Kurashiki warded off PLDT in their semifinal tiff.
The round-robin semifinals are not over yet, but the protagonists in the PVL Invitational Conference finals are already set.
The Kurashiki Ablaze arranged the finals showdown against the Creamline Cool Smashers after warding off the PLDT High Speed Hitters, 25-15, 23-25, 25-14, 25-23, on Thursday.
The Cool Smashers and Ablaze are toting identical 4-0 records.
Tamaru Asaka was at the forefront of Kurashiki’s attack in Thursday’s conquest, firing 30 points on 28 spikes.
Tanabi Saki added 15 markers, including 3 of the last 5 points that set up the game-sealing hit by Hiraoka Akana in the fourth set.
It looked like Ablaze were going to breeze through the win after a dominant opening frame.
But the High Speed Hitters refused to just roll over and die, snatching the succeeding set behind Royse Tubino, who ended up with 23 points.
The same resilience was seen from the High Speed Hitters in the fourth set where they erased a 17-9 deficit to make things interesting. PLDT got to as close as a whisker, 23-22, after Yano Yukino’s shot sailed long.
But the visiting Japanese team would not be denied, with Saki and Akane putting the stranglehold on their fourth victory in the semifinals to set up the championship match against the Cool Smashers, who remain grounded despite a 4-0 record in the semifinals.
Before the finale on Sunday, though, Kurashiki and the Alyssa Valdez-led Creamline will take on each other on Friday in what is essentially a preview of the winner-take-all final.
(MDB)