Japan - V.Premier League 2016-2017

  • Darn it! I didn't know this was going to be played at this ungodly hour. I've been planning my whole week for a Friday night game. And I spoilered it for myself. Looks like it was exciting, except it also looks like my hero Mighty Mouse Yanagita didn't play much. I hope Iwasaka is okay.

  • I am so heartbroken over this. ;( I'll probably just re-watch NEC beat KAZ, PHI, THA, and CHN from last year's Asian Club Championship instead of this NEC/Hisamitsu replay. The streams are good, they have colorful commentary, and no European swinging 84 times at the expense of the player who should have won MVP in that series instead of Koga.


    What a way to end things :( Really takes the air out of the balloon I had been blowing up for this, suffering through these raunchy streams. I guess I'll go bury my head in the sand and wait for the Grand Prix. I don't know what else to do. :wall:

  • WHAT????????????????????????????????


    I had no idea they played last night/this morning. I knew it was a different time, but I was thinking it was "tonight" around 3am. :wacko: :wacko: :wacko: .


    And I was gonna make my prediction and I was gonna say that if Nikolova plays like she has been playing lately the Rockets would probably win, now it is too late. Either way is nice they went to a 5set and it shows how strong Hisamitsu is. And Imagine if Hisamitsu wins in 5, then with the Golden Set?!, This could be a very long night...

  • if Nikolova plays like she has been playing lately the Rockets would probably win


    I'm half way through last night's game and Nikolova is swinging a lot and she's playing very well defensively, too. I'm staying up or getting up for tonight's game. 2:00am Pacific time. I hope.


    Turns out ... great match. Nikolova owned it. Her determination was palpable. I did see Iwasaka back hanging in the subs corner. That's better than a hospital. I'm liking the Yamaguchi->Ohno quick smash. Congrats to Hisamitsu. They played well, not great, without Nagaoka, and no Iwasaka for the last set+. Tough job.

  • Hisamitsu did okay for a set and a half, with the help of some nec service errors, but seems to have lost momentum. Koga is swinging forcefully. Nice.


    No Iwasaka :(

  • that was an odd koga moment. :lol:


    I like all these teams but someone's gotta lose. I thought it should have been easier for NEC. That says something good about Hisamitsu.

  • March 18, 2017, Final Match 2 of 2


    NEC Red Rockets 3-2 Hisamitsu Springs (23-25, 25-22, 25-19, 18-25, 15-6)
    Emiliya Nikolova (NEC) 30 (2b), Sarina Koga (NEC) 21 (3b), Akari Oumi (NEC) 16, Kana Ohno (NEC)11 (1b), Kaori Ueno (NEC) 9, Kaname Yamaguchi (NEC) 0, Miku Torigoe (NEC) L, Haruyo Shimamura (NEC) sub 0, Mizuki Yanagita (NEC) sub 0, Misaki Yamauchi (NEC) sub 0
    Rika Nomoto (Hisamitsu) 23 (3b, 1a), Risa Shinnabe (Hisamitsu) 17 (2b), Yuki Ishii (Hisamitsu) 17 (1b, 1a), Maja Tokarska (Hisamitsu) 9 (3b), Yumi Mizuta (Hisamitsu) 7, Chizuru Kotoh (Hisamitsu) 1 (1b), Sayaka Tsutsui (Hisamitsu) L, Erika Sakae (Hisamitsu) sub 0, Fumika Moriya (Hisamitsu) sub 0, Risa Ishibashi (Hisamitsu) sub 0, Ayano Nakaoji (Hisamitsu) sub 0, Mana Toe (Hisamitsu) sub L


    6th Championship for NEC, last one in 2015


    Hisamitsu probably needed Nagaoka to win the Championship. I know that they got close, but she's been the focus of the offense and without her, they could not pick up the slack. Hisamitsu does a good job of identifying players, so I fully expect them back at the top next year.


    Koga had a much better match than Friday, but Nikolova again was the driving force for NEC.


    NEC with 19 more kills with only 10 more attempts, Hisamitsu won the blocks 10-6 and was +5 at the service line (+2 aces, -3 errors (fewer)

  • Rockets :heart:. They are very consistent throughout the whole tournament, I`m glad they won. Nikolova played her best where it mattered the most. Will be nice to see how they will perform in the CWCH. Is there individual awards?


    Thank u brahmin for always keeping us posted. :thumbsup:

  • I would agree that the Rockets were the most consistent team this year. And were deserving champions.


    No info on individual awards. I am expecting after the men's final tomorrow, but I could be wrong. Plus, it would have made sense to do it with the awards ceremony.

  • 6th Championship for NEC, last one in 2015


    I get things mixed up because seasons span across a calendar year but isn't NEC the reigning champion of 2016? I mean, I've just been watching them win the 2016 Asian Club Championship (Sept 2016), which I assume means they won the V.League in 2016, approximately one year ago. Hisamitsu won in 2015? Or is it worked out so that you play in the Asian Club Championship a year after you win the V.League?


    I'm happy the Oumi Red Rockets won, but it's based as much on watching those ACC games from last year where basically Sagawa and Mighty Mouse played instead of Nikolova. I can really put my rooting pants on for that. I don't have any stats but it sure seemed to me that Yanagita was the leading scorer of that series. Nikolova played outstanding in this year's finals. I give her mad props for that. Not only attacking the ball, but her attitude of "Get outta my way, we're winning this thing" was pretty intense. I like her a lot, too, even though her court energy is at the opposite end of the spectrum from Mighty Mouse.

  • Ha! I looked at that V.League Wiki page and missed the "2015-16: Hisamitsu Springs" listing because it's listed weirdly, after 1993-94. And I'm flummoxed by the other page that starts out "The 2016 Asian Women’s Club Volleyball Championship was the 17th staging of the AVC Club Championships ..." Strange naming conventions in this sport. I don't see where it says how they qualify. I was trying to figure this out a little while ago when I wrote:

    Quote

    Just for practice ... as an outline:


    The next thing for the NEC Red Rockets, as the Winners of the 2016 Asian Women’s Club Volleyball Championship is to play in the 2017 FIVB Volleyball Women's Club World Championship (I see Hisamitsu is playing as Host, as well).


    Then, whomever wins this V.League Season Finals next week will play in the 2017 Asian Women’s Club Volleyball Championship (Assuming it's the Oumi Red Rockets, they will be busy playing a lot, ...


    I thought I had it. Apparently not. :( Now it looks like Hisamitsu will be playing a lot. In both tournaments in May?

  • Oh ok sorry, I was thinking they would say how they qualified.


    Yeah Hisamtisu and NEC will playing at the CWCH. And Hisamitsu will play at the Asian CH. But once they are both in May and so close, Hisamtisu could be sending a B team to play the Asian CH, once I`m assuming they will give the WCHC priority.

  • Here we go with the B team stuff again :aww: This is bad for the sport. :wall: I think I read somewhere that Japan sent their U23 squad to the Asian Sr Women's Championship last time. I still have no idea what the AVC Cup Cup Cup in the fall is all about. Maybe that's the one they sent their U23 squad to.


    Thanks for helping me out.


    Too bad for Hisamitsu no matter how they play it if Nagaoka is injured, and Iwasaka is questionable. And gosh darnit, if the CWCH is a priority, wouldn't qualifying for it also be a priority, ie., winning the Asian CH? It freaks me out that a set of players who win something that qualifies them for something bigger and better might not (doesn't even have to be) the same set of players who will play in that bigger better thing.


    Sorry if it sounds like I'm blaming you for all this, my friend :lol:

  • The reasoning for sending the B team is as follows. National team takes priority after season finishes. If Montreaux, World Grand Prix, Asian Championships, World Championship Qualifying all happen, the Federation has to pick and choose which one is more important. Now, throw in the World Club Cup in the mix, let alone the Asian Club Championships. Often Japan will send a lower finishing team to the Asian Club Championships.


    With the new national team coach being the former head coach at Hisamitsu, she'll probably allow the national team players to play with their club teams because it is in Japan and that the teams won't have to travel. My opinion and also based on coach's words from past interviews to improve her team when traveling to World Club Cup in Switzerland.


    Hisamitsu has qualified as the host of the World Club Cup. NEC Qualified as the 2016 AVC Club Champions. With 3 Wild Cards, I bet one of them will come from China, and possibly one from Thailand or South Korea.