Panthers
After claiming the gold medal in the national cup (Emperor’s Cup) and national championship (V-League), Panasonic Panthers won the Kurowashiki Cup for the seventh time in the club history.
In the finals of the tournament that is traditionally organized by the Japanese volleyball federation (JVA) and Mainichi Newspapers and held in the city of Osaka, the Panthers beat JTEKT Stings at Maruzen Intech Arena by a 3-1 (25-19, 25-22, 25-27, 26-24).
In the quarterfinals, Panthers prevailed over Sakai Blazers by a 3-1 (25-16, 27-29, 25-19, 25-23). As for the semis, the national champions defeated Toray Arrows, also in four sets, partially 26-24, 26-28, 25-20, 25-20.
The Pole Michał Kubiak, who returned to Panthers’ squad after taking part in the 2017-2018 Chinese Super League playoff finals, in which his club Beijing lost to Shanghai, was named MVP of the tournament.
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