The two best teams battled it out for the title and they did not disappoint.
The league’s most stacked team and the tournament’s most dangerous guest club locked horns for the PVL Invitational Conference crown on Sunday at the PhilSports Arena in Pasig City. And the fans were treated to an epic finale that saw Japanese squad Kurashiki Ablaze outlast the Creamline Cool Smashers in five grueling sets, 19-25, 25-23, 25-19, 20-25, 15-13.
The slugfest, fittingly, boiled down to a rollercoaster fifth set after the two teams engaged in a virtual back-and-forth in the first four sets of the match. The visitors and the ladies in pink took turns in commanding the final frame, but it was the former who got to championship point first, 14-13. Kurashiki ultimately won the title with a service ace that barely hit the end line, prompting Creamline to challenge ball in/ball out. The Cool Smashers' challenge, however, proved unsuccessful, giving the championship to the Ablaze.
Tamaru Asaka once again led the way for Kurashiki, chipping in a game-high 29 points built on several booming attacks. Unsurprisingly, she was named best opposite spiker of the tourney, along with Creamline’s Alyssa Valdez.
Kurashiki setter Ohshima Kyoka, meanwhile, was adjudged finals MVP as she masterfully controlled the match for her squad.
In winning the PVL invitational title, the Japanese team not only dethroned the Cool Smashers but also derailed the latter's drive to win their seventh PVL title and second this season.
(MDB)