9 from Hisamitsu - 1 Libero, 1 MB, 7 Swingers
4 from Toray .... - 1 Libero, 1 Setter, 2 Swingers
4 from JT ........ - 2 Libero, 2 MB
3 from Ageo ..... - 1 Libero, 1 MB, 1 Setter
3 from NEC ...... - 1 MB, 2 Swingers
2 from Toyota ... - 1 MB, 1 Swinger
1 from Hitachi ... - 1 Setter
1 from Okayama . - 1 Setter
1 from Denso ..... - 1 Swinger
I can't imagine anyone cracking the JT Dynamic Duo at Libero. Would love to see Yumi NAKAGAWA get some playing time but I don't see three liberos joining a 14 person roster.
Will Haruka MIYASHITA play? I hunted down a few Okayama games. She looks healthy to me. She's so casual at setting, doesn't jump around much--I don't know whether that's good or bad, whether it helps to conceal or reveal where she's going with the ball. She's one of the best floor defenders I've ever seen. Japan is a defensive team. I hate to see her talent go to waste. But I did fall in love with Koyomi TOMINAGA watching her in 2017, so I'm torn. Wish Miya Sato would retire.
Aika AKUTAGAWA. Fact. I've been singing her praises all season. She and OKUMURA are the shortest MBs, but they are also the fastest. Aika Rocks! I really really really hope she gets playing time on an international stage. All my ribbing JT about choking didn't apply to her. We'll see. My fingers are crossed.
So everyone else takes care of the dirty work and Hisamitsu gets to swing. Well ... they receive serve too! That's dirty work. Bless Risa.
It will be interesting to see where Miyu Nagaoka fits into the mix, assuming she is fully rehabilitated. It means everyone else is competing for two spots instead of three. I'd like to see someone new come out of the blue and knock some of these old ladies down a notch.
I forget if the WGP, now the VNL, is meaningless, unimportant, or stupid, but it will be interesting to see if Japan uses it to explore players or sticks with the tried and true and hones them for the WCh.
Congratulations Shiori ARATANI