Japan NT 2013

    Quote from Pokolul

    Japanese team lost three matches against U.S team in USA Volleyball Cup. 1:3, 1:3, 2:3. I don't worry about it, i think that Masayoshi Manabe know what to do (or I hope that). In first match (July 10) the best player was Ishida, who got 18 points! The third match was the most excited. It was so good match by Yukiko Ebata (24 points), Saori Kimura (23 points) and... Risa Shinnabe (13 points).


    You can read about it http://www.teamusa.org/USA-Volleyball. Matches you can watch http://www.teamusa.org/USA-Volleyball/Events/International/2013-USA-Volleyball-Cup-with-Japan/Video. What do you think about them?


    In my opinion, Ebata was not the best player for the third match. Her defense was very lacking and her offense was ok at best. Honestly I think a lot of the Japanese offense not succeeding is because of the setters. Hashimoto's sets to the outside die very quickly and they have a very up-down trajectory while Miyashita's sets are very tight to the net and sometimes cannot get to the ball (lazy?) so she does a lot of bump-setting. I think if the setters are trained better then Japan will play better. Risa and Saori both had very good defense in the match.

    MBs still the wek piont for the Japanese
    I hpoe Nakamichi and Araki will play with NT

    Quote from Dr_Organoborane

    In my opinion, Ebata was not the best player for the third match. Her defense was very lacking and her offense was ok at best. Honestly I think a lot of the Japanese offense not succeeding is because of the setters. Hashimoto's sets to the outside die very quickly and they have a very up-down trajectory while Miyashita's sets are very tight to the net and sometimes cannot get to the ball (lazy?) so she does a lot of bump-setting. I think if the setters are trained better then Japan will play better. Risa and Saori both had very good defense in the match.


    Yeah, but in statistics Ebata was one of the most helpfull players (i mean she gave the team 24 points, and that's good :))


    Quote from GuDeKo

    MBs still the wek piont for the Japanese
    I hpoe Nakamichi and Araki will play with NT


    I hope that too, japanese team need more experienced players like Nakamichi and Erika, and what is more, I think, that Nakamichi has a similar style of play like Takeshita (and both of them are 159 cm growth :D)

    Quote from Pokolul

    Yeah, but in statistics Ebata was one of the most helpfull players (i mean she gave the team 24 points, and that's good :))



    I hope that too, japanese team need more experienced players like Nakamichi and Erika, and what is more, I think, that Nakamichi has a similar style of play like Takeshita (and both of them are 159 cm growth :D)

    I'm thinking that coach manabe is trying more new players and giving them more experience playing in a high level tournament like the grand prix..maybe he's giving hitomi nakamichi and erika araki a bit of break or play in another important tournaments...its time for these new players to play well and impress coach manabe...so who will be the main setter? is it haruka miyashita or naoko hashimoto? :drink:

    Quote from aya

    I'm thinking that coach manabe is trying more new players and giving them more experience playing in a high level tournament like the grand prix..maybe he's giving hitomi nakamichi and erika araki a bit of break or play in another important tournaments...its time for these new players to play well and impress coach manabe...so who will be the main setter? is it haruka miyashita or naoko hashimoto? :drink:


    Of course, I agree with you :drink: This japanese team is a new team and these young players need time :-) They can gain experience by participating in tournaments like WGP. Manabe gave them a chance, and I hope that they won't dissapoint him and all fans all over the world! :D


    I don't know these new setters very well, but I think that main setter will be Haruka Miyashita :-)

    Quote from Pokolul

    Of course, I agree with you :drink: This japanese team is a new team and these young players need time :-) They can gain experience by participating in tournaments like WGP. Manabe gave them a chance, and I hope that they won't dissapoint him and all fans all over the world! :D


    I don't know these new setters very well, but I think that main setter will be Haruka Miyashita :-)


    I think Miyashita will be second setter if Nakamichi comes back. Nakamichi has superior movement and defense compared to either of the new setters, but Miyashita and Hashimoto are no longer "liabilities" for the block. I think the MB position does need some improvement, Araki was one of the best things to happen to the Japanese NT.


    As for the wing spikers, even though Ebata scored very much, I still think she can be too much of a liability sometimes; in my opinion why Manabe went with Sakoda for the medal match in the olympics. So even though I think her swing and jump are amazing, she is not as dynamic in her movement as some of the other wings. I love her play, but I just think she should try and improve her footwork since she will no longer be recieving Takeshita's perfect sets anymore.

    Don't forget last season Japan had the strongest NT of the last years.


    They just missed a strong opposite, but when you have Ebata, Kimura, Araki and Otomo who can always score, it isn't needed at all.

    Quote from ravens#7

    Don't forget last season Japan had the strongest NT of the last years.


    They just missed a strong opposite, but when you have Ebata, Kimura, Araki and Otomo who can always score, it isn't needed at all.


    True, I agree that this past OG cycle the Japanese team has been extremely strong. But again it is a team effort; Shinnabe's (and Sano's) amazing reception helped to foster the point scoring, and without several strong scorers, more pressure is on the wings, Saori and Yuki, to manufacture points. When Mannabe starts using Nagaoka I think that hole will be filled, but reception may become an issue.

    I'm in awe of Haruka. The astonishing way she uses the middles makes me forgett all my worries about Takeshita's absence. Japanese transition is extremely good. She plays easily with everybody here. Good call by Manabe.
    One more thing: her block technique is amazing. She scored 6 in 2 matches. Naz is a good blocker and scored just 3 in 3.

    Quote from NobodyKnows

    I'm in awe of Haruka. The astonishing way she uses the middles makes me forgett all my worries about Takeshita's absence. Japanese transition is extremely good. She plays easily with everybody here. Good call by Manabe.
    One more thing: her block technique is amazing. She scored 6 in 2 matches. Naz is a good blocker and scored just 3 in 3.

    Haruka only needs more playing on international level what she gets in Grand Prix, because Hitomi Nakamichi isn't with team. She's so tallented and almost 19 year-old girl, so she can solve Japanese NT problems with setter till OG even in 2028 year, when she'll be almost 34. I hope that any injury won't spoilt her career, because she's really promising player :thumbup:

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    Quote from kondzio

    Haruka only needs more playing on international level what she gets in Grand Prix, because Hitomi Nakamichi isn't with team. She's so tallented and almost 19 year-old girl, so she can solve Japanese NT problems with setter till OG even in 2028 year, when she'll be almost 34. I hope that any injury won't spoilt her career, because she's really promising player :thumbup:

    It's impressive how many players are coming to the senior teams already in good level at this age. Zhu Ting, Haruka, Gabi, Kakolewska, Kübra, Aslic, etc... :what:

    Don't forget C. Bosetti and Chirichella, they are also 19 years old but starters at their team :obey:


    Any idea why Haruka didn't play against Thailand?

    By the way, do you find who they are ?


    Quote from Yume

    Haruka did play against Thailand.


    Sorry I misremember she didn't play against Algeria

    Quote from serdar

    Sorry I misremember she didn't play against Algeria



    As many as some 40 members are registered for the NT this year. So Manabe is now screening them. The members who participated in the games against Thailand and Turkey are top players of the NT that include Haruka. Manabe wants to dig up some more treasures like Yukiko Ebata discovered in 2010. The players who participated in the game against Algeria are the assumed treasures. Haruka is already seen as a top player, a discovered treasure. So she didn't play the game vs Algeria.

    what about Sarina Koga...She's in the list of the Japan NT.. she played in Alassio Cup...im really impressed with her...hope manabe will start to train her and give her more playing time...shes young and will continue to be more better i tihnk :drink:

    Quote from Yume

    By the way, do you find who they are ?

    Ok, so from left side: Yukiko Ebata, Haruka Miyashita, Saori Kimura ^^ maybe I missed the second player, but I think that noone from other players has similar hairstyle :)

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    Quote from kondzio

    Ok, so from left side: Yukiko Ebata, Haruka Miyashita, Saori Kimura ^^ maybe I missed the second player, but I think that noone from other players has similar hairstyle :)



    The answer is ,from left , YUkiko Ebata, Saori Kimura, and Kozue Ayuhara.　Kozue Ayuhara is the main character of the well-known Japanese manga "Attack No.1" that features girl volleyball players.


    The original Attack No.1 is a serious story but " Attack No.1 Grand Championship Cup edition" that is scheduled to be released in September is a short comedy that stars Saori Kimura and Yukiko Ebata.


    Saori and YUkiko are world-top players seriously but they are recognized like next-door girls with their funny characters in Japan.