Japan - V.Premier League 2013-2014

http://www.vleague.or.jp/standings2/season_id=650&round_id=1

1.Hisamitsu Springs: win match 19/24 , set ratio 2.56

2.Toray Arrows: win match 16/24 , set ratio 1.22

3.Okayama Seagulls: win match 14/24 , set ratio 1.33

4.Toyota Queenseis: win match 12/24 , set ratio 0.91

5.NEC Red Rockets: win match 11/24 , set ratio 1.04

6.Hitachi Rivale: win match 11/24 , set ratio 1.02

7.JT Marvelous: win match 10/24 , set ratio 0.71

8.Pioneer Red Wings: win match 3/24 , set ratio 0.33

Hisamitsu and Toray advance to Semifinal Round.

Best spiker (%success)

1.Lauren Paolini (Hitachi/MB/193cm) 49.5%,616-305

2.Mai Yamaguchi(Okayama/MB/176cm) 47.2%,445-210

3.Yoshiko Yano (Toyota/MB/183cm) 46.3%,296-137

4.Miyu Nagaoka (Hisamitsu/OPP/179cm) 44.9%,668-300

5.Kanako Hirai (Hisamitsu/MB/183cm) 43.3%,307-133

6.Miyuki Hiramatsu (Toyota/MB/181cm) 43.2%, 519-224

7.Rika Seki (Okayama/MB/182cm) 41.4%, 227-94

8.Nana Iwasaka(Hisamitsu/MB/187cm) 41.4%, 273-113

Does anyone have any detailed information on where the Final 4 tournament will be held?

May have a chance to be in Japan and would love to see these games.

Thank you.

Quote from CaliBoyz

Does anyone have any detailed information on where the Final 4 tournament will be held?

May have a chance to be in Japan and would love to see these games.

Thank you.

The Final Round will be in Tokyo Metropolitan Gymnasium on 12th-13th
April. Before this, it'll be semifinal round, in Park Arena Komaki, on
28th-30th March

On this page you'll find more information about
this events, but the page is only in Japanese :
http://www.vleague.or.jp/topic…43/2013-14final.html#semi

After Semifinal Round:

12/04/2014
Bronze Medal Match Toray Arrows vs Toyota Auto Body Queenseis

Final Match Okayama Seagulls vs Hisamitsu Springs

Both matches will be played in Tokyo Metropolitan Gymnasium

Challenge Match (Promotion/Relegation Match)
2 match series (wins, sets-ratio, points-ratio)
Held at the Saitama City Memorial Gymnasium, Saitama City, Saitama Prefecture

April 5, 2014 matches
Pioneer Red Wings 0-3 Denso Airybees (23-25, 23-25, 20-25), Aleksandra Crncevic (Pioneer) 16 & Indre Sorokaite (Denso) 18
Ageo Medics 3-2 JT Marvelous (13-25, 25-19, 17-25, 26-24, 15-10), Nancy Metcalf (Ageo) 22, Asuka Minamoto (Ageo) 23 & Yuki Ishikawa (JT) 19, Dilara Bilge (JT) played sparingly as sub scoring 3 points

April 6, 2014 matches
Pioneer Red Wings vs. Denso Airybees
Ageo Medics vs. JT Marvelous

If Denso wins one set they will be promoted to the Premier League.
JT can win the series if they win in 5 sets because they have a better points ratio against Ageo (103-95) after the first match. Ageo must win the match to guarantee promotion.

Challenge Match (Promotion/Relegation Match)
2 match series (wins, sets-ratio, points-ratio)
Held at the Saitama City Memorial Gymnasium, Saitama City, Saitama Prefecture

April 5, 2014 matches
Pioneer Red Wings 0-3 Denso Airybees (23-25, 23-25, 20-25), Aleksandra Crncevic (Pioneer) 16 & Indre Sorokaite (Denso) 18
Ageo Medics 3-2 JT Marvelous (13-25, 25-19, 17-25, 26-24, 15-10), Nancy Metcalf (Ageo) 22, Asuka Minamoto (Ageo) 23 & Yuki Ishikawa (JT) 19, Dilara Bilge (JT) played sparingly as sub scoring 3 points

April 6, 2014 matches
Pioneer Red Wings 0-3 Denso Airybees (18-25, 13-25, 17-25) Satoe Mitsuhashi (Pioneer) 10 & Indre Sorokaite (Denso) 21
Ageo Medics 3-1 JT Marvelous (25-22, 27-25, 15-25, 25-17) Nancy Metcalf (Ageo) 28 & Masami Takahashi (JT) 22

Ageo Medics and Denso Airybees are promoted to Premier League in 2014-2015.
JT Marvelous and Pioneer Red Wings are relegated to Challenge League in 2014-2015.

Next year will be Denso's 18th season in the Premier League, while it will be the first time in the Premier League for Ageo.

Congratulations for Ageo & Denso!

Kurihara bounced back pretty well.

The way she was celebrating at the end of the match touched me all deeply. It's admirable to see a player surpassing many adversities only to play volleyball again. No matter the final result, she is already a winner.

It's beyond me to forecast a winner for the gold match. This final is meant to be a real one.

Quote from NobodyKnows

Kurihara bounced back pretty well.

The way she was celebrating at the end of the match touched me all deeply. It's admirable to see a player surpassing many adversities only to play volleyball again. No matter the final result, she is already a winner.

It's beyond me to forecast a winner for the gold match. This final is meant to be a real one.

Maybe Megu will return to the national team? I very miss her... I'd like see her at 2014 Grand Prix or World Championships

Is there any link to video of finals between Okayama and Hisamitsu?

Quote from NobodyKnows

Kurihara bounced back pretty well.

The way she was celebrating at the end of the match touched me all deeply. It's admirable to see a player surpassing many adversities only to play volleyball again. No matter the final result, she is already a winner.

It's beyond me to forecast a winner for the gold match. This final is meant to be a real one.

I always liked her.. I didn't know what happened to her?

Quote from skk95

Maybe Megu will return to the national team? I very miss her... I'd like see her at 2014 Grand Prix or World Championships

I don't know if she wants or the staff wants her back. For what she is doing so far, she deserves no end.

Quote from USAvolleyfan

I always liked her.. I didn't know what happened to her?

She was out of the team because of injury on the right knee past season.

3rd Place Match Result
Toray Arrows 3-0 Toyota Auto Body Queenseis (25-22, 25-19, 25-19)
Saori Sakoda (Toray) 23, Arisa Takada (Toray) 16 & Kanani Danielson (Toyota) 14

Championship Match Result
Okayama Seagulls 1-3 Hisamitsu Springs (18-25, 14-25, 25-20, 15-25)
Miyu Nagaoka (Hisamitsu) 23, Nana Iwasaka (Hisamitsu) 13 (10 blocks), Yuki Ishii (Hisamitsu) 12, Kanako Hirai (Hisamitsu) 11
Mai Yamaguchi (Okayama) 12, Mai Fukuda (Okayama) 12, Megumi Kurihara (Okayama) 6

Hisamitsu who was the best team in the regular season wins their 4th championship (2nd in a row)
Blocking for both teams was good 16-10 blocks (Hisamitsu with 16), but Iwasaka in the middle just stopped Okayama with 10 blocks (I thought it was off when I first saw the numbers)
Okayama had 21 more spike attempts (164-143), but 20 fewer kills that Hisamitsu (59-39)
Kurihara had a very bad game 4 kills on 33 attempts, 2 aces as well.

Right now if I look towards next season Hisamitsu will be the team to beat in my mind.
Okayama had a great season to get to the championship match for the first time ever.

Quote from ravens#7

Iwasaka is a killer blocker. I don't understand why she was on bench in the Grand Champions Cup. She can make a great duo with Araki.

I agree, but in WGCC Manabe tried system with only one MB on court and maybe mostly because of this Iwasaka ended on bench, while false MB became Saori Sakoda

Quote from ravens#7

Yes, I mean she's better than Otake, but Otake was still starter...

Agree again, Sakoda was "offensive MB" so Iwasaka should've been blocking MB, her stats in Japan are pure proof for that

Araki's out guys. I can't see her coming back until her child is at least 2 years old. Nothing to do with stay at home moms, just Japanese culture is different with working moms. Plus with her husband being an athlete, it would be difficult.

And that is if she wants to come back. She's got medals for the World Championships and Olympics. She'd be 35-36 for the Tokyo Games in 2020. Maybe she'll do something similar to that of Ai Tomo. Comeback to play in a big tournament for her daughter.