NCAA best setter Adrian Villados joins Criss Cross offseason haul

Adrian Villados has emerged as the latest addition to the busy offseason recruitment of the star-studded Criss Cross roster ahead of the new conference of 2024 Spikers' Turf, the team announced on Saturday night. 

Villados is the reigning back-to-back Best Setter in the NCAA, orchestrating the offense for the Sherwin Meneses-coached squad and steering the Chiefs to two consecutive Final Four appearances in Seasons 98 and 99. 

In the Chiefs' recent campaign, the 24-year-old Villados posted 4.51 sets per frame while also emerging as the second best server with 0.22 aces per set en route to helping Arellano rack up five wins against four losses to finish at fourth spot. However, they fell to third-seeded Colegio de San Juan de Letran in the stepladder round to end their run. 

The 6-foot playmaker also received a call to join Alas Pilipinas, where he got to team up with multi-titled setter Joshua Retamar and other veterans like Bryan Bagunas and Marck Espejo. 

In the Spikers' Turf, he will again link up with Espejo as the King Crunchers look to build on their bridesmaid finish in the previous Open Conference, while he is set to go up against Bagunas and Retamar, who recently joined their rival Cignal after ending his collegiate career with National University. 

Villados is the latest recruit for Criss Cross, which has also signed one of NCAA's top liberos in John Pepito of four-time defending champion University of Perpetual Help System DALTA as well as NU Bulldogs standout Nico Almendras. 

—JKC, GMA Integrated News