Kurashiki Ablaze withdraws from PVL Invitational due to coach violation

The defending champion Japanese volleyball club Kurashiki Ablaze has withdrawn from the Premier Volleyball League (PVL) Invitational due to an internal issue involving its head coach, Hideo Suzuki.

Kurashiki cited a compliance violation by Suzuki and decided to commence an immediate internal investigation following a notice from the Japan Volleyball League.

The PVL responded by bringing in ZUS Coffee Thunderbelles as a replacement team for the tournament set to begin on Thursday, August 21.

Originally, Farm Fresh Foxies were considered but opted out due to roster constraints, leading to the selection of ZUS Coffee despite finishing sixth in the PVL on Tour.

Kurashiki expressed regret and apologized for any inconvenience caused by their last-minute withdrawal scheduled just two days before the start of the tournament on Saturday, August 23.