Championship - Hitachi Rivale
Quasi-winning - KUROBE Aqua Fairies
3rd place - - - - PFU Blue Cats
4th - - - - - - - - Saitama Ageo Medics
5 - - - - - - - - - -Kashiwa Angel Cross
# 6 - - - - - - - - Breath Hamamatsu
7th place - - - - GSS Tokyo Sanbimuzu
8th - - - - - - - - Prestige International Alan Mare
9 - - - - - - - - - Gunma Bank Green Wings
I saw Ebata in uniform with PFU but didn't see her play.
NEC Red Rockets roster for 2018 Asian Women's Club Volleyball Championship
Head Coach KANEKO, Takayuki
Source: www.jva.or.jp/index.php/international/2018/asiaclubwomens/member
WOW! They went with only four wing spikers but they will be bringing four setters, really that many setters are needed? 
WOW! They went with only four wing spikers but they will be bringing four setters, really that many setters are needed?
lol
NEC's got some roster decisions to make. The only Swinger they have they aren't taking is Koga. I'm happy to see the ones they are taking get some experience, such that it is.
The only addition I'm unfamiliar with is the young MB - YAMADA, Nichika. She's 183cm! lol I think I saw her in the Kurowashiki Tournament but don't recall her making an impression.
I hope we get to see the matches.
I just noticed that the DAZN folks are claiming availability is coming to the USA "soon". I'm sure not in time for the Asian Clubs, but if I can watch the V.League Season in High Definition I will be so happy. About $15.00/month.
A couple bits of news:
2018 / 2019 Transfer News A 6'4" Middle Blocker comes to NEC! Rhamat Alhassan I'm glad NEC didn't hire an OH. This is going to help them a lot, to win some games. Too bad for Nichika Yamada and probably Kaori Ueno.
https://www.kurobe-aqua.jp/news/?r_id=457 Akane Ukishima, the powerful southpaw OP from Hisamitsu's B Team has joined KUROBE Aqua Fairies. I don't know KUROBE team that well but I imagine Akane will see some major playing time now. Good for her. I'll bet I will be typing her name a lot this upcoming season.
I'm not sure I registered all this news (according to World of Volley)
Just to get it all in one place:
Neriman has resigned with Toyota for 2018/2019 
Akinradewo has resigned with Hisamitsu for 2018/2019
Sinead Jack has signed with Denso for 2018/2019 (I don't know her, but she's a MB)
Brankica has resigned with JT Marvelous
NEC has signed a tall MB Rhamat Alhassan.
Cursty Jackson is not returning to Hitachi:
QuoteDisplay MoreDear ALL
I really appreciate for your supports last 2 seasons in Rivale. And I am very honored to be the member of this team!
Playing with Rivale team mates, staffs and supporters will be one of my wonderful experiences and memories in my volleyball life. The supporters always encouraged me and made me happy and relax! You are the best!
Please talk to me when you see me all over the world. I hope Rivale and all of you will be doing well from now and on.
Good luck and see you again!
CJ
No word on Ageo or the Challenge Teams coming up that I know of
Display MoreI'm not sure I registered all this news (according to World of Volley)
Just to get it all in one place:
Neriman has resigned with Toyota for 2018/2019
Akinradewo has resigned with Hisamitsu for 2018/2019
Sinead Jack has signed with Denso for 2018/2019 (I don't know her, but she's a MB)
Brankica has resigned with JT Marvelous
NEC has signed a tall MB Rhamat Alhassan.
Cursty Jackson is not returning to Hitachi:
No word on Ageo or the Challenge Teams coming up that I know of
You mean renewed right? To resign means to quit 
It is interesting that Japanese teams started to sign with foreign MBs instead of OHs or opposite players in last two years.
You mean renewed right? To resign means to quit
It is interesting that Japanese teams started to sign with foreign MBs instead of OHs or opposite players in last two years.
lol I guess my intent was re-signed 
I like these MB signings. Worked well for Hisamitsu. It is interesting. I'm curious if the Challenge League teams coming up will be able to recruit some MB talent
Breaking News Rumours... soon to be confirm???
Be advised that I'm not 100% sure if these two pieces of news that I have seen/read are true. Both news/rumours coming from SMM Sport (Thailand).
First news/rumour is that current NT and former JT Marvelous middle blocker Mai Okumura will played in the Thailand league next season. She will join up with her former teammate Onuma Sittirak at Nakhon Ratchasima Women's Volleyball Club (Nakhon Ratchasima VC) this upcoming season.
Second news/rumour is also related to Nakhon Ratchasima VC and two of it's players. Current Thai NT members, middle blocker Hattaya Bamrungsuk and outside hitter Chatchu-on Moksri (according to Wikipedia, she was on loan to Supreme Chonburi in 2017, 2018) will be heading to Japan to play in the new professional volleyball league for the 2018/2019 season. Which teams each players would be joining was not stated in the article, however there are now new unconfirmed reports on social media that Hattaya will be joining JT Marvelous and Chatchu-on will be playing for PFU Bluecats (Thai fans are quick as their Wikipedia page for the two players have already been updated).
What do you guys think of these news/rumours and how credible do you these are?
Okumura leaving JT seemed inexplicable to me, so this rumor about her seems believable.
Also believe the other one is possible as it would be a MB for an MB trade, so to speak for JT.
I imagine with the expanding league there are opportunities of this nature. I don't know anything about the sources, as in if they are reliable or not. But I don't think joining PFU last year would have been an option for anyone, but now that they are in the V1 (or whatever it's called) things have opened up.
There's also that tall girl from the Philippines that wants to play in Japan. It's like KUROBE Aqua Fairies is a reasonable option even, having just signed Akane Ukishima from Hisamitsu -- AND there's that team, uhm, the Victorina somethings that Yoshie Takeshita is coaching, that while not in the V1 this year is going to be a contender soon, I think.
I'm so excited about this upcoming season. I pray DAZN lets me watch it. To heck with the meaningless WCH and other such Euro-dominated international tournaments! 
I kid! I kid!
BTW - not only do Thai fans usuall upload TRUE HD streams of all their games they also kick ass at updating Wikipedia for us English speakers. I wish Japan people would do the same!
2018/19 News
V1 league will start on November 3.
Tokyo
Hisamitsu vs Toray
Denso vs NEC
Akita
Saitama Ageo vs Kurobe
Hitachi vs PFU
Osaka
JT vs Okayama
Toyota Auto Body has no match on November 3.
8 teams will go to the playoff 2nd league. The semifinals are March 30-31. The final is April 6-7.
They will use Mikasa's ball for three years from 2018/19.
V1 league will start on November 3.
I love Hybrid B Team Volleyball.
Watching my NEC Red Rockets in the Asian Club Championship was gobs of fun. That tournament was as transformative for Nanami Hirose as the VNL was for Ai Kurogo. Neither of them gave what I would call "great" performances, but there were times when both of them became the "go-to" player and they didn't back down. They delivered. It's not the ECh or anything important but, imagine you're Nanami Hirose and it's a do or die 4th set in the Asian Clubs Gold Medal Match. You're down 19-11 against the Thai NT. Your team is looking to you. NEC goes on a 13-0 run of which 9 belonged to Nanami (7 kills, 2 blocks). That's got to feel good. And it wouldn't be possible without the beauty that is Hybrid B Team Volleyball.
Nanami looks Irish to me.
I also enjoyed the new young MB Nichika Yamada. So did the camera. Nothing too exciting, but she looks comfortable on the floor. Maybe I'm fooled by her exemplary good posture. She really stands up straight. lol. She's like Shimamura in that way, and in the way she attacks. Most of her slide attacks result in her trying to "place" the ball somewhere rather than killing it. She hit a few strong ones from position 3. Probably never see her again this year, what with NEC hiring a foreign MB and having Ohno, Shimamura, and Ueno. Ueno.
Kaori Ueno, probably one of the only Japanese players I have harbored an active dislike towards. I enjoyed her in this tournament. Again, nothing "great", but at least she looked like she knew what sport she was playing. She used to have this look that said: "I thought we were going to play badminton. What's this volleyball stuff all about?"
Only in Hybrid B Team Volleyball does 20 year old Shiori Aratani get to sub in as a wily veteran expected to play smart and anchor the team. If she wasn't 173cm she might go places. I've always liked her.
I feel a little bad actively campaigning for one of the Free Agent Liberos to come to NEC after watching Sayaka Iwasaki in the Asian Clubs. She won Best Libero. We know that's just numbers, but it says something. She played very well. Probably the best of the team at their given positions.
I'm not sure if setter Shiori Tsukada is A Team or B Team. I miss and prefer Kaname Yamaguchi but Shiori is doing fine. Same for Misaki Yamauchi. Hirose eclipsed her in this tournament, but she's starting to show some of that elevated spirit that NEC lost when Akari Oumi retired. I'm still betting good money that Misaki will prove to be important for the team.
Kudos must also be given to Captain Mizuki Yanagita. She's one of the reasons I picked NEC as "my" team. In the first half of the club season last year she seemed a little out of sorts as Captain. She's got it down now. And she played as a main receiver in this tournament. Way to grow your game Mizuki! If Sarina Koga is still a "kid with potential", so is Mizuki. She's only a few months older than Sarina.
Finally, about that Gold Medal Match. It was about as good as the VNL JPN v THA match. Great Asian Volleyball. I thought it was weird, but never thought of complaining out loud that Thailand sent their National Team to play against mere club squads ... for a couple reasons: I love that Thai team and heck, they gotta win something every now and then. Good for morale. And I like approaching a match as an underdog (if even only slightly, in this case). "We can do this" "We got this". It's not like sticky stuff on random drawn balls or top seed as host, but either way: just play volleyball. Play as best you can.
So NEC comes out the gate in set 1 and crushes Thailand 25-13. NT SchmemT. I loved my girls!
The 2nd set was competitive with a slight Thai advantage. By the end of the third set Thailand was toying with NEC, schooling them. And it continued into the 4th set. Thailand was playing so relaxed, so joyful it almost hurt. I understand why Genius of the Sky calls Ajcharaporn his muse. It was like a day on the beach for her. Simply beautiful. NEC mounts their comeback and the 5th set goes to deuce. It doesn't get much better than that.
And, oh! I like what I see of the new NEC Coach, Takayuki Kaneko
I think you can embed youtubes with a timestamp here. I'm gonna try. If anyone is interested ...
Here's a nice little 60 second rally where everyone gets a moment in the highlight reel. It's super slow girly volleyball but that's what I like:
And here's when the 13-0 run starts in the 4th set (enjoy the wonderful Kazakh crowd):
I still have faith that Thai fans will provide a True HD stream of this match. It's too bad that the best stream available has a good chunk of the first set missing. I imagine that it was at the broadcast level, as almost all the streams I've looked at have a few glitches during that period.
I know I am waaaaay late on this, but could anyone tell how Cursty Jackson performed this season in V-League? I would also like to know if there is a website where I can check her stats.
Thanks in advance!
I know I am waaaaay late on this, but could anyone tell how Cursty Jackson performed this season in V-League? I would also like to know if there is a website where I can check her stats.
Thanks in advance!
She did okay, wasn't a game changer like Foluke, but she was playing for Hitachi, not Hisamitsu.
I'm not sure what stats you'd like to see but maybe these will help (they are in Japanese, so use Chrome for auto-translation or you'll need some plug-in for other browsers):
Her overall:
http://www.vleague.or.jp/dataroom/player/result/id=1347
If you want to look at individual matches, go here and click on Official Record B for each match:
http://www.vleague.or.jp/datar…d_id=1&team=w_hitachisawa
And go here (popup the "Watched Sort" to see different stats) to see how she ranked against others:
Display MoreShe did okay, wasn't a game changer like Foluke, but she was playing for Hitachi, not Hisamitsu.
I'm not sure what stats you'd like to see but maybe these will help (they are in Japanese, so use Chrome for auto-translation or you'll need some plug-in for other browsers):
Her overall:
http://www.vleague.or.jp/dataroom/player/result/id=1347
If you want to look at individual matches, go here and click on Official Record B for each match:
http://www.vleague.or.jp/datar…d_id=1&team=w_hitachisawa
And go here (popup the "Watched Sort" to see different stats) to see how she ranked against others:
Thanks so much for all the information provided!!! 
Display MoreOkumura leaving JT seemed inexplicable to me, so this rumor about her seems believable.
Also believe the other one is possible as it would be a MB for an MB trade, so to speak for JT.
I imagine with the expanding league there are opportunities of this nature. I don't know anything about the sources, as in if they are reliable or not. But I don't think joining PFU last year would have been an option for anyone, but now that they are in the V1 (or whatever it's called) things have opened up.
There's also that tall girl from the Philippines that wants to play in Japan. It's like KUROBE Aqua Fairies is a reasonable option even, having just signed Akane Ukishima from Hisamitsu -- AND there's that team, uhm, the Victorina somethings that Yoshie Takeshita is coaching, that while not in the V1 this year is going to be a contender soon, I think.
I'm so excited about this upcoming season. I pray DAZN lets me watch it. To heck with the meaningless WCH and other such Euro-dominated international tournaments!
BTW - not only do Thai fans usuall upload TRUE HD streams of all their games they also kick ass at updating Wikipedia for us English speakers. I wish Japan people would do the same!
I Think the player that you are referring to from the Philippines? Not sure but they said that her name is Alyja Santiago. 6'5 and half. MB/OPP and there are rumors in twitter that she will play with Ageo? not sure though if this is final.
I Think the player that you are referring to from the Philippines? Not sure but they said that her name is Alyja Santiago. 6'5 and half. MB/OPP and there are rumors in twitter that she will play with Ageo? not sure though if this is final.
Yes, I believe that's her, Alyja/Jaja, I presume. From Volleymob. They don't say anything about Ageo, but it seems like a good fit.
Yes, I believe that's her, Alyja/Jaja, I presume. From Volleymob. They don't say anything about Ageo, but it seems like a good fit
Japan NT Setter is in Ageo. I saw an article that one of the club team in Italy is interested to get her. no confirmation yet?
Japan NT Setter is in Ageo. I saw an article that one of the club team in Italy is interested to get her. no confirmation yet?
Wow.
Coach Nakada has some connection to Italian volleyball. brahmin has mentioned it. Uchiseto played there last year. I don't know if Nagaoka is confirmed to go to Italy this year yet, but it looks like Coach might be encouraging this. I think Tominaga and Nakada are friends.
I was going to say that it would be fun to see Santiago on Ageo because she's be on a team with a good setter, good for both of them, but alas ....
I saw some of her highlights in youtube. she play different position. not sure what will be her position in ageo. I believe each team are allowed to have two foreign players. so, they might have another player aside from Santiago.
It will be difficult for the Japanese players to play in Europe. simply because they have different style of play. the "communication" is a major aspect of that. I remember Saori playing in Vakifbank and Galatasaray. her coach said she didn't do well. not because she is not a great player but because the "type of play in Europe is different compare to asia. we have Zhu & KYK who are both shine in Europe but that is because they are very tall same as European players and had a coaches who trained them very well.