Japan NT 2019 Women

    4 weeks together plus Montreux:super:

    Quote from jerry2018

    4 weeks together plus Montreux:super:

    I think Coach Nakata is doing pretty well with her A/B hybrid team strategy :thumbup:

    Remember blocking is the thing as a skill that is least consistent in scoring. Player has to be the right place at the right time to even touch the ball, let alone block it for a kill.

    VNL Report Card

    Highlights:

    1. Ai Kurogo may be proving herself as a closer. I saw this during the last Club season with Toray. She got the call over Jana at least a few times and delivered. Japan NT needs a closer. It's a special skill, and Love, After Dark is showing
    2. Nanami Seki. Damn, you go girl. It's not like strangers watched her and thought "Wow! What a great setter", but she did fine. The curious thing about her is that her sets are more accurate when she has to run after the ball. Can't explain it
    3. Mako Kobata. The only reason people think Monica is a better libero is because they've watched her play 100 matches and have 100 awesome plays in their head from it. They've seen Mako play 10 matches and have only 20 awesome plays in their head from it. Do the math
    4. Miwako Osanai made the NT :rose:
    5. Miya Sato's defense. She won't take my calls or return my messages. I need to apologize for calling her a 'black hole of defense'. She's no Miyashita but she's improving





    Lowlights:

    1. Coach Nakata. What was your goal here?
    2. Yuki Ishii played too much. See #1
    3. Haruka Miyashita didn't play enough. See #1
    4. Akane Yamagishi. See #1
    5. The losses. I'm not naming names but there were three matches Japan shouldn't have lost

    Controversial-light:

    • Yurie Nabeya. Fear the Goggles <3 She's adorable. We love her. But she's not a starter. She's not a closer either, but she can be very effective contributing to turning a game around and finishing a set

    Disappointments:

    • Yuka Imamura. Unfortunately, she's not interested in defense. She stands around waiting for a chance to swing. At this level, that's not cool and sticks out like a sore thumb

    Middle Blockers (LOL)

    • Nana Iwasaka haters need to take another look. She's also a very good Captain
    • Mai Okumura started poorly but returned to Mai Okumura level, such that it is
    • Aika Akutagawa. I "discovered" her last year as a 26 y/old rookie because I'm stupid and don't know any history. It's odd, and welcome, seeing her as a confident pro, now. Such that it is
    • Aya Watanabe. Too bad she's only a few feet tall. You can go play in Europe all you want but if you're a middle blocker the best thing you can do is play a couple seasons with Erika Araki. Mark my words, Watanabe's Toyota cohort, Ayaka Sugi, is coming next

    Puzzles:

    • Sarina Koga
    • Haruka Miyashita


    Question Marks:

    • Miyu Nakagawa. She might be Kurogo Jr., except a little taller. Seems like she's built from the same Nakata mold. Swings well, receives okay, defense in third place. She had a nice sequence in one match I can't remember now but was fairly invisible most of her limited time. Invisible is better than a sore thumb. It's cool that she seems comfortable hitting from the right side. Next year's VNL might be her transformational tournament.

    All in all it was fun. I give Japan a B even though they deserve a C- because they didn't play poorly. Other teams were winnier. Good for them. The Korea match is a great example. Japan didn't play bad, Korea beasted it. Good for them. No problem with that. It was a great match.

    And principally the Japanese team only lost to the POL for the last, the 6th spot... for all other five spots belong to the big teams that paint the volleyball scenes all these decades (incl. the host), which are, honestly, beyond the reach of the Japanese squad, at least for present. True that the losses against the host KOR and DOM are less expectable, but the KOR team did beat them convincingly in the 2018 Asian Games in Jakarta, A team vs A team. And DOM is ever a very tight opponent for the JPN squad from time to time. Well, perhaps Japan should consider bidding for hosting the VNL Final Six after China completing its 3-year tasks. I will love seeing Japan be the VNL F6 host :) like China and Thailand, Japan is a great host for the grand volleyball events!! :drink:


    “There are decades where nothing happens; and there are weeks where decades happen.”

    Anyone know what's up with U23 Tournaments this year? AVC web site has listed:


    3rd asian women u23 volleyball championship

    July 13 – 21, 2019, 2019

    Hanoi, Vietnam


    ... but no more info. It's not on the JVA website Calendar. Nor Wikipedia.


    And there doesn't appear to be a U23 FIVB Tournament either. Last one was September 2017, and appeared to be scheduled in alternating years


    ?(

    Losing to Belgium was not a good start in the first weekend.

    Going 0-3 in the final weekend when you need at least 1 win to have a chance at the final 6 is not a good way to finish.

    Unlucky against Poland, losing by 1 point over 4 sets.

    South Korea basically saving their VNL spot with the win over Japan.

    Dominican Republic having a great VNL with an upset win in 5. Japan has played many matches against them that go the distance in the past.

    lol, once again you are able to find info on a web site when I come up empty. All I see under Volleyball->Volleyball Competitions->Asian U23 is "Coming Soon". And under Volleyball->Volleyball Calendar a list of dead nothings.


    So and but, what's curious is that FiveBuh doesn't appear to be doing a U23 this year, so well, I don't know what that means, especially if the Asian U23 is used to Qualify for the FiveBuh U23.

    Quote from sitenoise

    lol, once again you are able to find info on a web site when I come up empty. All I see under Volleyball->Volleyball Competitions->Asian U23 is "Coming Soon". And under Volleyball->Volleyball Calendar a list of dead nothings.

    The only thing I did was clicked on the very link that you provided yourself and it was right there.


    https://asianvolleyball.net/ne…olleyball-championship-2/ or click on that Asian U23 is "Coming Soon" on the Volleyball Competitions page.


    At the moment, the only info they have up are the participating teams and the match schedule for the first three days (July 13-15th).

    Japan Women's U20 NT Final Roster for FIVB U20 World Championship

    1. Miyu NAKAGAWA - [WS] - Hisamitsu Springs - 2000.01.08 - 183cm / 65kg
    2. Nichika YAMADA - [MB] - NEC Red Rockets - 2000.02.24 - 184cm / 73kg
    3. Mayu ISHIKAWA - [WS] - Toray Arrows - 2000.05.14 - 171cm / 68kg
    4. Shion HIRAYAMA - [MB] - Hisamitsu Springs - 2000.11.07 - 180cm / 68kg
    5. Yuki NISHIKAWA - [WS] - JT Marvelous - 2000.09.04 - 180cm / 64kg
    6. Haruna SOGA - [WS] - NEC Red Rockets - 2001.03.25 - 173cm / 65kg
    7. Ameze MIYABE - [WS] - Kinrankai H.S - 2001.10.12 - 172cm / 54kg
    8. Ayaka ARAKI - [MB] - Higashi Kyushu Ryukoku H.S. - 2001.09.02 - 184cm / 76kg
    9. Minami NISHIMURA - [WS] - Okayama Seagulls - 2000.03.23 - 168cm / 61kg
    10. Rena MIZUSUGI - [Li] - Toray Arrows - 2000.04.06 - 165cm / 50kg
    11. Kanon SONODA - [S] - PFU Blue Cats - 2000.09.04 - 158cm / 55kg
    12. Tsukasa NAKAGAWA - [S] - Tokai University - 2000.08.13 - 159cm / 60kg


    Head Coach - Noboru AIHARA


    Source: https://www.jva.or.jp/index.ph…2019/worldU20women/member



    From the list that sitenoise posted on the previous page, Kotomi OSAKI, Ayumi YOSHIDA, Haruna YAMASHITA, and Saki GOYA got cut, whilst Miyu NAKAGAWA was included in the final U20 roster after returning from VNL with the senior team.

    Quote from theloneracer

    Head Coach - Noboru AIHARA

    That's Higashi Kyushu Ryukoku H.S. Coach. I'm in love with him. This is a great squad with a great coach. They are going to win it all <3

    This photo pretty much sums up what I think is going on with the U20 Squad:



    Because I can't help myself. I'm in <3



    Four of the starters on this current U20 Squad were on the reigning H.S. Champions Kinrankai team:

    Rena Mizusugi (L)

    Tsukasa Nakagawa (S)

    Haruna Soga (OP)

    Yuki Nishikawa (OH)


    The Coach of this U20 Squad coaches the HS that Kinrankai beat in the finals.


    This is poetic :)

    Currently, going into the Final, the top three receivers for the U20 WCh are Japan's back row:

    1. Haruna Soga
    2. Mayu Ishikawa
    3. Rena Mizusugi

    That is so cute :!:


    <3

    Haruna Soga is now officially known as Yolo



    I got curious about Higashi Kyushu Ryukoku's) Coach, Noboru Aihara, after his wonderful work leading the All Japan U20 squad to a Championship. I didn't know if he ever played volleyball or was just some vocal PTA member who got asked to coach a volleyball team when the then current coach suddenly died or something (partially true). So I read his Japanese Wikipedia Article.


    Google Translated Understanding, so beware:


    He played Wing Spy Car for Nippon Sport Science University (NSSU), and won a couple awards for reception, then opted to pursue a path toward leadership over playing. He financed a dormitory with his own money for a group of players at the first H.S. he coached, Takamatsu Kita High School, so they could "live in a training camp". It didn't work out--but he was thinking big from the git-go.


    About his teaching philosophy (for high-schoolers):

    • Short Practice Time. "teach the players to take a lot of physical care and sleep time"

    • "Strength training is not performed. Strength training can be done in later years, but a priority that can only be learned in high school is how to use the body". (he tries to imbue Nietzsche's Will to Power in his kids. :teach:) LOL

    • He only does Practice Matches against V.League Teams, doesn't bother with other High Schools because he wants to increase human power. "The belief is that the power to confront and not run away when it is cut off is human power, and this is the belief that the strong one can win"

    He discovered Miyu Nagaoka somewhere out in the boonies and mentored her along with Yuki Kawai and Yurie Nabeya.


    In 2006, a couple years into his tenure at Higashi Kyushu Ryukoku, just before the Spring Valley High Tournament was to take place, a student athlete (not sure if she was a volleyball player or a wrestler) collapsed during practice and left for heaven two days later. With her "remains" (probably the traditional photo of the deceased and not her cremated remains) on Higashi's bench, Aihara encouraged his players to win the gold for their dearly departed classmate. They won the Championship for the first time in 19 years and have remained a powerhouse ever since.


    What a cool dude <3




    Check the look from the Libero, Rena Mizusugi.

    Oh so this coach was probably also behind the unbeaten squad with Nagaoka, Kotoe Inoue, Kawaii, Iwasaka, Akutegawa, Kodaira, Minemura etc who won the 2008 U19 Asia Championship and didnot drop a single set along the way. They destroyed the young China team with Ding Xia, Yang Jun Jing, Liu Xiao Tong, Zeng Chunlei etc at the final. But i highly doubt they can repeat this feat if these 2 squads ever meet again.