TWO Japanese champion teams are set to return to Philippine shores for the 2025 PVL Invitational Conference.
Former PVL champion Kurashiki Ablaze and former Philippine Superliga (PSL) titlist Kobe Shinwa Women’s University will be the two foreign guest teams to complete the tournament’s six-team field.
Set for its third PVL stint, Ablaze won the 2023 Invitational Conference against Creamline to become the league's first foreign champion team.
They returned in 2024 and settled for bronze by beating Thailand’s Est Cola.
Meanwhile, Kobe Shinwa was hailed co-champions along with Cignal in the 2017 PSL Invitational Cup after completing a three-game sweep of the final round.
Joining the Japanese pair are PVL on Tour semifinalists HD Spikers, PLDT, Chery Tiggo, and the Cool Smashers, the defending champions.
The Invitationals begin on Aug. 21, four days after the preseason final between the High Speed Hitters and Crossovers.
The 10-day tournament will feature a single-round robin in which the top two sides advance to the winner-take-all final.
Teams ranked third and fourth after the preliminaries will go straight to the bronze-medal game.
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