Former Kurashiki members Asaka Tamaru and coach Shota Sato relished the opportunity to face off against the Ablaze in the 2024 Premier Volleyball League Invitational Conference on Thursday night.
Sato previously served as an assistant coach to Hideo Suzuki, while Tamaru played a pivotal role and won one of the Best Outside Hitter awards when Kurashiki claimed the Invitationals title last year.
Now, Sato is at the helm of Farm Fresh in the PVL, while Tamaru, who previously suited up for ZUS Coffee in the Reinforced Conference, is currently playing for the Foxies in the five-team Invitational Conference.
The 30-year-old tactician expressed his delight in seeing both teams utilize the Japanese style of play on Philippine soil.
“Now, I’m experiencing Japan-style volleyball again. With connecting balls and bringing the ball down, it feels great. I’m really happy because I want to blend Philippine volleyball with Japanese techniques for Farm Fresh,” said Sato through a translator.
(C) PVL Images
Meanwhile, Tamaru was eager to secure a win over her former squad but mentioned that she enjoyed her on-court reunion with her ex-teammates.
“I really regretted it because I wanted to win against the Ablaze, but we lost. Still, I enjoyed the experience, and it was good for Farm Fresh.”
The Foxies were a late replacement in the Invitationals, with Akari and PLDT withdrawing less than a week before the start of the tournament.
Sato said that this experience would be beneficial for the young Farm Fresh squad, who are coming off a breakthrough in the recently concluded Reinforced Conference where they made their first-ever playoffs appearance.
“It will be a great experience for us, and we’re grateful to PVL and Boss Frank [Lao]. It was all so sudden, so we only had two days of training, which is why our performance wasn’t great, but we’ll gradually improve.”
