Spikers’ Turf: Criss Cross hands their D’Navigators’ first loss

Criss Cross King Crunchers’ Jude Garcia in the Spikers’ Turf Open Conference.

MANILA, Philippines — Criss Cross dealt D’Navigators’ first defeat, 25-20, 20-25, 32-30, 25-14, to extend its unbeaten run to four games in the Spikers’ Turf Open Conference on Wednesday night at Paco Arena.

Despite coming off a long layoff, Jude Garcia managed to deliver a stellar performance for the King Crunchers, firing 19 points on 17 attacks and two blocks.

“Sobrang saya kasi after ng break nung Holy Week, andun pa rin yung composure namin sa game,” said Garcia after the grueling near-two-hour clash of power game.

READ: Criss Cross’ Jude Garcia hardly missing beat in indoor return

Criss Cross tied Cignal at the helm with identical 4-0 records, setting the stage for what could be an epic encounter between the league’s only unbeaten teams on Sunday at Philsports Arena in Pasig City.

SCHEDULE: 2024 Spikers’ Turf Open Conference

Kim Malabunga tallied 11 points on seven attacks and four blocks. Pemie Bagalay, who took the Player of the Game honors, had 11 points and 11 excellent receptions.

The D’Navigators dropped to 4-1 with Saura scoring 18 points on 16 attacks and two blocks on top of six excellent digs.

PGJC-Navy wins four straight

PGJC-Navy Sealions in the Spikers’ Turf Open Conference.

Meanwhile, PGJC-Navy narrowly escaped disaster but recovered its composure to fend off Savouge Aesthetics in a five-set thriller, 27-25, 28-26, 22-25, 16-25, 15-11, and extend its win run to four.

While the Sealions struggled defensively, they managed to respond to the challenge in the decider and pounded out the grueling two-hour, 26-minute victory for provisional hold of the third spot at 4-1.

Joeven Dela Vega  unloaded a game-high 27 points for the Sealions, powered by 24 attacks, two blocks, and an ae.

“Doon kami nag-lapse sa depensa nung third at fourth sets. Naging complacent,” said Navy coach George Pascua, reflecting on his wards’ performance.

Forced to rebound in the fifth, the Sealions surged to a five-point lead with Dela Vega, Greg Dolor, and Louie Pudadera combining for a decisive 6-1 run that shattered a 5-all count.

“Satisfied naman, sabi ko nga kahit anong set importante manalo kami. Sabi ko ‘wag silang maging kampante kasi yung kalaban mas bata, mas aggressive. So kailangan tiyagain sa floor defense,” added Pascua.

Dolor contributed 17 points, all on attacks, while Peter Quiel and Lioc added 13 and 11 points, respectively. Lioc also finished with 10 excellent receptions and four excellent digs in a superb all-around game.

The Sealions try to stretch their streak to five when they face the VNS-Nasty Griffins on Sunday at the Philsports Arena.