Marck Espejo believes Criss Cross King Crunchers have what it takes to finally achieve a breakthrough in the Spikers’ Turf — even if he and other key players will be pulled out mid-conference for national team duties with Alas Pilipinas.

Runners-up to Cignal in their first three conferences in the country’s first men’s volleyball league, the King Crunchers are determined to end their streak of silver finishes and capture their long-awaited first championship in the 2025 Invitational Conference, which fires off Monday at the Filoil EcoOil Arena in San Juan.

However, Espejo, Kim Malabunga and Eco Adajar are expected to leave the squad midway through the tournament once Alas Pilipinas begins its buildup for the 33rd Southeast Asian Games, set for early December in Thailand.

“For the past years when I left, they continue to train. Criss Cross remains a solid team even without me,” Espejo said. 

“I think it’s going to be more challenging for them because we’ve settled for the silver thrice. The hunger and pressure is on Criss Cross this time. We need to win the gold.” 

To strengthen their campaign, Criss Cross bolstered its lineup in the off-season with the acquisition of Noel Kampton and Popoy Colinares, additions expected to enhance the team’s depth and scoring options.

For Espejo, the upcoming tournament won’t just be about firepower — it will test endurance and resilience.

“This conference is short so whoever will stay healthy will make it. I’m confident that Criss Cross will advance to the Final Four,” Espejo added.

Eight local squads, led by Cignal, will battle for the title, while two guest teams — Kindai University (Japan) and ProVolley Academy (Australia) — will join the semifinal stage to spice up the competition in the season-ending conference organized by Sports Vision.

Given the unusual situation of players being called up for national duty mid-conference, the league has introduced a special rule allowing affected teams to sign replacement players to fill their rosters and maintain competitive balance.