Kim Malabunga had been here before—the same stage, the same height at the net, and the same split-second decision that once turned into heartbreak. This time, though, he refused to let history repeat itself.
On a tense Sunday night at the Filoil Centre, the veteran middle blocker delivered the final, defining plays as Criss Cross outlasted Savouge in a gripping Game 3 showdown, 28-26, 25-17, 26-28, 25-23, to clinch the 2026 Spikers’ Turf Open Conference crown. And at the center of it all was Malabunga—steadying himself when everything around him felt familiar in the worst possible way.
The finish came down to nerves and timing. With the fourth set hanging in a 23-all deadlock, Malabunga slipped through Savouge’s block for a quick attack that pushed the King Crunchers to championship point. But even that wasn’t enough to end it cleanly. Savouge answered back, forcing one final rally at the net—one final test against a memory Malabunga could never fully erase.
Then came the moment.
As Louie Ramirez rose for what could have extended the match, Malabunga met him in the air and shut the door with a decisive block—the kind of play that sealed not just a title, but something far more personal.
For Malabunga, the scene was a painful echo of 2025, when a similar attempt at the net during the FIVB Men’s Volleyball World Championship ended in controversy and collapse for Alas Pilipinas against Iran. What initially looked like a game-winning block was wiped out after a net touch was called upon review, flipping celebration into disbelief and eventually a five-set defeat that denied the Philippines a historic breakthrough.
That moment lingered long after the final whistle. It resurfaced in quiet reflections, in self-blame, even in humor—once jokingly calling his national team jersey his “multo” during a Halloween stint. But in this championship run with Criss Cross, Malabunga finally faced it head-on.
“Yung last two points na ‘yon, sobrang kinakabahan ako kasi naalala ko ‘yung nangyari dati sa World Championship,” he admitted, recalling how doubt crept in right before the biggest defensive sequence of the match.
Even so, he found grounding in his teammates, who refused to let him drift into hesitation. Instead of folding under pressure, he leaned into their trust—and into the moment.
There was still fear, he confessed, but there was also clarity: he couldn’t let the past dictate the present.
This time, when he went up, he made sure everything was clean. No hesitation. No unnecessary risk. Just execution.
“Sinigurado ko ‘yon,” he said simply. And when the referee signaled the point stood, there was no reversal waiting in the shadows—only certainty, celebration, and a long-awaited release.
At last, the ghost at the net was answered—not with avoidance, but with a block that closed the loop.
