Japan - V.League V1 (Division 1, Women) 2020-2021

    Quote from sitenoise

    Another good google translated word salad post-match (Toray / Himeji) interview at vbm. It seems like the interviewer is asking Toray if they are trying extra hard to win every game in case the V.League gets shut down because of increasing coronavirus and they just go with the rankings at that time =O


    That's the first I've ever heard anything like that. There are a few teams (Toyota, PFU, Saitama) that are holding "remote" only matches (non-spectator), but beyond that things appear to be going along swimmingly. IIRC there was a Toray staff member who tested positive -- don't quote me on that -- but beyond that I haven't heard of any positive cases connected to anybody related to V1 or V2.


    Maybe a poor translation

    Toyota had a staff member positive before the season started. JTEKT on the men’s side did as well a positive before the season started.

    Foluke looked like she wanted to skip that post-match fan greet or whatever you call it.


    Her husband and their baby, Ayano Kojima's husband and their baby and Nagaoka's boyfriend sat together in the top part of the gymnasium. I don't know if he goes to all the homegames but that was nice.


    This white uniform is also awesome. Soft palette but still pops


    New DAZN Dump



    2020.11.14 SAGA @ Kurobe (Kurobe General Sports Center, Kurobe City Toyama)


    This was a Capital H Home Game. Kurobe colored cardboard cutouts in every other seat in the upper deck. It was uplifting to watch Kurobe win this match :) The faces on the Kurobe players at the end are priceless


    Shout out to #9 Sayo Masuda, a 30/60 (hit/receive) OH, reminds me of Moe Sasaki. Battle ready, comfortable in reception.



    It's also a mighty fine broadcast stream.

    I follow this vb analyst Hiroshi Miyawaki he used to be very vocal but he was recently employed by Sakai Blazers so he kinda toned down lol and I think he was forced to delete some of his older tweets before being the commentator at Victorina's homegame. He criticized Seki and lots of male players. I can't remember what he said about Seki. I never liked Seki's style either and I don't see much of an improvement this season but I've seen other accounts saying Mayu's success is because of Seki's setting.

    Quote from Phoenix

    sean1 the black & pink and white & pink uniform colours were Yuka's idea. Her, Misaki and their manager are fans of the kpop group Blackpink. You can always hear BP's songs playing in the background while they practice. Colours came out nicely. Minimal and modern

    I don't know what blackpink is but I'll take your word for it


    You should look at this. Zayasu helps with reception, they still need her around. Arisa really doesn't do defense and if you put her in with Foluke and Miyu the defense is up in the air. Zayasu was once part of the NT too just like Kawashima. She knows what she's doing, cut her some slack


    I'm not so sure about Yuka she played once and I forgot which match it was. I don't know about Kato's reception because we haven't really seen her much.


    Quote from sean1

    I'm not so sure about Yuka she played once and I forgot which match it was. I don't know about Kato's reception because we haven't really seen her much.

    Imamura played the first set against Saitama. I've always liked her. She was one of Hisamitsu's main guns in 18/19, made the NT long list, disappointed in a small VNL role (didn't like defense), didn't play at all last year. She and Hikari Kato should jump ship immediately. Does Kato seriously think she's ever going to crack the SAGA lineup? She wants to be a serve sub for the rest of her career? She played in the summer matches and looked good to me. She's got a decently powerful swing and receives okay. I think she could give Denso or Toyota's swingers a run for their money. Maybe not Kudou.

    Quote from Phoenix

    sean1 the black & pink and white & pink uniform colours were Yuka's idea. Her, Misaki and their manager are fans of the kpop group Blackpink. You can always hear BP's songs playing in the background while they practice. Colours came out nicely. Minimal and modern

    I love the black & pink uniforms. But only in High Definition. They're hard to read during a vtv level stream. Not that I need to read them, but, on principle :S

    Quote from sitenoise

    Imamura played the first set against Saitama. I've always liked her. She was one of Hisamitsu's main guns in 18/19, made the NT long list, disappointed in a small VNL role (didn't like defense), didn't play at all last year. She and Hikari Kato should jump ship immediately. Does Kato seriously think she's ever going to crack the SAGA lineup? She wants to be a serve sub for the rest of her career? She played in the summer matches and looked good to me. She's got a decently powerful swing and receives okay. I think she could give Denso or Toyota's swingers a run for their money. Maybe not Kudou.

    They said Imamura just recovered from an injury so maybe she's just taking it easy? I don't know her that well. I do know that she did have her U# thing with Arisa maybe 2 years ago.


    I like Kudou. She really upgraded this season or did it happen last season. She had that weird look before, like a little boy but now she's coming in strong and has a proper bob.

    Honestly, the only way Japan can have another ace is by naturalizing a non-japanese player.


    I just don't see anyone in this current generation with the potential. Everyone is just basically as good as it gets for a japanese wing attacker.


    Nagaoka could've been that girl if she learns to pass in some positions and if it weren't for those injuries.

    Favorite players: M: Maxim Mikhaylov, Murilo, Serginho, Aaron Russell, Otavio, Simone Giannelli, Ivan Zaytsev, Tsvetan Sokolov, Michał Kubiak, Mariusz Wlazly, Pawel Zagummy W: Sheilla, Zhu Ting, Natalia, Fe Garay, Fofao, Gabi, Thaisa, Foluke Akinradewo, Wei Qiuyue, Ding Xia, Carli Lloyd, Fabi, Natalia Goncharova, Yuko Sano, Saoris Kimura and Sakoda


    #FreeBritney

    Edited 4 times, last by Rains ().

    Okayama v PFU. I'm enjoying Roslandy Acosta. She's the only foreigner I can think of at the moment who's got a complete game. She's a main receiver, she's quick on defense and seems to care about it. And man has she got jump. Really like her style. She's hitting the ball right at people a lot, so not a high %. She'll probably fix that. She's going to be the main scorer but she doesn't seem ball-hoggy because she blends in by having other skills.

    It's hilarious to see the contrast between her and Takaso--who's equally as athletic as Acosta, but in a miniature size.

    I can't remember if I already knew this, but I just read Arisa Sato's team Ligare Sendai was granted an S3 license, which means they can play in V.League V2 next year (since there's no V3 girls).


    The better news is that they just signed Yuki Egawa --southpaw, OP, beast-- who transfer hoped out of Prestige International over the summer. I was wondering why another team didn't pick her up. She was Best Scorer in 18/19 but missed half of 19/20, presumably because of injury.


    Haruka Yoshizato, OH, Best Scorer 19/20 is still in Transfer Hope limbo. If she signs with Ligare Sendai they are immediately ready to beat the Legendary Forest Leaves and a few other V2 teams.

    You can see Sakae, Kato, and Imamura practicing what it will be like to wear a SAGA jersey:


    Kurobe #9 Sayo Masuda gets the post match (Toyota) interview at vbm, and another shout out from me for this:


    Quote

    -- what made you able to do it this season and what made you win two consecutive games?


    Masuda: season under the influence of the corona, which team was also followed by a state that can not match us, including. Among them, I focused on training especially during the summer. It was tough, but getting stronger there was one of the factors that made me win. At the same time, the mental aspect became stronger, which is a big change as a team, unlike last season.

    I read player after player from Japan say this: "the lockdown was an opportunity to train like a mofo. I'm in the best shape of my career".


    This is in such contrast to what seems to be the prevailing ideology from other parts of the world: players are out of shape due to hanging out with a few brewskis and not training during the lockdowns.


    Quote from sloth

    Asian discipline to rule them all!

    All the beer drinkers in Japan play 9-ball :)


    I meant to ask you about if you know if this seems accurate re: Roslandy Acosta Height 190cm / Spike 295cm


    I mentioned it was fun seeing the contrast with Acosta and this little pipsqeak Minami Takaso Height 164cm Spike 301cm :!:


    Off topic

    Yesterday I heard an interview to a iconic brazilian MB In 90s

    Ida Alvarez

    She talked about her experience in Brazil and she mention one thing that happened


    We all known in world that japanese woman are submissive but she told that the team coach was so mean and yells and even touched the girls and one time she said that she pushed one of their teammates


    She said that she stood up and threatened the coach and wanted to hit him


    I couldn't believe that girls allowed thatññ

    Cute Rookie Alert Girl Rui Nonaka doesn't get it yet. Part of joining the Hitachi elite is offering up your derriere to Hannah for a Tapp



    Hitachi Rivale is an elite team with really good players. 10th place and a 2–7 record aren't important.

    That's unfortunate. Seems part of the same culture where, for example, a player will take one in the face and her team mates stand around aloof, dumbfounded, and wait for Kosheleva to come under the net and offer support.


    I imagine life behind closed doors is pretty brutal in Japan.


    Strangely, and much to my chagrin, I've seen High School coaches get angry with players, and have seen one of them push a player, a kid, in the back ... to get her off the court after making a service error.