Kurashiki gave a tough welcome to former team standout Asaka Tamaru in her Farm Fresh debut, cruising to a commanding 25-13, 25-16, 25-16 victory for its second victory in the 2024 Premier Volleyball League Invitational Conference at the Philsports Arena on Thursday.
Despite coming off a four-set battle against Thailand's youthful EST Cola the day before, the Ablaze showed no signs of fatigue, asserting their dominance early and sustaining it throughout the match, their overpowering performance gave them the early lead in the five-team tournament.
Kurashiki head coach Hideo Suzuki acknowledged Tamaru’s recent addition to Farm Fresh and saw potential in the Foxies despite their loss.
“I heard Tamaru only recently joined Farm Fresh, so I think they didn't have much time to prepare. But I can see their game is gradually improving. As for (Foxies coach) Shota Sato, I just need to help him level up,” said Suzuki.
He added, “It was a good performance for the team; we finally played the Ablaze way of volleyball.”
Despite the convincing win, Suzuki remained focused on areas for improvement.
Cing Low Mei led the charge for Kurashiki once again, tallying 12 points, including seven attacks and four blocks, while skipper Saya Taniguchi contributed 10 points, complemented by six excellent digs in the 65-minute encounter.
Ayano Tsuji added eight points to extend their winning streak to eight matches, including their unbeaten run from the previous edition of the tournament.
“In the first set, I was able to perform well, although there were some off moments, I still managed to hit hard,” said Taniguchi.
Kyoka Oshima orchestrated Kurashiki's offense with 13 excellent sets as the Ablaze overwhelmed Farm Fresh in all aspects, leading in attacks (40-27), blocks (7-4) and aces (6-1).
With two wins under its belt, Kurashiki gets a brief break before facing reigning All-Filipino and Reinforced Conference champion Creamline this Sunday at the SM Mall of Asia Arena.
Meanwhile, Farm Fresh, which now shares a 0-1 record with EST Cola, struggled despite moments of promise with Reinforced Conference Best Opposite Spiker Trisha Tubu coming off the bench to score nine points.
Tamaru, adjusting to the Foxies' system after her recent stint with ZUS Coffee Thunderbelles, finished with eight points.
Farm Fresh will look to bounce back tonight (Friday) when it faces Invitational Conference bronze medalist Cignal at 4 p.m. at the Sta. Rosa Sports Complex in Laguna, following the 2 p.m. clash between Creamline and EST Cola.
