Japan, Vietnam to whip up Invitational semis race

Top club teams from Japan and Vietnam can’t wait to flaunt their knack for volleyball before local fans, both out to stir up play in the semifinal round of the Premier Volleyball League Invitational Conference on July 20 at the Philsports Arena in Pasig City.

The Kurashiki Ablaze from Yokohama and the Kinh Bac Bac Ninh are all set to spice up the chase in the mid-season conference of the league which is currently on a break for the men’s VNL (Volleyball Nations League) staging.

Elims action resumes on July 11 among 11 teams divided into groups with the top two from each side advancing to the next phase with the two guest teams.

Japan backed out at the last-minute in last year’s edition of the PVL Invitational after some of Kobe Shinwa members were tested positive for Covid-19, leaving the KingWhale Taipei as the lone foreign guest squad. The Taiwanese went on to make the finals but eventually lost to the Creamline Cool Smashers.

But the Kurashiki Ablaze side packs a lot of promise with hitters Saya Taniguchi, Sayaka Tanida, Yukino Yano and Saki Tanabe and opposite strikers Asaka Tamaru, Reina Fujiwara and Honoka Okuda expected to lead their charge.

The team, which campaigns in the Japan V.League Division 3, topped the 13th National Six-Man Volleyball League, Western tournament, placed second in the 12th National Volleyball League and finished third in the 13th National Volleyball League Grand Champion Match.

Kinh Bac-Back Ninh, on the other hand, gained status when it bagged first place and earned the right to compete in Vietnam’s National Championship in 2018. Ranged against the strongest teams, it nailed the bronze medal in 2019 and finished among the Top 3 in the next two years.

Meanwhile, the battle for the semis berths heats up starting Tuesday with a busy four-game bill, led by the Petro Gazz-Farm Fresh clash at 9:30 a.m. to be followed by the Cignal-Foton duel at 12 noon, the Akara-Chery Tiggo encounter at 4 p.m., and the explosive Choco Mucho-F2 Logistics face-off at 6:30 p.m. at the Philsports Arena.

Creamline leads Group A with a 2-0 slate followed by PLDT (1-0), Chery Tiggo, Akari and Gerflor, which tote similar 0-1 cards, while F2 Logistics and Choco Mucho won their first two matches in Group B, making their upcoming clash truly a match to watch.

Petro Gazz and Cignal split their respective first two matches while Foton and Farm Fresh have no win to show in two games.