JAPAN’s Kurashiki Ablaze turned to Ohshima Kyoka’s superb playmaking to push Cignal on the brink of elimination with a 25-23, 25-16, 25-23 win in the Premier Volleyball League Invitational Conference at the Philsports Arena yesterday.

Kyoka, who missed the Ablaze’s four-set win over Vietnam’s Kinh Bac Bac Ninh last Saturday as she was under the weather, impressed with her distribution of plays with 22 excellent sets on top of two attacks and a block.

With the HD Spikers’ net defense, Kyoka stressed the need for her team to have good spikes to prevail in the one-hour, 35-minute contest.

“Malakas yung Cignal, yung height nila. Mataas yung block kaya naisip nila kung paanong ayusin ang block,” said Kyoka through an interpreter.

After dropping 29 points against the Vietnamese, Tamaru Asaka continued her stellar play for the Japanese third-division club with 16 points, Taniguchi Saya added 11 points, including a service ace, while Yano Yukino had 10 points, 12 digs and eight receptions.

Kurashiki, which improved to 2-0 card behind Creamline’s perfect 3-0 record, hopes to sustain its unbeaten run and bolster its drive to reach the Finals against F2 Logistics at 6:30 p.m. today at the same Pasig venue.

Ces Molina logged 12 points, 10 digs and eight receptions for the HD Spikers, who suffered their third loss in four matches.

Cignal needs to beat Kinh Bac Bac Ninh convincingly on Thursday and hope that Kurashiki won’t reach three wins to remain in the championship hunt.

AUTHOR PROFILE

Theodore P. Jurado