After missing the chance to defend their crown, the Kurashiki Ablaze salvaged a bronze finish with a straight-sets victory over Est Cola, 25-22, 26-24, 25-20, in the 2024 Premier Volleyball League Invitational Conference on Thursday at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.
The Ablaze, former champions of the Invitationals, had just come off a heartbreaking five-set loss to eventual finalists Cignal in the preliminaries.
That defeat knocked them out of the title race and relegated them to the battle for third.
“We lost and were feeling down last night, so we just reset our mindset. It’s a great opportunity to play in the Philippines, so we just gave our best game,” shared Kurashiki head coach Hideo Suzuki through a translator.
“Est Cola is a very young team, but I felt that they grew up a lot in this tournament. We won and we enjoyed the game,” he added, praising the growth of their opponents.
(C) PVL Images
Malaysian middle blocker Cing Low Mei played a pivotal role in Kurashiki’s sweep. She had a game-high 14 points from eight attacks and six crucial blocks – effectively stifling the Thais’ offense in the one-hour, 29-minute contest.
Supporting Cing’s standout performance was Saki Tanabe, who tallied 13 points – all from attacks – while contributing seven excellent digs. Yukino Yano added eight markers to secure the bronze for Kurashiki.
“It was our second game against Est Cola, so we were familiar with them. That, along with our good conditioning, made it easier for us to perform well,” said Tanabe, reflecting on their familiarity with their opponents.
Kyoka Oshima orchestrated the Ablaze’s offense with 19 excellent sets, while Momoka Yamashiro and Ayane Watanabe delivered solid defensive performances. The two had 12 excellent receptions and 10 excellent digs, respectively.
(C) PVL Images
Though Est Cola managed to match Kurashiki in most statistical categories, their 22 errors ultimately proved to be the deciding factor in the tightly contested three-set match.
The young Thai squad, composed of a mix of U-20 and U-18 players, concluded their PVL stint in fourth place with an overall record of 2-3.
Warisara Seetaloed once again led the way for Est Cola, tallying 14 points and nine excellent receptions.
Meanwhile, Nathhawan Phattaisong contributed 11 markers in the loss.
