Japanese NT 2018

  • 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

  • Use the term kill percentage for the stats you are showing.
    Take out the hitting errors in the column next to kills and then divide by total swings for hitting percentage.


    Imamura basically was interchangeable for Nomoto. If you put her on a team like Hitachi, I don’t think her numbers would be as good. Just my opinion. She is essentially playing with the national team on Hisamitsu. Reception numbers are low but I think that she is playing as opposite/passer. Hisamitsu can swap positions between players which makes the team versatile.


    Miyashita will play, she is still the youngest of the setters. Nakata sees a lot of herself in her from interviews. Plus with 2020 down the line, I see her as the starter then.


    Akutagawa will be behind Araki and Okumura. Nana Iwasaki probably is third, then Aika/ Shimamura. Matsumoto is last in my mind.


    Nagaoka when healthy is the starting opposite. Shinnabe/Ishii/Koga/Nabeya for all around.


    Libero will be the JT combo. Toe may get more playing time this year.


  • :lol: I went with "attack ratio" from google-translated: "Attack Determine Rate/Rate Decision" :lol: I get the difference you point out now.


    I'd like to see Imamura on a team where she is the go-to main weapon. See if she rises to the occasion. She has a Tim Duncan quality. Fundamentals. If she got smart too, and tricky like Nabeya, she'd entertain me a lot.


    VNL is a long tournament. I'd hope for new faces for my entertainment dollar over watching Hisamitsu play internationally. Either way will be fun. I just don't know what preparing for the WCh entails.

  • I just noticed that Yumi Nakagawa has been removed from the v.League team page but is still on Toray's team page. I've noticed in the recent past that the V.League site has usually updated before Team pages when it came to the additions of new players. Hmmm ....

  • Miyu made an appearance at the All Star game. She came out and served once but didn't look ready to play. She's gained a couple kilos and looks pretty fit. Not sure what the "we are not worthy" bow was all about. :obey:


    You can see Kurogo wearing KANASUGI's uniform and KANASUGI wearing Shimamura's. (Shimamura wore Kurogo's). Oh the wacky Japanese. They sure know how to have fun, don't they? :cheesy:




  • Setter:
    Koyomi Tominaga (Ageo), Miya Sato (Hitachi), Kanami Tashiro (Toray)
    Opposite:
    Risa Shinnabe (Hisamitsu), Mari Horikawa (Toray)
    Outside Hitter:
    Yuki Ishii (Hisamitsu), Mami Uchiseto (Golem Olbia), Saori Takahashi (Toyota AB),
    Arisa Inoue (Hisamitsu), Sarina Koga (NEC), Ai Kurogo (Toray)
    Middle Blocker:
    Nana Iwasaka (Hisamitsu), Mai Okumura (JT), Aika Akutagawa (JT), Haruyo Shimamura (NEC)
    Libero:
    Kotoe Inoue (JT), Akane Yamagishi (Ageo), Mana Toe (Hisamitsu)



    https://pbs.twimg.com/media/Da9nc9XVMAAHl5L.jpg


    Miyashita & Nabeya are out because of minor injuries.

  • What about Erika Araki? Has she any break during Nations League?

    Gold Medal - Prediction Game - Men's - Olympic Games 2012
    Gold Medal - Prediction Game - Men's - European Championship 2015
    Silver Medal
    - Prediction Game - Women's - Olympic Games 2012

    がんばれ 日本!

  • I think it's true they can change the roster for each round? That's what happened at last year's WGP.


    Erika Araki is probably just resting. She's clearly Japan's best MB. I'm really happy to see Aika Akutagawa (JT) get a taste of international competition against tall players. My fingers are crossed for her. It's a big step. My hope/guess is that she excels more as a scorer than a blocker. She's pretty quick. But she's a little young and goofy, which brings life to the court, which helped JT ... not sure how it translates to NT.


    Surprised they broke up the JT Libero Tag Team.


    Imagine Nagaoka is simply not fully recovered yet.


    Of the A-list Swingers, not much to expect. They will do their job as they have always done. It's up to Sarina Koga to step up and show some leadership and crunch time awesomeness--be a game changer. I believe this is going to happen.


    I'm most excited to see how the B-list Swingers will perform. Takahashi brings much needed athleticism. I don't think Love, After Dark (Kurogo) is ready yet. Arisa Inoue could surprise us all.


    I hope Yuka Imamura makes the roster for one of the rounds. She may be a tad mild-mannered for International Competition. She doesn't even try to hit the ball hard. She's a sniper, a sharpshooter, which will help her in hitting around or off the Block. Or not. I hope we get the chance to find out.

  • The Japanese NT for the first round of the VNL with their bangs and other hairstyle malfunctions:


  • Any new prospects to watch for? Thanks.

  • Any new prospects to watch for? Thanks.


    Yuka Imamura (OH)
    Aika AKUTAGAWA. (MB) Fact.
    Arisa Inoue (OH)


    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.


    I'm really happy to see Aika Akutagawa (JT) get a taste of international competition against tall players. My fingers are crossed for her. It's a big step. My hope/guess is that she excels more as a scorer than a blocker. She's pretty quick. But she's a little young and goofy, which brings life to the court, which helped JT ... not sure how it translates to NT.


    If I had to pick someone new to join the ranks it would be Toray #15 Yumi Nakagawa. She's a commando, fast and smart, with soft arms.


    Arisa Inoue could surprise us all.


    Arisa Inoue - 22 year old #22 Arisa Inoue, in her first game for Hisamitsu, a Final 6 game, went 42/20 in attack, with 1 block, 1 Ace, and she made 1 error. Aged 22, number 22, scored 22 points in her first game. Based on that I'd start her in the WCh, but that's the only time I've seen her play. I'll relax for now and keep an eye on her.


    Who to add?


    A shout out to Hisamitsu's #12 Yuka Imamura (OH) ... Imamura was probably the most solid and consistent OH I witnessed across all teams this past season. She had a better attack percentage than Yuki or Risa, took more swings than Risa but played too few sets so she doesn't show up in leader boards


    I hope Yuka Imamura makes the roster for one of the rounds. She may be a tad mild-mannered for International Competition. She doesn't even try to hit the ball hard. She's a sniper, a sharpshooter, which will help her in hitting around or off the Block. Or not. I hope we get the chance to find out.
    All I'm saying is: Keep an eye on this girl

  • Is Arisa Inoue the same person at the 2013 U20 World Championship winning silver for Japan?

  • Is Arisa Inoue the same person at the 2013 U20 World Championship winning silver for Japan?


    Yes it is


    http://www.fivb.org/EN/Volleyb…0/2013/Teams.asp?Team=JPN

  • Thanks. She went up against Zhu in that game. Good to hear from her again after all these years.

  • She went up against Zhu in that game. Good to hear from her again after all these years.


    That was before my time so I went and watched it ... probably one of the most lopsided volleyball games I've ever seen. A bunch of big people beating up on a bunch of little people lol. Japan made them work for a few points but for the most part it was like they were playing against a men's team. The first point of the game it took Zhu three swings to land one and even it was dug, but resulted in an overpass that was hammered home by another monster. Zhu looks fully grown already and had a bunch of facial expressions I had assumed she picked up during her time in Europe. Thanks for bringing it to my attention.


  • Japan did their best to reach the final. That team didn't lose a set the entire tournament so the score is not a big deal. Glad to hear someone from Zhu's generation again.


  • Nagaoka didn't play at all. Word was she might be ready to return about this time but the season is over--except one more Final game. So, don't really know her status.


    Horikawa was a monster early in the season and tapered off. If Nagaoka remains out, Horikawa is a good sub. If Nagaoka is back partial or full time, I think Yanagita is a better backup--better overall skill set and floor fun, but I'm biased. I have always liked Yanagita. She's really short, though.


    That's a total shame. Loved to see Nagaoka playing on court. I guess its hard for players with short height when they injure their cruciate ligament.


    I guess I'm sort of glad to see that Araki's off the list. It's time that younger players get a chance to play in her position.

  • That's a total shame. Loved to see Nagaoka playing on court. I guess its hard for players with short height when they injure their cruciate ligament.


    I guess I'm sort of glad to see that Araki's off the list. It's time that younger players get a chance to play in her position.


    I read here somewhere earlier that Nagaoka's injury was to her ankle. Do you have other information? I had assumed it was an injury to her knee because of how long she's been out (along with the notion--I'm not a doctor--that knee injuries are worse than ankle injuries).


    I'm wondering who might be the younger MBs you'd like to see. I about wet my happy pants when JT's Aika Akutagawa was called up. I described her as 'young and goofy'. But I just looked and she's 27 y/old.


    MB is a tough position for Japan to fill.