Kurashiki took on the best effort of Est Cola and proved its superiority once more, clinching a 25-22, 26-24, 25-20 victory to secure the bronze medal in the Premier Volleyball League Invitational 2024 at the Smart Araneta Coliseum on Thursday.

The Japanese side faced fierce resistance from the young but determined Thai squad, especially in the first two sets.

But after fending off a set point in the second frame, Kurashiki took control and dominated the third set with a 13-4 lead, sealing the match without looking back.

The one-hour, 29-minute victory was reminiscent of their title run last year, where they never wavered after a strong start en route to a championship sweep. However, Kurashiki’s campaign for back-to-back titles this season hit a roadblock when it fell to a powerful Creamline squad and came up short against Cignal, denying it a chance to defend its crown.

Despite falling short of gold, Kurashiki accepted the bronze with grace, hoping to come back stronger next year, more mature and determined to reclaim the top spot.

Although their bronze-medal match lasted only three sets — shorter than the four-set encounter in their elimination match last 4 September, Kurashiki still had to dig deep to overcome Est Cola’s resilience in the opening frame.

The second set proved even more challenging, as the young Thais pushed the Japanese to the brink, leading 23-24.

But after saving a set point, Kurashiki capitalized on an Est Cola attack error and secured the set with a powerful strike from Yukino Yano, giving the Ablaze a commanding 2-0 lead.

“Our goal was to win the gold, but after the loss to Cignal, we reset our mindset and focused on finishing strong against Est Cola,” said Saki Tanabe, who led Kurashiki with 13 points, through an interpreter.

“We’re happy to have won the bronze.”