After taking care of business against Cignal, Kurashiki head coach Hideo Suzuki and the rest of the Ablaze are now turning their focus towards their upcoming match-up versus F2 Logistics in the 2023 Premier Volleyball League Invitational Conference semifinals.
The Japanese squad will have little to no preparation time as they take on the Cargo Movers tomorrow, Tuesday at 6:30 p.m. at the same venue.
Despite the tight schedule, the Japanese mentor vowed that his team will not let their guard down against the fancied F2 Logistics squad, which has suffered two consecutive losses to start the round-robin playoffs.
“We saw F2. Their offense is very fast, and their defense is also strong. We’ll just focus on playing our volleyball,” said Suzuki through an interpreter after the win over the HD Spikers on Monday night at the Philsports Arena.
Suzuki also expressed that the Ablaze are very eager to face off against the Cargo Movers, considering they are considered one of the top teams in the Philippines.
“Maybe if more people come to watch, we’ll be more excited. The play will be more enjoyable. So maybe the game tomorrow will be better,” said the Kurashiki coach.
“We are super excited for the next game. This venue, these fans, we want to play again,” Suzuki added.
Kurashiki made quick work of Cignal, 25-23, 25-16, 25-23, to pick up its second consecutive win in the Invitationals and secure the second spot in the semifinals standings with a 2-0 record.
The Ablaze were coming off a four-set triumph over fellow foreign squad Kinh Bắc-Bắc Ninh of Vietnam.
