Criss Cross, with Marck Espejo finally getting into the groove, crushed VNS-Laticrete, 25-20, 25-15, 25-11, at the Rizal Memorial Coliseum, moving just one victory away from securing its third consecutive finals appearance in the 2025 Spikers’ Turf Open Conference.

Playing in only his second game with the team after returning from Japan’s V.League, Espejo delivered an outstanding 14-point performance, tallying 10 attacks, two blocks and two aces — nearly tripling his five-point output from his previous match.

He also contributed four excellent digs, helping Criss Cross notch its 12th consecutive victory in the tournament organized by Sports Vision.

“Coming from Japan, I just kept the momentum going. My main adjustment has been the weather and adapting to coach Tai (Bundit’s) training style, which is different from Japan’s,” said Espejo in Filipino, the former league Most Valuable Player, who arrived just last Saturday.

“But with the workload he gives us in training, I was able to adjust quickly.”