2019 FIVB Women's U20 World Championship in Mexico

    Quote from sitenoise

    Hey, let's be friends.


    FYI - I was born in Des Moines, currently live in San Francisco. I'm as white bread as they come. I enjoy Japanese volleyball because I like passing and defense. I loathe high sets and hero ball. I prefer a big smile over punching the goal post after scoring a point, have no interest in unhappy faces soiling my TV screen unless they are accompanied by tears. Shit like that :rolll:

    Sure; I'd rather have a cool, nice talk-story/ back-and-forth than the crap I came from over on VT. I reside in Hawai'i now (10 years), but I was born right across the Bay from you. Grew up in the East Bay; went off to UC Davis for my undergrad studies; attended Stanford after that. Fun fact: the 1964 Japanese women's team was my first introduction to - and fascination with - the sport of VB. I was Mesmerized by their teamwork, drive-hustle, & play. Really got me interested.


    sitenoise, who are these people that think that is the only way that JPN can win? i know there was a lot of acrimony and bitterness over the disputed olympic qual. for london (at the expense of THA), but that was a while ago. but most people that follow VB seriously know that JPN has tremendous, great qualities (to compensate for their lack of height) and most people admire their system.


    i have said it so many times, can you imagine if a team like DOM (with their height and athleticism) could just get some more of the ball-handling and technique of JPN? they'd be unstoppable.


    i agree with ridehard's point that youth teams can be quite unpredictable. as pointed out in another post, DOM finished 2nd in the previous u18 tournaments, and they bombed in this one, with a lot of the same players.


    btw who's YOLO? haruna soga? i went back to watch a bit more of the final. as an OPP, she's another odd bird. she hits backslides from 2 (zhang lei, CHN OPP in london, did the same, but she was unusual). then soga goes and hits a fast ball from 3, while MB runs to 2... well, as i said, they play their own system. soga also receives serve.


    btw, i noticed the backup OPP nakagawa, when she came in in the double sub, that she's listed as 180 cm, but i thought she looked a bit taller, almost as tall as yamada (184 cm).

    Quote from pope

    I honestly think these players are influenced by their managers to sign with a bigger club that eventually is paying them more money. So the agent ends ups making more money if they sign with Vakifbank or Hisamtisu

    Hadn't thought about that. Ha! I wonder if young Japanese players even have managers/agents :/ as they aren't really considered "Pro".


    I also wanted to add to my YOLO concerns: if NEC hires a Big Caucasian Swinger™ to their already nine deep swingers, I will kill myself.

    Don't mind me. It's lonely being a Japan fan. Sometimes my sarcasm is bitter. Sorry, folks.


    Yes, YOLO is Haruna Soga (based on her "odd-bird-ness").

    Quote

    YOLO (You Only Live Once): (expressing the view that one should make the most of the present moment without worrying about the future, and often used as a rationale for impulsive or reckless behavior)

    As I mentioned she played MB in HS, and when she joined NEC a few months ago she said she wanted to play OP and learn to receive :dance6:Quick learner!


    I've seen OP Nakagawa listed at 182. I agree she does look closer to Yamada 184cm than Hirayama 180cm.


    pope when I was just looking that up about YOLO I came across a conversation I had with you where I had already nicknamed Haruna Soga as "Little Flower", lol. I like YOLO better :flower:

    Quote from pope

    I honestly think these players are influenced by their managers to sign with a bigger club that eventually is paying them more money. So the agent ends ups making more money if they sign with Vakifbank or Hisamtisu... And this is something that has been mentioned here before.


    Another thing is. The clubs does not care for the NT success...of course they want them to win, but for the owners and coaches their club success is what matters. So they don't care if they sign a local player with a lot of potential knowing she won't get to play.


    But getting the best facilities, coaches and all that could be a factor also. But I don't believe any player will ever improve if they don't get to play.

    I agree with your point of view, plus another big question to me, most countries don't care about volleyball and local championship. Some young players who have played in this tournanent, have to find the club outside of their countries which is not easy in their case.

    Another problem, some older players don't want to finish their career and that's why young ones are getting older on the bench.

    Quote from sitenoise

    FYI - I was born in Des Moines, currently live in San Francisco. I'm as white bread as they come. I enjoy Japanese volleyball because I like passing and defense. I loathe high sets and hero ball. I prefer a big smile over punching the goal post after scoring a point, have no interest in unhappy faces soiling my TV screen unless they are accompanied by tears. Shit like that :rolll:

    One other thing, btw. I grew up going to school with many Asians in my school district. When it came to their (parents') home countries of ancestry, they were pretty ambivalent about it: preferring to view themselves as 1st generation Americans. Gotta admit, yr. pic threw me off; thought you were mid-age Japanese!