Criss Cross, Cignal aim to fuel finals drive

Games today:

(Filoil EcoOil Arena)

4 p.m. — Savouge vs Criss Cross

6 p.m. — Hyogo vs Cignal

Powerhouse Criss Cross and Cignal face separate foes today, looking to seal their spots in the Spikers’ Turf Invitational Conference finals at the FilOil EcoOil Arena.

Brimming with confidence following a thrilling four-set triumph over the HD Spikers last Sunday, the King Crunchers are tipped to go all out in their 4 p.m. match against Savouge to keep their unbeaten semis record and formally secure their place in the finals encounter.

But Savouge will not go down without putting up a fight.

The Spin Doctors bounced back from an early loss to Cignal with a commanding straight-set win over Kondohgumi Hyogo last Friday, giving the will and the confidence to face a Criss Cross squad that is playing like a well-oiled machine.

Despite their renewed confidence, the Spin Doctors will need to dig deep to stop the formidable Criss Cross squad.

Even if the King Crunchers falter against Savouge, they will have another chance to clinch a finals spot when they face the winless Japanese team on Friday.

Meanwhile, Cignal looks to shake off Sunday’s loss and solidify its finals bid as it takes on Kondohgumi Hyogo at 6 p.m.

The young Japanese squad has yet to win a set in the semis, making this a golden opportunity for the HD Spikers to bounce back and stay in contention in the season-ending tournament of the league organized by Sports Vision.

Fans are already anticipating a Criss Cross-Cignal rematch in the finals — a repeat of last May’s Open Conference championship series, where the HD Spikers swept the King Crunchers in a best-of-three duel.

This time, however, the title will be decided in a high-stakes, one-game knockout match on Sunday at the Philsports Arena in Pasig.

Jude Garcia, who tallied an impressive 25 points against Cignal, will lead the King Crunchers’ offensive arsenal, supported by Ysay Marasigan, Nico Almendras, Gian Glorioso and Kim Malabunga.

Garcia, the reigning Open Conference Most Valuable Player, emphasized the importance of staying cautious despite their semifinal victory over the HD Spikers.

He said the season is far from over and stressed that the team still needs to maintain their focus and commitment to achieve their ultimate goal.

“Of course, it’s not yet over,” Garcia said following their victory over Cignal.

“We really need to work hard every game, every point. We need to work hard to get us to 100 percent and we should start it in training.”

For Savouge, coach Sydney Calderon will lean on Hero Austria, Giles Torres, Shawie Caritativo and JD Diwa to stage an upset and fuel their own finals drive in the tournament supported by ArenaPlus, Mikasa and Alpha Insurance and Surety Company.

Calderon believes that for the Spin Doctors to have a legitimate shot at advancing to the final round, the team must significantly elevate their offensive performance and consistency.

“We need to further polish our offense,” Calderon said.