By KRISTEL SATUMBAGA
Kobe Shinwa University leaned on its superb all-around game to outplay Cignal, 25-7, 25-18, 19-25, 27-25, and boost its finals bid in the Premier Volleyball League Invitational Conference at the Araneta Coliseum on Thursday, Aug. 28.
The visiting collegiate crew continued showcasing Japan’s brand of fast-paced plays, catching the HD Spikers off-guard with variety of attacks while providing solid defense on the floor to post its third win in four games.
The victory tied them with Chery Tiggo at second, forging a crucial match against on Friday, Aug. 29, for the right to face PLDT in the championship round.
Nagisa Komatsuda anchored the Japanese spikers anew by pumping in 21 points built on 19 kills, one block and one ace, while Arisu Ishikawa provided ample offensive support by unloading all her 15 points on attacks.
Kobe Shinwa displayed its dominance early with a commanding first-set lead, and went on to keep that momentum in the second until Cignal rediscovered its old groove to take the third frame.
The HD Spikers appeared poised to win the fourth set and force a decider, leading 24-22, but relentless attacks from Kobe Shinwa — including back-to-back kills by Kokoro Yasuma — sealed the victory for the Japanese side.
Yasuma finished with 12 points, while Reira Miyazaki added 11 point.
Kobe Shinwa’s offense was so dominant that they racked up 72 kills in the one-hour, 38-minute match, despite Cignal’s tough net defense, which produced 12 blocks.
The HD Spikers, meanwhile, only managed 43 attacks despite Roselyn Doria and Erika Santos combining for 27 points.
Cignal, which was already out of contention, skidded to 1-4.
