Kurashiki took on the best effort of Est Cola and proved its superiority once more, clinching a 25-22, 26-24, 25-20 victory to secure the bronze medal in the Premier Volleyball League Invitational 2024 at the Smart Araneta Coliseum on Thursday.
The Japanese side faced fierce resistance from the young but determined Thai squad, especially in the first two sets. However, after fending off a set point in the second frame, Kurashiki took control and dominated the third set with a 13-4 lead, sealing the match without looking back.
The one-hour, 29-minute victory was reminiscent of their title run last year, where they never wavered after a strong start en route to a championship sweep. However, Kurashiki's campaign for back-to-back titles this season hit a roadblock when it fell to a powerful Creamline squad and came up short against Cignal, denying the Ablaze a chance to defend their crown.
Despite falling short of gold, Kurashiki accepted the bronze with grace, hoping to come back stronger next year, more mature, and determined to reclaim the top spot in the ever-evolving Philippine volleyball scene.
Although their bronze-medal match lasted only three sets – shorter than the four-set encounter in their elimination match last Sept. 4, Kurashiki still had to dig deep to overcome Est Cola's resilience in the opening frame.
The second set proved even more challenging, as the young Thais pushed the Japanese to the brink, leading 23-24. But after saving a set point, Kurashiki capitalized on an Est Cola attack error and secured the set with a powerful strike from Yukino Yano, giving the Ablaze a commanding 2-0 lead.
"Our goal was to win the gold, but after the loss to Cignal, we reset our mindset and focused on finishing strong against Est Cola," said Saki Tanabe, who led Kurashiki with 13 points, through an interpreter.
“We’re happy to have won the bronze,” she added.
Low Mei Cing led Kurashiki's offensive effort with 14 points, while Saki Tanabe complemented her strong attacking performance with seven excellent digs. Yukino Yano also contributed, adding eight points to the team's tally.
Warisara Seetaloed and Natthawan Phatthaisong combined for 25 points, while Tanyaporn Seeso and Papatchaya Phointham chipped in with eight and six points, respectively, for Est Cola.
Kurashiki's playmaker Kyoka Oshima delivered a standout performance, outclassing her counterpart Kanokporn Sangthong with 19 excellent sets, significantly surpassing the latter’s six.
In terms of stats, the Ablaze narrowly edged out Est Cola in attacks, 44-41. Both teams recorded eight blocks, and while Kurashiki only managed two service aces compared to Est Cola's four, they made the most of their opponent's errors. Kurashiki gained 22 points from Est Cola's unforced errors, while they themselves only conceded 13 points due to their own mistakes.
