Japanese setter Kyoka Ohshima named finals MVP for Kurashiki Ablaze. –MARLO CUETO/INQUIREr.net
MANILA, Philippines — Japanese setter Kyoka Ohshima emerged as the Finals Most Valuable Player of the 2023 Premier Volleyball League (PVL) Invitational Conference after leading the Kurashiki Ablaze to the championship.
Tamaru dropped 28 points including the heart-stopping ace but it was Ohshima who was crowned as the top player of the championship game.
Ohshima paced the third-division Japanese team’s offense in dethroning Creamline in thrilling five sets, 19-25, 25-23, 25-19, 20-25, 15-13, and sweeping all their games in the tournament on Sunday in front of ecstatic 8,223 fans at Philsports Arena.
The Japanese setter dished out 19 excellent sets in the final and scored five points in the championship match.
Ohshima missed the first game but made a huge impact that led to a six-game sweep from the semifinal round to the winner-take-all final.
Her teammate Tamaru earned the 1st Best Outside Spiker after leading the way in scoring all throughout their Philippine stint.
Ohshima became the second setter in the league to win the award joining rival Jia De Guzman, who won the Finals MVP four times.