Spikers’ Turf: Criss Cross gets morale boost from Creamline girls

Jaron Requinton and the Criss Cross King Crunchers during Game 2 of the Spikers’ Turf Open Conference Finals. –MARLO CUETO/INQUIRER.net

MANILA, Philippines —Drawing inspiration from their sister team Creamline, the Criss Cross King Crunchers lived to fight another day in the Spikers’ Turf Open Conference Finals on Friday at Philsports Arena.

Jaron Requinton, wearing No.2 as a nod to Creamline star Alyssa Valdez, emerged as a hero for the King Crunchers in the neck-and-neck fifth-set duel, drilling two big hits before Kim Malabunga’s game-running attack to extend the finals series to a Game 3 on Sunday at 4 p.m.

READ: Spikers’ Turf Finals: Criss Cross escapes Cignal, forces Game 3

Requinton said he was fired up by the presence of Valdez and the Cool Smashers, who took time from their own PVL Finals preparation against Petro Gazz, to cheer him on.

“I really look up to Ate Ly and, of course, most of the Creamline girls. I get so excited to play because I know they’re watching.It’s funny because I used to watch them, and now they’re the ones watching us,” said Requinton, who finished with 17 points in the  25-20, 25-15, 18-25, 22-25, 15-12 win.

Criss Cross King Crunchers’ Jaron Requinton. –MARLO CUETO/INQUIRER.net

Marck Espejo, who scored four important points in the last two sets he played, shared that Valdez even visited their team before the game to offer words of encouragement after HD Spikers snapped their 13-game unbeaten run in the series opener last Wednesday.

Last night, Alyssa came to our room and gave us a pep talk. That really boosted our morale. It made us feel even more that this conference is really for us,” Espejo said.

READ: Spikers’ Turf: Ish Polvorosa wants no letup from Criss Cross

“We’ll keep working hard because we know Cignal won’t go down without a fight. They’re still a champion team. The finals is a different game.”

With one final chance to dethrone the HD Spikers and capture their first championship, Requinton emphasized the importance of mental toughness and leaving everything on the floor in Game 3.

“I think the main thing I’ll focus on and share with my teammates is how to be mentally tough, both individually and as a team. We just need to stay mentally tough to fight off any doubts or overthinking.”

“If we lose a point, we need to forget about it and move on to the next point. That’s probably the biggest change we need to make for Game 3.”