KURASHIKI sustained a blazing start to its guest campaign in the 2023 PVL Invitational Conference semifinals with a statement win over Cignal, 25-23, 25-16, 25-23, on Monday at the PhilSports Arena.
Ace setter and captain Ohshima Kyoka orchestrated Ablaze's second win in as many games with 22 excellent sets in a fitting follow-up to their four-set win over Vietnamese side Kinh Bac Bac Ninh in their tournament debut.
A vengeful F2 Logistics side now awaits the Japanese guests on Tuesday.
The momentum of Cignal's four successive wins quickly evaporated, replaced by a two-game losing skid as it dropped to a critical 1-3 (win-loss) record ahead of its semis finale on Thursday against Kinh Bac Bac Ninh.
The HD Spikers dropped two sets by a slim two-point margin, but Ablaze’s nine-point rout in Set 2 swung the game’s momentum in favor of the Japanese newcomers.
Less than two days since her emphatic 29-point PVL debut, red-hot Kurashiki winger Tamaru Asaka topped the scoresheets once again with 16 points on 15 attacks and one block.
Also joining Ablaze’s scoring spree were Taniguchi Saya (11 points) and Yano Yukino (10 points) as the Okayama-based squad thrashed its first of four local foes.
Only Ces Molina breached double figures for Cignal with 12 markers.
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