Noel Kampton experienced both sides of the emotional roller coaster in Criss Cross’ thrilling reverse-sweep victory over rival Savouge, nearly giving away the match with a costly violation before redeeming himself as the King Crunchers escaped with a 22-25, 18-25, 25-16, 25-22, 16-14 win in the 2026 Spikers’ Turf Invitational Conference on Wednesday night at the Filoil EcoOil Centre.
With Criss Cross on the brink of completing the comeback, Kampton found himself at the center of a dramatic fifth set that tested his composure as much as his firepower.
The 26-year-old winger put the King Crunchers at match point, 14-12, with a cross-court hit, but Hero Austria kept the Spin Doctors alive by saving one. Kampton then appeared to finish the job with another blistering kill, immediately crossing the court to celebrate with the Criss Cross faithful.
However, the celebration was short-lived.
(C) Spikers Turf Images
Savouge challenged the play for a possible centerline violation, and the review instead caught Kampton committing the infraction, wiping out the point and forcing the deciding set into a 14-all deadlock.
With the match back in the balance, Kampton quickly made amends with a down-the-line hit to restore Criss Cross’ match point before Lloyd Josafat delivered an emphatic block on JP Bugaoan to finally seal the come-from-behind victory.
Kampton let his emotions spill over once more after Josafat’s game-winning block, unleashing another emphatic celebration that drew the ire of some Savouge players.
The winger later apologized, explaining that he had simply been caught up in the moment. He stressed that his outburst was not directed at his opponents but was an expression of his frustration over the earlier call.
“First of all, props to Savouge kasi first and second set, nag-struggle kami kasi ang ganda ng serve nila eh. Napag-aralan talaga kami ng Savouge. Emotions lang talaga ng fifth set ‘yun. Pasensya na po ulit,” said Kampton, who finished with 15 points in the two-hour, three-minute match.
“Ano lang, siguro mixed emotions. Kasi sa buong career ko, first time ko lang maglaro ng fifth set na ‘yung may chance kaming maka-reverse sweep. Ayun, medyo na-frustrate lang ako sa call kasi ‘yun nga, bumagsak na ‘yung bola, but in the end, natawag pa rin. Pero ‘yun ‘yung beauty of sports, mali ko rin ‘yun. After nun, ‘yung pagka-point ko ulit, kasi sabi ko hindi puwedeng maging multo ‘to,” he added.
Jude Garcia led the King Crunchers with 25 points on 21 attacks, three aces, and one kill block as Criss Cross improved to 2-0, joining Far Eastern University-DN Steel and ClearSkiiin in a three-way tie atop the standings of the tournament organized by Sports Vision.
Newcomers Amil Pacinio and Ariel Cacao, who both started in the final three sets, also stepped up in the tightly contested victory. Pacinio finished with 13 points on 10 attacks and three blocks, while Cacao tallied 22 excellent sets and three points.
Criss Cross will look to extend its winning streak to three games when it takes on Alpha Insurance on Sunday at 5 p.m. at the same venue.
(C) Spikers Turf Images
Meanwhile, the revamped Spin Doctors have endured a difficult start to the Invitational Conference, dropping their first two games to fall to 0-2.
Mark Calado paced Savouge with 27 points on 25 attacks, one ace, and one block in the losing effort, while Louie Ramirez chipped in 20 points.
Cian Silang dished out 30 excellent sets and added five excellent receptions, while Vince Lorenzo recorded 27 excellent receptions and 10 excellent digs.
Savouge will look to secure its first win when it faces 3B on Sunday at 1 p.m.
