KOBE Shinwa repulsed a late Cignal challenge, 25-7, 25-18, 19-25, 27-25, in the 2025 PVL Invitational on Thursday at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.
Three set points were saved by Kobe Shinwa in the home stretch before Kokoro Yasuma landed the game-winning attack.
The Japanese side drew level with Chery Tiggo at 3-1 (win-loss) ahead of their virtual knockout match for the last PVL Finals spot on Friday.
While Kobe Shinwa moved a step closer to the finals, Cignal was booted out of podium contention with its fourth loss of the tournament.
Its dismal seven-point output in the first set was the third lowest single-set score, excluding fifth-set tiebreaks, since the league turned pro in 2021.
Even as Cignal out-blocked Kobe Shinwa by 12 to one, the Japanese side leaned on Nagisa Komatsuda and its rock-solid offense to produce 29 more attacks than the red shirts.
Nagisa Komatsuda had Kobe Shinwa’s offense and defense on lock with 21 points and 11 receptions, behind Yasuma’s 12 markers.
“I did a lot of check-out attacks in the first set. I thought I should do the same in the third set, but it was much harder,” said Komatsuda.
“We forgot to enjoy playing the game in the third set. We got too nervous. I just had to enjoy the fourth set to get my game back.”
Arisu Ishikawa also put up a sharp scoring display with 15 attacks.
Japanese masterclasss
It was a full-blown Kobe Shinwa takeover in the first set, one where it opened a 9-1 start before leading by as much as 14.
The Japanese side pulled a carbon copy of their first-set blowout win by holding Cignal at bay when it built a late nine-point cushion.
With Rose Doria-Aquino and her 16-point showcase at the forefront, the HD Spikers went on a 10-0 blitz in the third set and nearly pushed the match to five sets.
A series of late errors in the fourth frame cost Cignal a shot at a tiebreak after failing to convert three set points.
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