Japan - V.Premier League 2017-2018

  • Did you know Uchiseto is playing in Italy 2nd Division?


    Uchiseto is odd. She deserves her spot, and playing time, on the NT , but she is one of a very few Japanese players I don't/can't root for. I dunno why, really. It just doesn't happen.


    Sad that Miyashita may soon fade from memory. She was a major reason I took on the Japanese team. I love floor defense and I have yet to see anyone better than her (in Japan, anyway). I'm still learning how to watch/enjoy setters. Tominaga has my attention now.


    Interesting that in the Hitachi v JT game last week I was more excited to see Kotoe Inoue than my other first love, Arisa Sato, doing libero duties. Last night Inoue wasn't dressed as libero, came in at two crucial moments as a serve specialist and hit a couple into the net. :whistle:


    I know it's ridiculous for me to complain about streams I DO GET TO SEE from some little team playing in a little sport halfway around the globe, but I do it anyway. :lol:

  • The highest division only has 8 clubs so that's understandable they'll show everything.


    There were 10 teams on the highest division until 2008/09 season, but there was a huge gap between top and bottom. For example, Hitach rivale was 0 win 27 loses on 2008-2009 season :aww: So federation decides reducing the teams on top division.



    About JT marverous...


    #4 Yuka Kitsui
    -her position : She can play both Opp/OH, but other spikers Mihajlovic/Tanaka/Kanasugi prefer hitting from position 4, so Kitsui is playing as Opposite now.
    On last season she was basically a substitute Opposite, but she also played as OH instead of injured Onuma.
    On 2015 U20/23 team, she was starting Opposite and she showed very solid performance.


    -her reception: She is the best receiver of JT's 4 sing spikers (Mizuki Tanaka isn't a good passer. She was ranked 23th out of 24 players on reception ranking last season). The problem is JT is trying almost 2 receivers system by Kitsui and Kobata - Mihajlovic/Tanaka/Kanasugi bacically receive only when services come to in front of them because their passing isn't good. So Kitsui has to cover wide range of the court but she can't adapt this so far. She is a talented player and I hope she copes with this hard time.


    JT did same system by Ayumi Nakamura and Kobata on last season, but Nakamura also struggled a lot and JT was the worst team on reception ranking.


    #2 Mizuki Tanaka
    She is also a main weapon along with Mihajlovic. I think her offence is really good considering of her height, but she needs to improve her reception more - this is the reason she was cut at first from 2017 NT.
    She has really strong mentality and she can score when the team really needs her. I hope she improves defence and come back to NT.


    https://youtu.be/_XfmIFu_Smg?t=927
    The final of all high school championships on January 2014, #6 wearing black uniform is Tanaka. Please watch from 15:27!


    #6 Yuka Kanasugi
    It was the first time for her playing as a starter, but she played really well :thumbsup:
    I hope she keeps improving and helps Kitsui on passing.


    JT has only 4 wing spikers (5 wing spikers left the team from last season and only Mihajlovic joins the team) , so someone got injuries, there is no substitution.



    Sorry for my poor English.

  • Thanks for sharing that video. What an ending to a game! Several brilliant rallies:18-18, 21-21 as favorites. Tanaka is a little beastling. She swung at almost every ball in system. I get her and Uchiseto mixed up sometimes.


    Why were they playing against a boy's team? :what:

  • i watched a match of Toyota's expecting watching Neriman Özsoy. i watched Toyota-Hitachi match.I liked the match.Japanese players are such a pleasure to watch due to their excellent defences,digs,saves no matter clubs of the NT


    i wish someone run the thread and we can reach the links of stats
    btw..MB Jackson from Hitachi ..where was she from ? i think it would be better for them had they transferred a foreign wing spiker rather than a foreign MB.
    btw.. i liked Onasai or Osai from Hitachi..is she an NT member? how old is she ?

  • i liked Onasai or Osai from Hitachi..is she an NT member? how old is she ?


    #13 Miwako Osanai, 1997.7.19 / Cancer, doesn't have any NT experience I'm aware of. I sort of like her too.


    #14 Cursty Jackson is USA property. I just updated the Wikipedia pages to current rosters but there are no links off the list to further info for the vast majority of players. I think I got Neriman Gencyurek wrong. Now that you named her Özsoy, that looks like a Turkish name? I didn't know her, and google must have suggested she was Italian. I will update/correct it if you tell me she's Turkish. She's my second favorite foreigner after Akinradewo. I've only seen her in a couple games so far but she seems to be a good fit. She looks super athletic, fast, generally upbeat, and hits really hard--wonderful attacks from the back. I don't like most of the foreigners playing in Japan because they look grumpy and most are just there to hit from the wings and be defensive liabilities. Carcases is a good example of a good player who doesn't fit the culture, imo. I could actually like watching Ageo more if not for her grumpy face. #4 Shiho Kondo on Ageo is really impressing me and I want to see Tominaga have some success in league play.


    I'd post the weekly stats here if I knew of a place to find them. Trying to unscramble the ones from the v.league site isn't worth the trouble.


  • #13 Miwako Osanai, 1997.7.19 / Cancer, doesn't have any NT experience I'm aware of. I sort of like her too.


    #14 Cursty Jackson is USA property. I just updated the Wikipedia pages to current rosters but there are no links off the list to further info for the vast majority of players. I think I got Neriman Gencyurek wrong. Now that you named her Özsoy, that looks like a Turkish name? I didn't know her, and google must have suggested she was Italian. I will update/correct it if you tell me she's Turkish. She's my second favorite foreigner after Akinradewo. I've only seen her in a couple games so far but she seems to be a good fit. She looks super athletic, fast, generally upbeat, and hits really hard--wonderful attacks from the back. I don't like most of the foreigners playing in Japan because they look grumpy and most are just there to hit from the wings and be defensive liabilities. Carcases is a good example of a good player who doesn't fit the culture, imo. I could actually like watching Ageo more if not for her grumpy face. #4 Shiho Kondo on Ageo is really impressing me and I want to see Tominaga have some success in league play.


    I'd post the weekly stats here if I knew of a place to find them. Trying to unscramble the ones from the v.league site isn't worth the trouble.


    thx for the answer.
    it was my bad...Neriman Özsoy got married and now she is Neriman Gençyürek...both are turkish surnames

  • Sarina Koga better look out. #20 Ai Kurogo, aka Love After Dark, playing for Toray is impressive. I tried watching her in some Junior games recently and wasn't feeling it. Now she looks a lot bigger and more mature, mere months later. She's got an impressive sturdy, solid looking body of the non-gym-rat, natural kind, at odds with her cute little pixie face. And it looks like there are some lights on inside her head. I didn't see that before. Now that I'm learning to appreciate serve-receiving, I notice she does pretty well in that area, too. Someone mentioned here she might be the next Saori. If she hits and receives well, time will tell. The one thing Koga has going for her is she is one of the best Zone 6 diggers I've seen in all of Japan. And she's upping her blocking game. Time will tell.

  • T has only 4 wing spikers (5 wing spikers left the team from last season and only Mihajlovic joins the team) , so someone got injuries, there is no substitution.


    What's up with that? Perhaps they will add a couple? Tanaka hasn't played the last couple games. Is she injured? They are down to three swingers. yikes!

  • You will think I`m lying but I was gonna post about Kurogo, like I said I`ve been only watching JT`s game so far, and I watched the game against Toray Sunday and Kurogo really caught my attention right away, she reminds me of Watanabe, I really like her and I like how she`s not super super skinny like all japanese players. And I had no idea there`s people already saying she could be the new Saori. That`s great,I checked the V-League website and she`s only 19. I hope to see her next year with the NT.


    I watched some of Neriman and I really like how she`s playing, she`s having fun and I have not seen her having fun while playing in a while. Japanese League will do a lot of good her here. I can`t wait until Neriman vs Mihajlovic.


    I wish the Rockets had kept Nikolova, but will be interesting to watch what they can do as the only team without a international weapon.

  • she reminds me of Watanabe, I really like her and I like how she`s not super super skinny like all japanese players. And I had no idea there`s people already saying she could be the new Saori. That`s great,I checked the V-League website and she`s only 19. I hope to see her next year with the NT.


    Yeah, Watanabe, one of the few Japanese players with booty. Kurogo made the long list of NT this year but never got called on. She's played with the NT in the last couple years. I've seen her but can't remember where. Maybe the insignificant WGP, or the meaningless WGCC, or the Montreux Circus, but not in one of the important tournaments.
    It's remarkable to me how much bigger Kurogo seems now than she did a few months ago in the junior games. I think she's been 180cm all along. Can't explain it.

  • 13:00 Hitachi v Ageo Medics ... 0–3
    13:00 NEC Red Rockets v JT Marvelous ... 3–1
    15:00 Denso Airybees v Toyota Body Queens ... 1–3
    15:00 Toray Arrows v Hisamitsu Springs ... 0–3


    Game of the night was NEC v JT. Lots of good rallies. Mihajlovic disappeared for stretches of time, so JT loses.


    Hisamitsu remains undefeated but the rest of the teams, except for winless Toray, are somewhat unpredictable. Hitachi beats NEC, NEC beats Ageo, Ageo beats Hitachi, etc.


    1 Hisamitsu Springs - 11pts ... 4-0
    2 Toyota Body Queens - 9pts ... 3-1
    3 Ageo Medics - 9pts ... 3-1
    4 JT Marvelous - 6pts ... 2-2
    5 NEC Red Rockets - 6pts ... 2-2
    6 Hitachi Rivale- 4pts ... 1-3
    7 Denso Airybees - 3pts ... 1-3
    8 Toray Arrows - 0pts ... 0-4


    Challenges take a really long time in these league games, and don't always seem definitive--some guy watching the youtube video makes a judgement call.

  • I watched a Turkey game to see Nootsara. She looked fabulous in the little bumblebee outfit.


    I noticed there didn't seem to be as much sweat mopping as in the Japanese games. In the J-v.League it's half the game. Players even mop up during plays. Don't know if Japanese sweat more or it's an Obsessive/Compulsive Disorder.

  • I watched a Turkey game to see Nootsara. She looked fabulous in the little bumblebee outfit.


    I noticed there didn't seem to be as much sweat mopping as in the Japanese games. In the J-v.League it's half the game. Players even mop up during plays. Don't know if Japanese sweat more or it's an Obsessive/Compulsive Disorder.


    lol

  • who are the strongest and weakest teams out there in japenese league in 2017/2018 season?


    Hisamitsu looks to be uber-dominant. Their starting wings and blockers are starters for the NT. Add Foluke Akinradewo to that mix and they're going to win a lot of games. Akinradewo is giving me goose bumps. She looks so good and is having a great time.


    Toray lost the two Saori's to retirement this year and look pretty weak so far. Mari Horikawa is going to get a chance to show if she's got game or not at opposite. And the youngster Ai Kurogo, dubbed by some as the new Saori, better grow fast at OH. I'm curious about her. She seems to be the main serve-receiver. I don't know if that means Toray thinks she's their best option or if other teams target her thinking she's their weakest option. I think she's doing pretty well.


    JT Marvelous look good to me, scrappy good, not mature good, tho. They have a very small roster to begin with and, I believe, have already lost two players to injury. Yikes! I think JT and Toyota will go the way of their Euro-imports. When they have smashing games they'll win, when they don't, they probably lose. I'm not a fan of that kind of volleyball but I like Neriman a lot so far. I like Brankica too but I think she's giong to p00p out.


    Ageo is off to a good start after finishing 8th place last year. They have Tominaga at setter, Kenia Carcases OH, and #4 Shiho Kondo at OP who looks pretty good to me, but not much more that I can see, yet.


    Defending Champs NEC Red Rockets ... I dunno. They lost the firepower of Nikolova. I loved her badassery but I like NEC without her. They've got a few youngsters who show promise and need to grow (Yamauchi, Aratani, Hirose), and benching any of one them for an Ugly Euro is something I can't sanction. They have two good setters, a couple good MBs, and a decent libero (along with Koga and Yanagita on the wings). They should find their stride and win some games. They need to send MB Kaori Ueno to the minor leagues pronto. That's a name you've never heard and probably won't hear again but NEC beat JT last night in spite of giving her extended minutes on the floor. Sorry girl, but you're a downer.

  • Watching the Ageo v Hitachi game. If Tominaga gets first touch on a ball, she often runs wide and does the wing spiker dance. Sometimes she gets the set back and goes for a kill. This is not just taking the opportunity to attack the ball willy-nilly. It's a play. I haven't seen other setters, in Japan anyway, do this. I like it. I love Tominaga.

  • Looks like at least a season-ending ankle malfunction for the Toyota Captain. Very sad. At 2-2 in the third set:


    I think she's having it cranked back into place here:


    Super ouch!

  • thx sitenoise for your help


    i felt sad for Toyota's captain injury...do you think this injury will affect Toyota's performaance very badly in the rest of the league ? can they afford to replace her ?
    i dont know how important she is for her team.she should be as she is the captain

  • thx sitenoise for your help


    i felt sad for Toyota's captain injury...do you think this injury will affect Toyota's performaance very badly in the rest of the league ? can they afford to replace her ?
    i dont know how important she is for her team.she should be as she is the captain


    I don't know her that well but, sadly, during the first two sets of the game last night I was noting her with heightened interest. She's athletic and a big jumper with a strong swing. She's had some time with the NT the last few years (she's 24), made the long list but not the final cut this year (which probably means reception is not her strong point).


    Beyond our friend Neriman, I don't think Toyota has any other threats from the wings. I imagine it's going to be a gut punch for the team. ;(

  • 13:00 Hisamitsu Springs v Hitachi Rivale ... 3–0
    13:00 NEC Red Rockets v Toyota Body Queens ... 0–3
    15:00 Denso Airybees v JT Marvelous ... 2–3
    15:00 Toray Arrows v Ageo Medics ... 3–1


    Ongoing season results and schedule in ->this post


    Just after saying Ageo was looking good and Toray was looking weak, Toray clobbers Ageo 3–1 for their first win of the season. Ageo took the first set and then Toray just crushed them--mostly with service.


    Toyota Captain, Saori Takahashi (OH), broke her ankle (at least that's what it looked like) in the third set against NEC.


    I'm going to call JT Marvelous "The Brazil" of Japan. They're scrappy and often start poorly. They came back from 0–2 to win the game against Denso.


    Hisamitsu continues to dominate. Remains undefeated.


    1 Hisamitsu Springs - 14pts ... 5-0 (15,3)
    2 Toyota Body Queens - 12pts ... 4-1 (13,4)
    3 Ageo Medics - 9pts ... 3-2 (10,8 )
    4 JT Marvelous - 8pts ... 3-2 (12,11)
    5 NEC Red Rockets - 6pts ... 2-3 (7,10)
    6 Denso Airybees - 4pts ... 1-4 (8,13)
    7 Hitachi Rivale- 4pts ... 1-4 (5,13)
    8 Toray Arrows - 3pts ... 1-4 (5,13)