Gian Glorioso is ready to step up for Criss Cross whenever his number is called.
When the King Crunchers needed someone to fill the big shoes left by injured starter Kim Malabunga, the middle blocker rose to the occasion to help his squad finish on top of the 2024 Spikers’ Turf Invitational Conference standings after the elimination round.
Glorioso’s pair of exceptional performances propelled the semifinal-bound Criss Cross to a league-best 8-1 win-loss record.
The 6-foot-4 star sizzled with 15 points on eight attacks, five blocks, and two aces in the King Crunchers’ 25-8, 25-13, 25-7 sweep of the also-ran Chichi DHTSI Brotherhood on Wednesday at Ynares Sports Arena in Pasig City.
The Ateneo de Manila University product followed it up four days later with a 10-point outing highlighted by three kill blocks to power Criss Cross in trouncing fellow semifinalists, Savouge Spin Doctors, 25-22, 25-21, 25-22, at FilOil EcoOil Centre in San Juan.
Leading Criss Cross to its second straight semifinal appearance since joining the premier men’s volleyball league in the Open Conference was enough for Glorioso to earn the nod as the Spikers’ Turf Press Corps Player of the Week presented by Pilipinas Live for the period of 25 November to 1 December.
“Our goal is to win the championship. That’s all. I just want to do my best to help the team in any way that I can,” Glorioso said.
Glorioso was unanimously voted by print and online reporters covering the beat for the weekly honors over his teammate Nico Almendras, Cignal’s Mark Calado, Eugene Gloria of EcoOil-La Salle, PGJC-Navy’s Greg Dolor and Savouge’s Shawie Caritativo.
Glorioso became the second King Cruncher to receive the recognition after his teammate Jude Garcia won back-to-back in the previous weeks of the season-ending tournament.