MANILA – The 2023 PVL Invitational Conference champions Kurashiki Ablaze has nothing but praises for Philippine volleyball.

After a heart-stopping five-set victory over the Creamline Cool Smashers in the Finals, head coach Hideo Suzuki lauded the offense displayed by the local PVL teams all throughout the midseason tilt.

In fact, his team got tested mightily by the Cool Smashers as the latter forced a deciding fifth set on Sunday. Creamline even had a 13-12 lead in the fifth set before Saki Tanabe unleashed two attacks followed by a title-clinching ace of Asaka Tamaru.

A happy Suzuki is hopeful that the Philippine and Japan volleyball team will forge a tighter partnership. He even offered to train some Pinoy volleyball players in Japan to help them learn their playing style.

“Mga Filipino team, magaling sa offense. Plano niya magkaroon ng relationship ang Japan volleyball at Philippine volleyball. Plano niya kukuha siya ng Filipino player at training nila sa team nila, at ibabalik sa Philippines. Yun yung plan. Kung may interesado, inquire na sa kanya,” he said through an interpreter.

Watch more News on iWantTFC

For Finals MVP setter Kyoka Ohshima, she was impressed by the net defense of the local teams and their strong physique. But she most envied the huge volleyball followings in the Philippines.

“Super mataas daw mga block at malakas yung physique ng mga player. Nainggit daw siya kasi laging maraming audience. Nakakainggit daw na ganito yung venue lagi,” Ohshima said as translated into Filipino.

First Best Outside Spiker Asaka Tamaru, who registered a game high 29 points in the Finals, also got swept by the smiling faces of her Pinoy opponents.

• PVL: Kurashiki dethrones Creamline, claims Invitational crown

According to her, she enjoyed observing the Filipino players, who were all smiling despite trailing in the game.

“Nakita niya na very smiley raw ang Filipino player. Kahit bad situation, pero smiling pa rin sila. Sa kanila, kung medyo hindi magandang situation, parang lungkot lang sila. Ngayon, gagayahin na lang nila yung Filipino style na smiling volleyball,” Tamaru said through an interpreter.

Kurashiki swept all their six games in the PVL to win the title and became the first foreign team in the league’s history to win a championship trophy.