Japan Women’s NT 2020

    Quote from danny91

    What is so hard about it I will never understand .... you have the perfect opportunity to get our money!!!


    About Risa's press conference, whoever put that lip gloss on her needs to be fired haha It is sad now that the JP OG Squad that got me into volleyball has mostly retired with the exception of Erika (I hope she plays til she's 40 but I bet she will also retire after next year).


    They used to have superb reception and okay setting (after Takeshita). Without Risa, JP reception is probably at its weakest. Now they have so-so reception, weak setting, and weak offense. I might be too pessimistic but I don't want to see them get crushed on home ground next year. I hope the assistant coach does his magic ...

    Erika had an interview recently from the original March announcement I think but it was published just this week that she will most likely retire after Tokyo Olympics for the sake of her daughter. It should be one of the top news on Yahoo JP if you search her name.

    I'm also really worried for Hinotori. I don't know how good Mayu Ishikawa is and Kurogo is still very sloppy at times but since they're currently the most hyped being the youngest I'm not fully seeing the strength. Sarina can be reckless too but she seems to be at the very center or at least the face of Hinotori alongisde Yuki. I've only seen Yuki play live once but I was never a massive fan of her skills even when Kimura was still heading.

    The thing with Japan's reception suffering without Risa is complicated. If we think about it, if Nagaoka is going to play, Risa wouldn't be there much, and Risa's so skilled at reception nobody serves to her anyway. Kobata and Yuki handle it well (check the stats for the tournaments of the last couple years), although a team like China can put Yuki in the doghouse, not many teams can serve like China. Nobody can touch Kobata.


    The problem is that whoever the new third receiver is, they are going to be targeted, so they gotta be real good. Kurogo might be up for it. I'm not the biggest Kurogo fan but I think she's key for the near future. She's the only OH Japan has who can swing more than 50 times and hit over 40% (on a good day). Reception-wise, Kurogo wants the ball and has Saori-soft arms -- but she hasn't been tested at the International level. And she doesn't have the steel that players like Yuki and Risa have. If she's struggling at reception her offense will suck. Lose lose.


    Ishikawa is one of those players who looks at reception as something to get out of the way so she can play offense. That's death. Sarina Kogo is just lost these days. She never made the transition from talented kid to steeled adult. That could still happen, though.


    Kotona Hayashi is the newbie who might surprise us.

    Quote from brahmin

    Think of it this way. Many Japanese online businesses are not set up to include foreign addresses. Look at the states whenever you fill out city, state and postal for some sites, you have to dig for United States sometimes. In Japan, it just is not that way with their online systems.

    Raketen had to set up a special site for the FIVB to sell foreign tickets for the World Champs in 2018. And even then it was still quirky and I was glad I got my tickets to the matches I got. It is much easier while there because convenience stores have most any event available to purchase or pick up tickets before going to an event.

    I ask myself: if South Korea were hosting the Olympics and planned a scrimmage match like this, especially during these pandemic times when folks are hungry for some volleyball to watch, would it be too difficult for them to offer international viewers the opportunity to pay for it?


    Japan is so navel-gazingly in their own bubble they want the world to love Japanese volleyball but only if you're Japanese and live in Japan. WTF? Just let sitenoise handle your publicity outside Japan :P

    There seem to be some kind of outcry for Miyashita not being included in this match. I can't read Japanese and even if I translated this I'm a little out of the loop to know what match this is for exactly.


    But will Miyashita be part of the Olympics roster? or is this it?


    Quote from Phoenix

    There seem to be some kind of outcry for Miyashita not being included in this match. I can't read Japanese and even if I translated this I'm a little out of the loop to know what match this is for exactly.


    But will Miyashita be part of the Olympics roster? or is this it?

    I was told by a Japanese fan that Haruka Miyashita and Mayu Oikawa are in the Seagulls (Okayama) (returned) due to the Corona :/

    Players have been with their teams practicing for the upcoming season. Yes that early.

    However there is still much to be determined by Nakata. She might have wanted to keep a setter home.
    Okayama as a prefecture has 66 infections. I don’t think it would be bad if they traveled.

    I tried to register at that eplus site for watching the "Smiling Always" match and couldn't do it. My mobile number is in the wrong format :wall:

    Schedule Remote Match : 2 (sun) August 2020

    (Japan Standard Time)

    Women's

    14.00 | Start Live session >> 17.00 // Warm-up + Practice

    14.30 | Women's National Team Red vs Blue (3 set/ match)

    After match - 17.00 | Interview Event with athletes

    Men's

    18.00 | Start Live session >> 21.00 // Warm-up + Practice

    18.30 | Women's National Team Red vs Black (3 set/ match)

    After match - 21.00 | Interview Event with athletes


    2020 Japan National Team Remote Match

    Women's players

    [Team A] Uniform Color: Red

    Setter : Seki Nanami

    Outside Hitter : Nabeya Yurie, Koga Sarina, Yoshino Yuri

    Opposite : Nagaoka Miyu, Hayashi Kotona

    Middle Blocker : Araki Erika, Akutagawa Aika, Irizawa Mai

    Libero : Inoue Kotoe


    [Team B] Uniform Color: Blue

    Setter : Sato Miya, Tashiro Kanami

    Outside Hitter : Ishii Yuki, Ishikawa Mayu

    Opposite : Kurogo Ai

    Middle Blocker : Okumura Mai, Watanabe Aya, Yamada Nichika

    Libero : Kobata Mako

    Kumi Nakada had an interview session awhile ago about... well, a lot of stuff.


    There's this bit about her mentioning Risa regarding her premature retirement and from what I can gather (via google translate) is that Risa is in fact undergoing surgery soon. Mentions Mayu and Kurogo too but I'll leave this to someone who understands Japanese to articulate better https://news.yahoo.co.jp/artic…fae94911e07e32484fe918638


    This is the highlights I guess https://news.yahoo.co.jp/bylin…etsuko/20200731-00191004/

    I believe here is where she goes into detail about their training camp despite the pandemic. Ngl, I was hoping Haruka's situation would also be brought up as it seems she's the only one not able to join NT's practices atm.

    Quote from Phoenix

    I was hoping Haruka's situation would also be brought up as it seems she's the only one not able to join NT's practices atm.

    Mayu Oikawa is also not participating so there may be something to an Okayama issue, but then again, there's about 10 players who aren't onboard this train --mostly the new recruits, including YOLO :(


    Yamada and Hayashi are the only noobs. I'm keeping an eye on Hayashi

    Quote from haru_12

    Haruka's documentary program with Okayama Seagulls

    Haruka is destined to be a star some day :heart: