Kobe Shinwa’s historic win Over Creamline: Coach Yamamoto knew it was coming

Japanese guest team Kobe Shinwa University bounced back from a tough loss to the PLDT High Speed Hitters by stunning Premier Volleyball League (PVL) giants Creamline Cool Smashers, 27-25, 25-23, 23-25, 25-21, on Tuesday, August 26, at the Philsports Arena in Pasig.

Kokoro Yasuma led the charge for Kobe Shinwa with 23 points, including 21 attacks and two aces, while also anchoring the defense with 12 excellent receptions. Arisu Ishikawa and Nagisa Komatsuda contributed 16 points each, Reira Miyazaki added 11, and Yuia Yamano scored nine.

Kobe Shinwa head coach Kiyokazu Yamamoto savored the victory, revealing after the match that he had been eyeing Creamline from the start. “I know Creamline has many skilled players. The last time I was here, I saw how they play very fast with numerous combination plays,” Yamamoto said.

TUESDAY NIGHT TAKEDOWN

Hear from Kobe Shinwa head coach Kiyokazu Yamamoto and Kokoro Yasuma on a huge upset win over Creamline. #PVL2025 #PVLInvitational @spinph pic.twitter.com/8TqtzMnICe

— John Mark Garcia (@johnmarkdg_) August 26, 2025

He credited his team’s balanced and relentless offense for overwhelming the Cool Smashers, with Kobe Shinwa racking up 69 attack points compared to Creamline’s 56. “We focused on limiting their combination plays and played our game. It paid off today,” he added.

The win was even more remarkable considering Kobe Shinwa entered the Invitational Conference as the youngest squad, with an average age of just 19. Despite the upset, Yamamoto remained grounded. “We have confidence now, but we are still challengers. We just have to play our game and move forward,” he said.

The loss marked a historic blow for Creamline, which will miss the PVL Finals for the second consecutive conference—a first in the franchise’s decorated history. With three defeats in the Invitational, the Cool Smashers are now out of contention for a top-two finish, as both Chery Tiggo and Kobe Shinwa can finish with no more than two losses.

Kobe Shinwa, meanwhile, currently sits fifth in the Invitational standings with a 1-1 record. They will aim to build on this victory when they face the Cignal HD Spikers on Thursday, August 28, at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.

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