Kobe Shinwa faces seasoned, pressure-free Cignal in must-win clash
Kobe Shinwa University has so far represented itself well, and in the absence of a fellow Japanese team which pulled out at the last minute, has given its country hope of winning the PVL Invitational Conference crown for the second time in three years.
Coming off a win against the league’s reigning Grand Slam champs, Kobe Shinwa will shoot for the first of two wins it needs to make the title match when it takes on ousted Cignal on Thursday at Smart Araneta Coliseum in Cubao.
“It is good that we have this confidence now, but we must not forget that we are still the challengers.” coach Kiyokazu Yamamoto said after the highwire 27-25, 25-23, 23-25, 25-21 victory over the Creamline Cool Smashers on Tuesday night. “We just have to play our game and move forward.”
The scenario for the Japanese is simple, but the work to achieve it would be big as they need to get past the HD Spikers in the 4 p.m. contest before clashing with idle Chery Tiggo in a couple of days for what would be the battle for the second title game slot.
PLDT, which won the On Tour with a sweep, is safely in the championship game even if it drops its tune-up match against also-ran ZUS Coffee at 6:30 p.m.
Bear in mind that Kobe Shinwa is a college team playing in a pro field, unlike Kurashiki Ablaze, which won this conference in 2023 but had to withdraw at the last minute because of internal problems, which is also a professional side.
That’s why the advantage of youth is on the Japanese, and this is something that didn’t escape Cignal coach Shaq delos Santos when asked to what his HD Spikers would need to do on Thursday.
“Maybe we should tie them all up to keep all of them still,” Delos Santos said in Filipino, in jest, of course. “Kidding aside, we need to focus on what our team can do. I am sure that this will be a very good game.”
As things stand, Kobe Shinwa is at 2-1 and would need to avoid a loss to have destiny in its hands.
A loss would not boot out the Japanese, but they would need to win in a maximum of four sets against the Crossovers on Friday to earn the right to face PLDT in the title game.
Under the tournament’s scoring system, teams earn three points for a 3-0 or 3-1 win, two points for a 3-2 win, and one point for a 2-3 loss.
Currently, Chery Tiggo, which has played a game more than Kobe Shinwa going into the penultimate elimination round playdate, sits at eight points, while Kobe Shinwa has six.
Still, Cignal is expected to approach the match with a winning mindset, determined to finish strong and strengthen its bid for the bronze medal.
Kobe Shinwa’s only loss was a straight-set defeat to the High Speed Hitters.
