Criss Cross star Jude Garcia continues to set a standard no one in the league has been able to match, much less sustain, extending his dominance to a fifth straight Most Valuable Player award to headline the 2026 Spikers’ Turf Open Conference Elite Team.
Just months earlier, Garcia—who also claimed the conference’s Best Opposite Spiker award—had already ventured into unprecedented territory after winning his fourth consecutive MVP in the Invitational Conference, a feat that already seemed difficult to replicate, let alone surpass.
But the 27-year-old outside spiker-turned-opposite has only raised the bar since, seamlessly adapting his game without sacrificing impact. He powered the King Crunchers to a Game 3 victory over Savouge in the finals, securing back-to-back championships while retaining the league’s highest individual honor.
Garcia topped three major statistical categories in the Open Conference, leading in scoring with 201 points on 162 attacks, 27 blocks, and 12 aces. He also ranked first in spiking with a 50.78 percent success rate and first in serving with 0.27 aces per set.
He likewise made his presence felt on defense, placing fourth in blocking at 0.61 per set and eighth in digging at 0.95 per set, underscoring his all-around value beyond scoring.
Garcia was also named Finals MVP after averaging 21.0 points per game in their grueling three-game championship series against the Spin Doctors.
He delivered 26 points in a 25-20, 26-28, 25-18, 25-20 Game 1 win, was limited to 10 points in a 22-25, 21-25, 19-25 Game 2 loss, then erupted for 27 points in Game 3 to seal Criss Cross’ breakthrough Open Conference title.
Meanwhile, Savouge’s Shawie Caritativo and Criss Cross’ Alche Gupiteo were named Best Outside Spikers, with their two-way performances earning them the recognition.
Caritativo secured his third Best Outside Spiker citation after finishing ninth in scoring with 115 points. He ranked fifth in serving at 0.15 aces per set and sixth in spiking with a 40.77 percent success rate, while also placing third in receiving with a 59.15 efficiency mark and tenth in digging at 0.91 per set.
Gupiteo, in his first Spikers’ Turf stint, made an immediate impact by finishing fourth in scoring with 159 points. He ranked third in spiking at 47.19 percent, eighth in serving at 0.11 aces per set, and fifth in receiving with a 55.46 efficiency rating en route to his first Best Outside Spiker award.
JP Bugaoan of the Spin Doctors and Lloyd Josafat of the King Crunchers were named Best Middle Blockers after anchoring their respective teams with steady presence at the net.
Bugaoan earned his fifth Best Middle Blocker citation after leading the league in blocking with 0.87 per set and a total of 41 blocks. He also finished fifth in scoring with 131 points, making him the only middle blocker inside the top 10 scorers.
Josafat, meanwhile, captured his first Best Middle Blocker award after ranking third in blocking with 0.80 per set and 35 total blocks—the second-highest mark in the league. He also tallied 93 points for 15th in scoring and third among all middle blockers.
Criss Cross’ Adrian Villados and AEP-Cabstars’ Vince Lorenzo completed the Elite Team, winning Best Setter and Best Libero, respectively, after stellar campaigns that anchored their teams’ offensive flow and defensive stability.
Villados secured his second Best Setter citation after leading the league with 5.84 excellent sets per set, while Lorenzo earned his third Best Libero award after topping the league in digging with 2.30 per set and ranking fourth in receiving at 57.99 percent efficiency.
