Gian Glorioso and Pemmie Bagalay put on a blocking clinic in the fifth set as Criss Cross outlasted Savouge in a five-set thriller, 22-25, 25-15, 23-25, 25-18, 15-7, securing their fourth straight win in the 2025 Spikers’ Turf Open Conference on Sunday night at the Rizal Memorial Coliseum.
Glorioso and Bagalay dominated above the net, stifling the Spin Doctors’ offense in the deciding frame. The two helped the King Crunchers rally from a 1-2 set deficit and remain unbeaten at 4-0 in the tournament organized by Sports Vision.
Riding the momentum from a dominant fourth-set win, Glorioso delivered three kill blocks, while Bagalay added two in a scorching 6-0 start that set the tone for Criss Cross in the winner-take-all fifth set.
The King Crunchers traded blows with Savouge early on, but Bagalay sparked a crucial 3-0 surge with a cross-court hit before sealing it with a rejection, giving his squad a commanding 13-5 lead — one the Spin Doctors never recovered from.
(C) Spikers Turf Images
“Sobrang saya kasi talagang tinrabaho nila, kumbaga ‘yung spot na binigay ni coach Tai (Bundit) sa kanila, tinrabaho nila. Si Pemmie kahit ‘di starter, makikita mo sa kanya ‘yung eagerness niya mag-contribute sa team,” said reigning Open Conference MVP Jude Garcia.
“Gusto talaga nilang manalo. Kudos talaga sa kanila,” he added.
Garcia spearheaded the King Crunchers’ balanced offensive attack with 22 points on 20 attacks, one ace, and one block. He also contributed 15 excellent receptions and five digs.
Kim Malabunga and Jaron Requinton added 14 markers each, while Glorioso finished with 12 points, highlighted by six blocks.
Bagalay and Nico Almendras — who also recorded 24 excellent receptions — chipped in 10 and nine points, respectively, in the two-hour, three-minute match, which was also supported by Arena Plus and Mikasa.
Setter Ish Polvorosa orchestrated the offense with 26 excellent sets, while Manuel Sumanguid tallied 11 excellent digs.
Criss Cross joined defending champion and rival Cignal at the top of the standings with identical 4-0 records.
The King Crunchers will face the HD Spikers in a highly-anticipated rematch of the Open and Invitational Conference finals on Wednesday at 6:00 PM at the Filoil EcoOil Centre.
(C) Spikers Turf Images
On the other hand, Savouge failed to capitalize on its 2-1 set lead, slipping to 2-2 and settling for third place in the standings.
Giles Torres led the Spin Doctors with 14 points, including eight attacks, four blocks, and two aces.
Sherwin Caritativo and Mark Calado contributed 13 points each, with Caritativo also recording 16 excellent receptions in the loss.
John Michael Paglaon dished out 21 excellent sets along with two points, while Rikko Marmeto anchored the floor defense with 22 excellent receptions and four digs.
Savouge will look to bounce back against VNS-Laticrete on Wednesday at 3:00 PM.
