THE Kurashiki Ablaze whipped Est Cola 25-22, 26-24, 25-20 yesterday to salvage the bronze medal in the PVL Invitational Conference at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.
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.
“Very young team iyong Est Cola, feeling namin parang nag-grow up sila in this league pero nanalo kami (ngayon) kaya na-enjoy namin,” Kurashiki coach Hideo Suzuki said through an interpreter. “Noong natalo kami, nalungkot kami kagabi pero nag-reset kami ng mindset kasi magandang opportunity maglaro sa Philippines kaya ginawa namin iyong best game namin. Nag-usap kami kagabi (bago itong laban).”
Wing spiker Seetaloed had 14 points and nine excellent receptions while Natthawan Phatthaisong scored 11 markers for Est Cola.
