Spin Doctors End King Crunchers' 14-Game Streak in Thrilling Five-Set Victory

Savouge finally cracked the code to their Criss Cross problem.

After years of near-misses, the Spin Doctors broke through in dramatic fashion, outlasting the King Crunchers in a five-set thriller, 25-22, 19-25, 20-25, 25-23, 15-13, to open their semifinals campaign in the 2026 Spikers’ Turf Open Conference on Wednesday night at the Filoil Centre.

This long-awaited victory ended a nine-game losing streak against Criss Cross and snapped the King Crunchers' impressive 14-game win streak that dated back to last season’s Invitational Conference semifinals. It also handed the previously undefeated team its first loss of the tournament.

For head coach Sydney Calderon, the win was both a relief and a moment of significance after several near-misses in previous encounters.

“It was very emotional for me because, after so many seasons of being almost there, we finally did it. We’ve broken the curse, so to speak,” said Calderon. “I told the team to forget about the eliminations. In the semifinals, it’s all about the real battle, and we only get one shot at them, so we gave it our all.”

Savouge’s success was a result of a total team effort, with playmaker Vince Imperial orchestrating the offense. Imperial registered 25 excellent sets and added seven points, expertly distributing the ball to six teammates who finished with double-digit points.

The Spin Doctors displayed remarkable composure in the tense fifth set, going back and forth with the King Crunchers. Shawie Caritativo delivered a crucial crosscourt hit to bring Savouge to match point at 14-12, but Jude Garcia answered with a powerful attack to keep Criss Cross alive.

In the next rally, Imperial set up veteran hitter Mark Calado, who broke through a tough double block to deliver the match-winning crosscourt strike.

Calado led the team with 14 points, while Giles Torres added 13. Caritativo and Louie Ramirez contributed 12 points each, with Ramirez making key plays off the bench during the final set.

JP Bugaoan anchored the defense with six kill blocks, contributing 11 points, while Joeven Dela Vega added 10. Libero Rikko Marmeto was outstanding on the backline, finishing with 32 excellent receptions and seven digs.

With this victory, Savouge now shares the top spot in the semifinals standings with AEP-Cabstars at 1-0, setting up an important showdown for early control of a finals spot.

On the other hand, Garcia led Criss Cross with a game-high 29 points, while Alche Gupiteo and Noel Kampton added 18 and 16 points, respectively, in the team's first loss of the conference.

Savouge will look to build on this momentum when they face AEP-Cabstars on Friday at 3 p.m., while Criss Cross will aim to bounce back against Alpha Insurance later that day at 5 p.m.

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