Criss Cross ace Marck Espejo commended the insatiable hunger for victory from Jau Umandal and the Cignal HD Spikers, after the King Crunchers lost Game One of the 2024 Spikers’ Turf Open Conference Finals.
Late in the second set of the 2024 Spikers’ Turf Open Conference title opener on Wednesday night, Jau Umandal attempted to save a ball from going out of bounds, diving headfirst over the announcer’s table.
Umandal’s risky maneuver did not succeed and it could have resulted in injury, but it sent a clear message to Marck Espejo and the rest of the Criss Cross King Crunchers – the defending champions were willing to risk it all for every single point.
That insatiable hunger spelled all the difference, as the HD Spikers took Game One at the expense of the King Crunchers, 27-25, 23-25, 25-21, 25-19, at the Rizal Memorial Coliseum.
After the tough loss, Espejo could not help but acknowledge the relentless drive of Umandal and the rest of the Cignal squad, who had also come off a heartbreaker to Criss Cross in the semifinals last Sunday.
“Alam naman namin na babawi talaga ‘yung Cignal kasi natalo sila last time, so mas gutom ‘yung Cignal,” conceded Espejo, who poured a team-high 22 points in the losing cause.
“Kita naman sa habol ni Jau kanina sa bola, alam mong gusto talaga nila manalo kesa sa amin.”
For their part, Espejo believes that he and his teammates must adjust their mentality, stressing that Criss Cross did not approach the all-important match the right way.
The well-traveled outside hitter also pointed out the need for the team to rectify their error-prone performance to unleash their full potential on the court. The King Crunchers coughed out more than a set of miscues with 28.
“Siguro ‘yung proper mindset lang siguro na championship game to, na parang kasi minsang isang puntos, dalawang puntos, tatlong puntos pinapalipas namin bago kami maka-recover. So parang hindi dapat ganun,” said Espejo.
“Tsaka errors pa rin talaga. Errors din talaga tumatalo sa amin kaya hindi kami maka-execute ng maayos.”
Criss Cross now faces a must-win situation heading into Game Two of the best-of-three championship series on May 10, Friday.
With their backs against the wall, Espejo and the rest of the King Crunchers aim to rest and reflect before diving into training to sharpen their skills and prepare for the do-or-die game.
“So siguro ‘yun, pahinga muna ulit tapos tignan namin kung anong magiging adjustment namin sa training.”
Game 2 will be aired on One Sports, One Sports+, and the Pilipinas Live app.