Ablaze open withdrawal-hit PVL Invitationals with win

Kurashiki Ablaze beat Creamline Cool Smashers to rule PVL Invitational Conference. –MARLO CUETO/INQUIRER.net

The PVL Invitational Conference may have lost some of its powerhouse local squads.

Its powerhouse guest, though, is back and looking title-ready.

Arriving just two days ago and admittedly playing through first-game jitters, the Ablaze steadied themselves enough to give fellow foreign team Est Cola a rude welcome with a 25-20, 25-18, 23-25, 25-21 win on Wednesday at PhilSports Arena.

But more than just defending their title, the Ablaze wants to put on a show for the fans.

“The players are so focused in practice. They are all out to be able to play well because they want to make the fans feel how important the game is for them,” coach Hideo Suzuki said through a translator. “It’s all dedicated to the fans.”

It’s a meaningful gesture for the Japanese squad as fans are still smarting from the pullout of powerhouse and popular squads PLDT and Akari, who both figured in a contentious semifinal encounter days ago.

Akari was playing Creamline in the one-game duel for the Reinforced Conference crown.

Ablaze won’t want for fan favorites, bringing back the core of the championship crew that swept the 2023 Invitational Conference, where it outlasted Creamline in a five-set thriller in the Final.

Finals MVP out

Kurashiki still has holdovers from that formidable squad including Saya Taniguchi, now the team captain, Kyoka Ohshima, libero Kaoru Takahashi, Saki Tanabe, Miho Kawamura, Reina Fujiwara, Wako Omura, Ayane Watanabe, Yukino Yano and Nana Fujimura.

The team may have lost Ohshima, the Finals MVP in last year’s Invitational, but newcomer Low Mei Cing has shown in her PVL debut that she is a worthy replacement, finishing with 22 points from 19 attacks, a pair of aces and a block.

“We trained really hard for this one [that’s why] I got high points for this team. My teammates also helped me, so I’m very happy for that,” Low Mei said after handily beating the under-20 Thai team.

“I think we can get more experience because this is our first game in the Philippines. I think in the second game, we can be better and better,” she added.

Also coming in to backstop the reigning queens are Kokoro Takio, Mami Gondo and Honoka Doi, who provided the game-winning points for Kurashiki in the opening game. Yano contributed 15 points including two apiece from blocks and aces as well as 22 excellent receptions and 11 excellent digs while Taniguchi got all of her 14 points from attacks.

Tanabe, who also had 11 excellent digs, and Gondo each added 11 points as Oshima dished out a very effective 26 excellent sets. Kurashiki will also be without Asaka Tamaru, the first best outside spiker last year. Tamaru has played for ZUS Coffee, which finished last place in the Reinforced Conference.

The next challenge for the Ablaze is Farm Fresh where Suzuki is also working as a consultant. The Foxies were tapped as a replacement team after the withdrawals of PLDT and Akari.

With Yeny Murillo already not available, Tamaru will be suiting up for Farm Fresh.

“We are not sure what the result of our next game will be but we are looking forward to it,” Suzuki said. “We don’t know how the opponent will attack but we will do our best to win.”