By NIKOLE JAVIER
In a preview of the 2023 Premier Volleyball League (PVL) Invitational Conference finals, visiting club team Kurashiki Ablaze of Japan handed defending champion Creamline its first loss, 25-20, 25-21, 18-25, 25-14, on Friday night, July 28, at the Philsports Arena in Pasig City.
The Japan V. League Division 3 team only needed an extra set to turn back the Cool Smashers and finish the semis with a perfect 5-0 record to claim the top seed.
Creamline settled for No. 2 with a 4-1 mark.
Tamaru Asaka led the onslaught for the foreign team with 19 points on 19 kills while Tana Saki and Yano Yukino contributed 15 and 13 points, respectively.
The Japanese now enjoy a slight edge over Creamline before they head to their knockout final battle on Sunday July 30.
The trio of Jema Galanza, Tots Carlos and Alyssa Valdez paced the Cool Smashers in the losing effort.
In the earlier play, F2 Logistics moved to the battle for third against Cignal before the championship game.
That came after the Cargo Movers beat Vietnamese team Kinh Bac-Bac Ninh in four sets, 23-25, 25-19, 25-18, 25-20, in a win that snapped a three-game losing streak.
