On the night of August 29, I was fortunate to see Kobe Shinwa University play at the SMART Araneta Coliseum against the Chery Tiggo Crossovers in the PVL Invitational Conference.
And here are my thoughts seeing them up close in person.
Height Disadvantage Against the Crossovers
It was my first time watching a foreign volleyball club play a match against Filipinos, and to my surprise, they were even smaller than the PVL on Tour 2025 finalists.
I then remembered that this team is only a University squad and isn’t a Women’s Seniors Volleyball team. But in the lack of height, they make up for it with their speed and agility. They attack with precision, execute smart plays and trust the system that Head Coach Kiyokazu Yamamoto uses.
Speaking of Head Coach Yamamoto, I can’t help to notice that he’s not coaching his team the same way Filipino coaches do their own.
It’s far different from how I see coaches in the PVL and in the UAAP since he only speaks to her team in the first part of the timeout then lets her students communicate on their own. There were even moments wherein he wouldn’t speak to them at all and would let her team figure out what must be done or the adjustments that must happen.
I’m not certain if this is what they call the “Silent Treatment” in Japanese Volleyball or something else.
Positive Mindset Despite Being Down 0-2
Another unique quality about this Japanese team is how they face adversities and challenges.
Despite being down 0-2 in the match and playing with fatigue since they also played the night before (August 28), Kobe Shinwa ended the Set 2 break with a positive scream and joyful body language.
And when Set 3 began, the “positive mindset” that they held on to paid off as they survived the rally by the Chery Tiggo. Led by their team captain, Sakura Furuta, and #12 player Kokoro Yasuma, they withstand the storm of the Crossovers despite the height and experience disadvantage.
I’m just not sure if this “joyful persona” they have is because of their Japanese cultural heritage or because they are still young college students who have a positive outlook in life.
Emotional Support Bench Players
The starters and rotational players of the Kobe Shinwa University wouldn’t be this energetic on the floor without the never-ending support from their loud bench players.
Having a 15-woman lineup means some of the players wouldn’t see action on the court, so what do the remaining players contribute? Pretty much everything that the starters need and what their short-handed coaching staff expects.
Aside from their Head Coach, they only have 3 personnel from their coaching staff, so whenever there’s a timeout, the bench players are the ones who hand out water bottles to their main players.
The main highlight of the bench? Singing.
I don’t speak Japanese nor understand their language, but if your bench is dedicating a song whenever there’s a challenge being reviewed or while you’re playing, you should give it your all on the floor.
Their bench players may not provide quality statistical output, but what they offer outside of the game of volleyball is far greater and much more appreciated, considering they are the only guest team in the PVL right now.
Respect for Filipino Supporters and Unmatched Team Determination
There’s no doubt that Filipino fans have loved and shared their support for this Japanese collegiate baseball club.
How did they repay that support? They rallied 2 sets down and won the game in Set 5 against the Chery Tiggo Crossovers to book a spot in the PVL Invitational Conference Finals.
Despite playing an undefeated PLDT High Speed Hitters team that has a winning streak for the past 3 months, Kobe Shinwa University have earned the respect of PVL fans.
After winning a grueling Set 5 battle, they showed respect to the people watching at the Araneta Coliseum by giving a bow as applause surrounded the venue.
Overall, watching a Japanese team certainly has given volleyball fans something new to cheer for. They’ve displayed a unique type of game not just by their players but with how they demonstrate the culture of Japan and I personally would like to see them come back to the Philippines in the near future.
As someone who just took the sport of volleyball seriously this 2025, I’m looking forward to seeing more guest teams compete with the best Filipino volleyball teams we have. Not just for determining who’s better but for the fans to be entertained as well.
