Kurashiki Ablaze Volleyball Players, Lineup, Roster 2023
The 2023 Premier Volleyball League (PVL) season, which began on February 4, 2023, with the 2023 Premier Volleyball League All-Filipino Conference, is the league’s sixth. The Premier Volleyball League held its fifth conference as a professional league and fourteenth conference overall in 2023 with the All-Filipino Conference. On February 4, 2023, the competition got underway at Quezon City’s Smart Araneta Coliseum. The conference, which was formerly known as the Open Conference, has been renamed the “All-Filipino Conference” to more accurately represent the reality that only Filipino players, including Filipino Foreigners, are permitted to participate in the competition.
Kurashiki Ablaze Volleyball Players
As the round-robin semifinal match between Japan’s Kurashiki Ablaze and Vietnam’s Kinh Bac-Bac Ninh took place on Saturday, the two guest teams in the PVL Invitational Conference started to emerge. At the PhilSports Arena, the Japanese team won by scores of 23-25, 25-14, 25-20, and 25-11. During the weekend’s quadruple-header, Kurashiki coach Hideo Suzuki and star player Tamaru Asaka had the opportunity to see the other semifinalists, and they identified a few local players that stood out and drew their interest. The Cignal HD Spikers mainstay Rachel Anne Daquis was the player who immediately came to mind for the Japanese coach.
| Pos. | Player | Height |
|---|---|---|
| S | Omura Wako | 5’4 |
| Opp | Taniguchi Saya | 5’8 |
| S | Ohshima Kyoka | 5’9 |
| L | Yamashiro Momoka | 5’2 |
| L | Takahashi Kaoru | 5’6 |
| OH | Yano Yukino | 5’5 |
| MB | Akane Hiraoka | 5’7 |
| MB | Miho Kawamura | 5’9 |
| Bessho Kaho | ||
| Opp | Tamaru Asaka | 5’7 |
| OH | Tanabe Saki | 5’7 |
| MB | Hata Mihaya | 5’8 |
| L | Fujimura Nana | 5’1 |
| Takio Kokoro |
Using an interpreter, Suzuki remarked, “Rachel [from] Cignal, number 3, very maganda,” at the postgame press conference. Coach Hideo quickly thought of Tots Carlos when asked to name a member of the Creamline Cool Smashers, who competed against Cignal on Saturday. “Very short cut, na [malakas pumalo], Carlos.” Asaka, who erupted for 29 points as Kurashiki defeated its Vietnamese opponent in four sets, also performed some scouting and was especially taken with Creamline’s vivacious middle blocker Risa Sato. The interpreter pronounced Asako’s remark as “Sato kasi Japanese siya but dito siya naglaro, sa tingin ko ang lakas ng loob niya.”
Again, Daquis from Cignal dazzled the Japanese opposite hitter, not only with her skills but also with her aptitude for multitasking. Rachel din, si. With the aid of a translator, Asaka remarked, “Maganda ‘yung nagagawa [niyang maging] volleyball player at model [din]. Kurashiki will next take on HD Spikers and Daquis, which is only fitting. The game will start at 4 p.m. on Monday, the following day. Asaka praised Rachel Daquis for both her prowess in volleyball and her ability to succeed as a model. Rachel Daquis’ capacity to flourish in volleyball and modeling greatly pleased Asaka. He acknowledged Rachel’s extraordinary aptitude in both areas. Tomorrow at 4 p.m. is the time for the forthcoming game between Kurashiki and HD Spikers, in which Daquis will participate.
