Miya Atsumu stood at the service line, as though the spotlight in the entire arena had focused solely on him. From the Inarizaki supporters' section, a thunderous wave of cheers erupted. The rhythm of drums grew more intense, gradually accompanied by the blaring sounds of horns.
The charged...
2025-01-01 16:00:16 +0000 UTC View Post"Congratulations to Inarizaki for advancing to the quarterfinals! Your match was scheduled as the final game this morning. Will this affect your performance in the afternoon?"
At Tokyo Metropolitan Gymnasium's Court B, the representative team from Hyōgo, Inarizaki High, had just secured th...
2025-01-01 14:24:33 +0000 UTC View Post[Ding! Kiryū Wakatsu's burst mode deactivated]
[Ding! The host's burst mode deactivated]
The continuous system notifications didn't stir Kaedehara Taichi in the slightest. His entire focus was on the next play.
Just ...
2024-12-31 16:01:03 +0000 UTC View PostFinally hearing the familiar system notification sound, Kaedehara Taichi let out a deep breath of relief. Holding his ground against Kiryū Wakatsu alone had pushed him to his limit.
"Damn Oikawa, you're always a step too slow."
Mujinazaka's Nozomu Mami served the ball sharply over the n...
2024-12-31 16:00:15 +0000 UTC View Post"In this critical final set, Mujinazaka holds a firm grip on the game!"
"Their dominance is largely due to the timely return of their core member—Usuri Mitsuru. He had a rough time being targeted by Aoba Johsai in the last set," the commentator Aoi chuckled lightly.
"Yet, he quickly...
2024-12-30 16:01:01 +0000 UTC View PostFirst-year setter Fujii Fuku stood on the court, overwhelmed and at a loss. In his mind, the position of Mujinazaka's setter had always seemed relatively simple.
With Kiryū Wakatsu, one of the top three ace spikers in the nation, and their towering 190cm twin blockers, all the setter had t...
2024-12-30 16:00:11 +0000 UTC View Post"An eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth."
When put under the same pressure, Mujinazaka's setter, Usuri Michiru, was the first to lose his composure.
Tweet! Mujinazaka called for a timeout.
"Michiru!" Mujinazaka High's coach, Kuzuri Michiko...
2024-12-29 16:02:01 +0000 UTC View Post"Aoba Johsai struggled under Mujinazaka's relentless assault, ultimately losing the first set."
"Hah, so this is the so-called dark horse? Aoba Johsai dropped the first set to Mujinazaka," a spectator sneered from the stands.
"Not necessarily," another spectator chimed in. "A...
2024-12-29 16:01:01 +0000 UTC View PostKiryū Wakatsu.
In his second year of junior high, he led his school team to their first-ever breakthrough into the second round of the National Junior High Tournament.
"Thanks to Kiryū's powerful spikes!"
"Their defence players were practically scared out of their pan...
2024-12-29 16:00:10 +0000 UTC View Post"—And just like that, a setter dump scores the opening point!"
"What a bold play from Aoba Johsai's setter, #1—Oikawa Tōru!" exclaimed Ōtomo, the commentator.
Throughout the matches leading up to this point, Oikawa had left a deep impression on Ōtomo.
As a setter...
2024-12-28 16:01:00 +0000 UTC View Post"Has the first round of matches on Court C ended?"
"Looks like it. The next match should be Mujinazaka's."
"Mujinazaka? You mean that Kiryū Wakatsu from Kyushu?"
"Then what are we waiting for? Let's head over!"
Two high school students chatted as they hurrie...
2024-12-28 16:00:11 +0000 UTC View PostAfter finishing their second-round match, the Seijoh players finally started to settle into the atmosphere of the national tournament. To help the team relax, Coach Irihata gave them two hours of free time.
Kuroo Tetsurō and Kozume Kenma also came to watch the matches today. Since it was t...
2024-12-27 16:26:40 +0000 UTC View PostOn the morning of June 30th, the players of Shiratorizawa Academy's boys' volleyball team returned to the gym after completing their early morning training run.
In the past two years, they would have been warming up at Tokyo's arena at this time while preparing for their next match.
B...
2024-12-27 16:00:14 +0000 UTC View Post[Aoba Johsai 23 – 17 Nohebi]
"Why can't we stop them?!" Nohebi Academy's middle blocker, Seguro Akihiko, stared at the widening score gap with growing anxiety.
"Hold the line! We won't fall here!" Their captain, Suguru, shouted with determination as he received the ...
2024-12-27 15:53:40 +0000 UTC View Post[Aoba Johsai 25 – 22 Nohebi]
"What an impeccably precise line shot!"
"Aoba Johsai's ace, Kaedehara Taichi, did not disappoint his teammates, clinching this set with a decisive and clean spike!"
"Throughout the first set, #10, Kaedehara Taichi primaril...
2024-12-26 16:51:37 +0000 UTC View Post"Oh dear, it seems Aoba Johsai's #16 player, Kyōtani Kentarō, isn't happy with the referee's decision. A disagreement has erupted, and Aoba Johsai was given a red card."
"Looks like the coach might sub him out now. Such a shame, considering how brilliant Kyōtani has been so far," comment...
2024-12-26 16:31:31 +0000 UTC View PostIn volleyball, nothing is ever guaranteed. Success often comes from riding the unpredictable winds of fortune.
And if winning was the goal, why not use every possible tactic to achieve it?
Nohebi Academy's serve. Naoyasu Kuguri delivered a float serve with a controlled jump, sending t...
2024-12-26 16:12:55 +0000 UTC View Post[Tokyo Metropolitan Gymnasium, Court D]
Twenty minutes remained before the match would begin.
Compared to the Sendai City Gymnasium—the venue for the Miyagi Prefecture Finals, which occasionally hosted international-level matches—the Tokyo Gymnasium was o...
2024-12-25 17:08:55 +0000 UTC View Post[Friday Morning, June 29th]
The volleyball team members boarded the bus, carrying their volleyball gear and luggage for the next few days, ready to set off for Tokyo. After a five-year hiatus, Aoba Johsai's boys' volleyball team was finally making their return to the Nation...
2024-12-25 16:08:15 +0000 UTC View PostEven if they were seniors, once they stood on the opposite side of the net, they became opponents.
Taichi Kaedehara's response made Ichisuke Takahashi's eyelid twitch. As the most mild-mannered member of the university team, even he couldn't help but feel the urge to shut him down after suc...
2024-12-25 16:05:34 +0000 UTC View Post"What?! You saw two of the top five spikers in the nation at the Tokyo games?!"
A loud exclamation from Kindaichi echoed through the hallway of Class 1-5 at Aoba Johsai High, drawing curious glances from nearby students.
"Keep your voice down; we're already attracting enough attention...
2024-12-24 17:45:05 +0000 UTC View Post"Tch!"
Even though he scored, Tōru Oikawa still seemed dissatisfied.
After two deceptive float serves, Kazuya Sugimoto suddenly switched to a powerful jump serve.
The university players hadn't expected Akira Kunimi to react in time to receive it. Yet, when Shinji Watari stepped...
2024-12-24 16:51:06 +0000 UTC View Post[June 9th, early Saturday morning. Aoba Johsai's Third Gym]
Kindaichi Yūtarō pushed open the door to the volleyball club's activity room.
"Good morning!"
"Morning!" replied the group of third-year seniors in unison. The four of them were always inseparable, so...
2024-12-24 16:14:29 +0000 UTC View Post[Nekoma High School Gymnasium]
Today's opponent wasn't particularly strong, so Coach Nekomata wrapped up the post-game review quickly and allowed the Nekoma players to start practising on their own.
With Taichi Kaedehara now part of the team, Kuroo Tetsurō decided to...
2024-12-23 16:02:01 +0000 UTC View PostBoth Nekoma and Fukurodani breezed through their respective matches earlier in the day. That afternoon, Taichi decided to watch the matches of Itachiyama and Nohebi Academy.
Nohebi Academy wasn't bad—they showed solid fundamentals in defence and serving, along ...
2024-12-23 16:01:02 +0000 UTC View PostInside a gymnasium near Kanto University, Taichi Kaedehara and Tenma Udai were practising volleyball together.
"Wow, even though you mentioned Aoba Johsai made it to Nationals, I didn't expect you to have improved so much!" Tenma Udai stared at Taichi Kaedehara in amazement. The last time t...
2024-12-23 16:00:16 +0000 UTC View Post[June 8th, at the Aoba Johsai Gymnasium]
It had been a few days since Aoba Johsai claimed victory in the prefectural qualifiers. The initial excitement had worn off, and the volleyball club resumed its daily training as usual.
"What are those two doing?" Iwaizumi Haji...
2024-12-22 16:14:07 +0000 UTC View Post"I really didn't expect you to calmly declare your ambition to dominate the nationals in that situation," Tōru Oikawa said, his mouth full of beef, as he spoke indistinctly to Taichi.
With all the tedious matters concluded, the entire Aoba Johsai volleyball team gathered once again at thei...
2024-12-22 16:10:09 +0000 UTC View PostVictory?
In that decisive moment, as the ball hit the ground, the scoreboard froze, announcing the match's outcome.
The news of victory surged through the tense, electrified air like a current, yet it seemed to need a moment to truly register in everyone's minds.
The pl...
2024-12-21 16:31:19 +0000 UTC View PostWas the blocking gesture off?
No, it didn't seem so.
Was the timing of the jump wrong?
No, that wasn't it either.
Then, there was only one explanation—he had jumped higher than he did at the start.
The saying that "a run-up is like artifi...
2024-12-21 16:17:19 +0000 UTC View Post