangan this time makuha yung gold,” he continued.
(C) Joaqui Flores/Spikers Turf
During the offseason, the King Crunchers strengthened their roster by acquiring Noel Kampton and Popoy Colinares.
For Espejo, this conference is not just about who has the strongest lineup — it’s about which team proves the most durable and healthiest.
Eight local teams will compete for the championship, while two guest teams — Kindai University of Japan and ProVolley Academy of Australia — will join in the semifinals, adding more excitement to the season-ending conference of the Spikers’ Turf.
“Pero ito pong conference po, medyo short lang din, so kung sino may malakas na katawan, no injuries yun yung aabot siguro. Confident ako na papasok ang Criss Cross sa Final Four.”
The league has also implemented a rule for the unique situation of players being pulled out mid-conference, allowing affected teams to sign replacement players to maintain full rosters.
