 Crest | |||
| Founded | 2019 | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Manager | Hideo Suzuki | ||
| Captain | Ohshima Kyoka | ||
| Website | Club home page | ||
| Uniforms | |||
| |||
| Championships | |||
| 1 | |||
The Kurashiki Ablaze is a Japanese professional women's volleyball team from Kurashiki, Okayama.
| Crest | |||
| Founded | 2019 | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Manager | Hideo Suzuki | ||
| Captain | Ohshima Kyoka | ||
| Website | Club home page | ||
| Uniforms | |||
| |||
| Championships | |||
| 1 | |||
The Kurashiki Ablaze is a Japanese professional women's volleyball team from Kurashiki, Okayama.
It is a volleyball club from Kurashiki City, Okayama, Japan founded in 2019. [1] Kurashiki Ablaze is operated by Ablaze Co., Ltd. that is located in Minamiune, Kurashiki, Okayama. [2]
Kurashiki won bronze medal in 13th National 6-Person Final League & Grand Champion Match Awards in Japan. [3]
They would join the Premier Volleyball League in the Philippines as one of the two foreign guest teams for the 2023 Invitational Conference. [4] [5] [6] They also beat the undefeated 6 year semi finals no loss place of Creamline Cool Smashers. [7] [8] Kurashiki won their first title in the PVL against the Creamline Cool Smashers in five-set match. [9] After the awards ceremony, Kurashiki helped to clean the PhilSports Arena that caught the attention of the Creamline Cool Smashers team manager Alan Acero. [10]
Sports Vision president Ricky Palou and the head coach of Kurashiki Ablaze Hideo Suzuki confirmed that Kurashiki Ablaze will return in 2024 to defend their PVL Invitation Conference crown. [11] [12]
The meaning of ABLAZE to the team refers to "passion", "excitement", and "burning". [13]
These are the players for 2023/2024:
| Kurashiki Ablaze | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| No. | Player | Position | Height | Birth date | School |
| 1 |  Wako Omura | Setter | 1.61 m (5 ft 3 in) | 15 June 2001 | Okayama Minami High School |
| 2 | Saya Taniguchi | Opposite Hitter | 1.73 m (5 ft 8 in) | 12 August 2000 | Kyoto Tachibana University |
| 3 | Kyoka Ohshima (C) | Setter | 1.75 m (5 ft 9 in) | 2 February 1998 | Tokyo Women's College of Physical Education |
| 4 | Sayaka Tanida | Outside Hitter | 1.66 m (5 ft 5 in) | 31 October 2000 | Seishin Girl's High School |
| 5 | Momoka Yashimiro | Libero | 1.58 m (5 ft 2 in) | 20 September 1998 | Chūgoku Gakuen University |
| 7 | Ayane Wanatabe | Libero | 1.52 m (5 ft 0 in) | 3 November 2002 | Seiei High School |
| 9 | Kaoru Takahashi | Libero | 1.67 m (5 ft 6 in) | 26 May 1998 | Chūgoku Gakuen University |
| 10 | Yukino Yano | Outside Hitter | 1.65 m (5 ft 5 in) | 1 March 2000 | Nagasaki International University |
| 11 | Akane Hiraoka | Middle Blocker | 1.70 m (5 ft 7 in) | 4 November 1999 | Fukuyama Heisei University |
| 12 | Asaka Tamaru | Opposite Hitter | 1.70 m (5 ft 7 in) | 4 August 1998 | Kyoto Sangyo University |
| 13 | Miho Kawamura | Middle Blocker | 1.75 m (5 ft 9 in) | 13 September 1999 | Osaka University of Health and Sport Sciences |
| 16 | Saki Tanabe | Opposite Hitter | 1.69 m (5 ft 7 in) | 30 March 1999 | National Institute of Fitness and Sports in Kanoya |
| 17 | Mihaya Hata | Middle Blocker | 1.73 m (5 ft 8 in) | 11 September 2002 | Eimei High School |
| 18 | Reina Fujiwara | Opposite Hitter | 1.70 m (5 ft 7 in) | 25 October 1997 | International Pacific University |
| 20 | Nana Fujimura | Libero | 1.57 m (5 ft 2 in) | 14 December 2004 | Okayama Minami High School |
| 23 | Honoka Okuda | Libero | 1.61 m (5 ft 3 in) | 19 July 2003 | Okayama Minami High School |
Coaching staff
| Kurashiki Ablaze | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| No. | Player | Position | Height | Birth date | School |
| 1 | Wako Omura | Setter | 1.61 m (5 ft 3 in) | 15 June 2001 | Okayama Minami High School |
| 2 | Saya Taniguchi | Opposite Hitter | 1.73 m (5 ft 8 in) | 12 August 2000 | Kyoto Tachibana University |
| 3 | Kyoka Ohshima (C) | Setter | 1.75 m (5 ft 9 in) | 2 February 1998 | Tokyo Women's College of Physical Education |
| 4 | Sayaka Tanida | Outside Hitter | 1.66 m (5 ft 5 in) | 31 October 2000 | Seishin Girl's High School |
| 5 | Momoka Yashimiro | Libero | 1.58 m (5 ft 2 in) | 20 September 1998 | Chūgoku Gakuen University |
| 6 | Asuka Kuwabura | Libero | 1.63 m (5 ft 4 in) | 9 October 1999 | Nagano Bunka Gakuen High School |
| 7 | Hikari Niguma | Opposite Hitter | 1.66 m (5 ft 5 in) | 3 January 1997 | N/A |
| 9 | Kaoru Takahashi | Libero | 1.67 m (5 ft 6 in) | 26 May 1998 | Chūgoku Gakuen University |
| 10 | Yukino Yano | Middle Blocker | 1.65 m (5 ft 5 in) | 4 November 1999 | Nagasaki International University |
| 11 | Akane Hiraoka | Outside Hitter | 1.70 m (5 ft 7 in) | 1 March 2000 | Fukuyama Heisei University |
| 13 | Miho Kawamura | Middle Blocker | 1.75 m (5 ft 9 in) | 13 September 1999 | Osaka University of Health and Sport Sciences |
| 14 | Sachiyo Takahashi | Middle Blocker | 1.73 m (5 ft 8 in) | 4 November 1983 | N/A |
| 15 | Asaka Tamaru | Opposite Hitter | 1.70 m (5 ft 7 in) | 26 May 1998 | Kyoto Sangyo University |
| 16 | Kumiko Matsubara | Libero | 1.58 m (5 ft 2 in) | 8 May 1987 | N/A |
| 17 | Mihaya Hata | Middle Blocker | 1.73 m (5 ft 8 in) | 11 September 2002 | Eimei High School |
| 18 | Reina Fujiwara | Libero | 1.70 m (5 ft 7 in) | 25 October 1997 | International Pacific University |
| 19 | Ayane Watanabe | Libero | 1.52 m (5 ft 0 in) | 3 November 2002 | Seiei High School |
| 20 | Nana Fujimura | Libero | 1.57 m (5 ft 2 in) | 14 December 2004 | Okayama Minami High School |
| 21 |  Carrie Ann Pronuevo | Outside Hitter | 1.73 m (5 ft 8 in) | 6 December 1997 | Polytechnic University of the Philippines |
| 22 | Javen Sabas | Outside Hitter | 1.67 m (5 ft 6 in) | 31 January 1999 | Polytechnic University of the Philippines |
| 23 | Honoka Okuda | Libero | 1.61 m (5 ft 3 in) | 19 July 2003 | Okayama Minami High School |
Coaching staff
| Kurashiki Ablaze | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| No. | Player | Position | Height | Birth date | School |
| 1 | Wako Omura | Setter | 1.61 m (5 ft 3 in) | 15 June 2001 | Okayama Minami High School |
| 2 | Ruka Matsushima | Setter | 1.63 m (5 ft 4 in) | 17 December 1997 | Kobe Shinwa Women's University |
| 3 | Kyoka Ohshima (C) | Setter | 1.75 m (5 ft 9 in) | 2 February 1998 | Tokyo Women's College of Physical Education |
| 4 | Sayaka Tanida | Outside Hitter | 1.66 m (5 ft 5 in) | 31 October 2000 | Seishin Girl's High School |
| 5 | Momoka Yashimiro | Libero | 1.58 m (5 ft 2 in) | 20 September 1998 | Chūgoku Gakuen University |
| 6 | Asuka Kuwabura | Libero | 1.63 m (5 ft 4 in) | 9 October 1999 | Nagano Bunka Gakuen High School |
| 7 | Hikari Niguma | Opposite Hitter | 1.66 m (5 ft 5 in) | 3 January 1997 | N/A |
| 9 | Kaoru Takahashi | Libero | 1.67 m (5 ft 6 in) | 26 May 1998 | Chūgoku Gakuen University |
| 11 | Akane Hiraoka | Outside Hitter | 1.70 m (5 ft 7 in) | 1 March 2000 | Fukuyama Heisei University |
| 13 | Miho Kawamura | Middle Blocker | 1.75 m (5 ft 9 in) | 13 September 1999 | Osaka University of Health and Sport Sciences |
| 14 | Sachiyo Takahashi | Middle Blocker | 1.73 m (5 ft 8 in) | 4 November 1983 | N/A |
| 15 | Asaka Tamaru | Opposite Hitter | 1.70 m (5 ft 7 in) | 26 May 1998 | Kyoto Sangyo University |
| 16 | Kumiko Matsubara | Libero | 1.58 m (5 ft 2 in) | 8 May 1987 | N/A |
| 17 | Mihaya Hata | Middle Blocker | 1.73 m (5 ft 8 in) | 11 September 2002 | Eimei High School |
| 18 | Reina Fujiwara | Libero | 1.70 m (5 ft 7 in) | 25 October 1997 | International Pacific University |
| 19 | Ayane Watanabe | Libero | 1.52 m (5 ft 0 in) | 3 November 2002 | Seiei High School |
| 20 | Rina Okabayashi | Libero | 1.48 m (4 ft 10 in) | N/A | N/A |
| 21 | Carrie Ann Pronuevo | Outside Hitter | 1.73 m (5 ft 8 in) | 6 December 1997 | Polytechnic University of the Philippines |
| 22 | Javen Sabas | Outside Hitter | 1.67 m (5 ft 6 in) | 31 January 1999 | Polytechnic University of the Philippines |
| 23 | Honoka Okuda | Libero | 1.61 m (5 ft 3 in) | 19 July 2003 | Okayama Minami High School |
Coaching staff
Carrie Ann Pronuevo
Javen Sabas
Champion of 2023 Premier Volleyball League Invitational Conference
2023
Kyoka Ohshima – Finals MVP [14]
Asaka Tamaru – 1st Best Opposite Hitter [15]
Off the court, the Kurashiki Ablaze Women's team is actively involved in community outreach programs and charity events. [16] In fact, Kurashiki visited Barangay 158 in Tondo, Manila, to hold an outreach program with the community residents. [10]
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