The Savouge Spin Doctors flipped the power dynamic in emphatic fashion, sweeping the once-mighty Criss Cross King Crunchers, 25-22, 25-21, 25-19, at the FilOil Centre Friday to force a winner-take-all showdown for the Spikers’ Turf Open Conference crown on Sunday.
From the opening serve, Savouge made it clear this would be a different story. They came out aggressive, composed and locked in – setting the tone early with disciplined net defense, sharp coverage and relentless pressure that forced King Crunchers into mishits and costly miscues.
What transpired was a performance few saw coming.
Savouge thus handed Criss Cross one of its most stinging defeats in recent memory – a statement win that could signal a long-awaited breakthrough for a team that has spent the past three years searching for the right mix of hitters, middle blockers and support pieces.
“Hindi naman ito makukuha ng madali (It’s not going to come easy),” said Mark Calado, echoing the message of coach Sydney Calderon. “Kung gusto naming magkaroon ng Game 3, kailangan pag-hirapan (If we want to force a Game 3, we have to really work for it).”
“Sobrang thankful ako sa mga teammates at coaches, nag-trabaho din sila ng husto (I’m very thankful to my teammates and coaches – they all worked hard as well),” added Calado, who led the Spin Doctors’ assault with 15 points, 14 of them coming from attacks.
Now one win away from their first championship, the power-hitter said the team will double down on training Saturday before heading into Sunday’s winner-take-all match with a focused mindset.
“Nadagdagan lalo kami ng confidence sa panalong ito. Mas pag-iiigihan pa namin sa training and we won’t stop until we get that championship (This win gave us even more confidence. We’ll push even harder in training),” added Calado, who converted 14-of-25 attacks and made one block.
With momentum now on their side, Calado’s words reflect a team not only brimming with confidence but also fully committed to finishing the job.
“Before we started ‘yung actual training namin yesterday, ang naging tanong ko lang sa team is this going to be the last day of our training or are we going to extend it until Saturday and then we go for Game 3 on Sunday. Sagot naman sa’kin lahat ng players gustong-gusto pa rin nila lumaban (Before we started our actual training yesterday, I just asked the team if it was going to be the last day of our training or if we would extend it until Saturday and then play Game 3 on Sunday. All the players answered that they still really wanted to fight),” said Calderon.
“So sabi ko kayang-kaya naman natin so nag-adjust lang talaga kami sa defense patterns and blockings namin. Nilinis lang talaga namin siya in less than 24 hours lang ata namin ‘yun ginawa and good thing talagang ‘yung mga players sobrang tiyaga rin nila sa mga adjustmenst na ginawa ko sa team. Sobrang galing (So I told them we’re more than capable. We just made adjustments to our defensive patterns and blocking. We cleaned things up in less than 24 hours, I think, and it’s a good thing the players were very patient with the adjustments I made for the team. They were really great),” added Calderon.
After dropping Game One in four sets, Savouge returned with purpose and precision. Their adjustments were evident – not just in execution, but in mindset. The team cleaned up its lapses, tightened its system and played with a level of cohesion and aggression that made beating the King Crunchers look not just possible, but inevitable.
“We made the right adjustments after our Game One loss. We were able to address our lapses in certain areas, and it showed in Game 2,” said Savouge assistant coach Macky Cariño.
That reflection showed in every sequence. Savouge dictated tempo, won the brief exchanges, and consistently outworked Criss Cross in crucial moments. Their straight-sets victory wasn’t just dominant – it was commanding.
Off the bench in Game 1, JC Enarciso stepped up in Game 2 with a standout performance, posting 22 excellent sets. His playmaking helped the Spin Doctors achieve better balance on offense, with four players reaching double digits after only two managed the feat in the series’ opener.
With Criss Cross threatening in the third frame, 15-17, Savouge went to Calado, who responded with key hits after key hits to finish the game in straight sets. He scored four of the team’s last eight points to score to complete the one-hour, 24-minute romp.
JP Bugaoan, Louie Ramirez and Giles Torres each scored 10 points while Shawie Caritativo added seven points, 15-of-23 excellent receptions, and six digs.
While the King Crunchers won the net battle with 12 blocks over the Spin Doctors’ nine, the latter dominated the spiking department, 46-35, and had less errors, 13-20.
Four-time MVP Jude Garcia, who exploded for 26 points in Game One, was held to just 10 points on 9-of-25 spikes.
Alche Gupiteo, who did not play last time out, returned with 10 points, 11 receptions, and six digs, while Lloyd Josafat and Jaron Requinton contributed nine points apiece.
