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

  • 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.

    Remember that there is a phrase, "the nail that stills out gets hammered down." As a foreigner, you will always stick out. Not to say that you can't fit in, you can. However, you can get away with some things from time to time because you may not understand why people do things in a different culture. In Japan, there is plenty of hazing of people as part of the senpai-kohai (senior-junior) relationship. I lived in a private dorm and when new students entered the dorm in April with the new school year, some senpai (guys already living in the dorm) would have these kids screaming to introduce themselves. And they had to do it to every one in the part of the dorm that we lived in. When they came to my room, I just said, no screaming. They were surprised but I wanted them to feel comfortable and as a foreigner, I was different and did not have to go through the hazing. Not saying that I did not like the hazing, but it was not just not something that I had any desire for.


    Still many coaches in Japan, are basically disciplinarians. If you can watch Kana Oyama's work through goo tacchi (fist bump) on youtube were they often work with kids who are not winning, they really have to work on technique with kids. Even talking with the kids about challenges and learning. Many coaches of kids forget that kids may love the sport, but need to improve their skills to love it even more.

  • It seems about right.. I wouldn't never guess that Acosta was 190cm, she looks a lot smaller, so her spike stat is probably correct... Is she doing okay in Japan? She was never a player who stood out here in Brazil, but always done her job right.. I kinda miss her, I would exchange Hodge for her in a heartbeat

  • It seems about right.. I wouldn't never guess that Acosta was 190cm, she looks a lot smaller, so her spike stat is probably correct... Is she doing okay in Japan? She was never a player who stood out here in Brazil, but always done her job right.. I kinda miss her, I would exchange Hodge for her in a heartbeat

    She started late due to quarantine and such, but I think she's doing okay. She seems involved in every aspect of the game, which is unusual for swinging imports. I dig that. She and Takaso are the main receivers. And damn, I think it's the coolest thing to be a back row receiver, not a front rower who goes back to receive, who receives the ball and then attacks it from the back row. I can't think of anyone else who does that. Her size is a puzzler. She doesn't look that tall, but she has an Annie Drews fast, intimidating attack style which makes her seem big. She's hitting over the blockers but, as mentioned, they often go right at somebody. She needs to work on her aim.


    She's not going to be one of the big swinging imports who wins games for the team. PFU hasn't won a match yet, but who's counting :super:

  • Thanksgiving in Japan is not easy. As a exchange student our group of Oregon students (Waseda and Aoyama Gakuin) had a party on Saturday. Our assistant make all the reservations for the food, other than drinks and/or chips.

    It was not the biggest bird, but it worked.

  • Big weekend for the prospective semifinalists and the Challenge 4:


    SAT 28 Nov 2020

    11:00 Kurobe v Himeji -- Goshogawara Gym E Plaza Gym, Kahoku City vtv (remote)

    12:00 Denso v NEC -- Kitagas Arena Sapporo, Sapporo Hokkaido (FHG)

    13:30 Okayama v Toray -- Zip Arena, Okayama vtv

    14:30 PFU v Hitachi -- Goshogawara Gym E Plaza Gym, Kahoku City vtv (remote)

    16:00 JT v Toyota -- Zip Arena, Okayama vtv


    SUN 29 Nov 2020

    11:00 Denso v Saitama -- Kitagas Arena Sapporo, Sapporo Hokkaido (FHG)

    11:00 Hitachi v Kurobe -- Goshogawara Gym E Plaza Gym, Kahoku City vtv (remote)

    13:00 Okayama v Toyota -- Zip Arena, Okayama vtv

    13:30 PFU v Himeji -- Goshogawara Gym E Plaza Gym, Kahoku City vtv (remote)

    15:30 JT v Toray -- Zip Arena, Okayama vtv

  • I hope the folks at Zip Arena get their technology figured out and we get better than the last crap streams that came out of there

  • Okayama must be the Iowa of Japan. It's all about meat. In addition to dancers and rallies supporting Okayama Prefecture Sports at Zip Arena this weekend, with a chance to win some beef, there will be a "gourmet tent stall set up in the arena square" featuring a "sirloin steak bowl that players love and are very satisfied with."


    Okayama, Himeji, NEC. They should kick all the other teams out of the V.League and make them play in the Business Man Group.

  • We have a new champion:


    PlayerTeamHeightSpikeJump
    Minami Takaso
    PFU164cm302cm138cm
    Rino Murooka <3
    Higashi Kyushu Ryukoku HS
    162cm297cm135cm
    Saori Sakoda
    Retired175cm305cm130cm
    Miyu Nagaoka
    SAGA180cm310cm130cm
  • Himeji's import gets the start over their Captain

  • Himeji coach starts the Captain over Saki Tanaka in Set 2 after losing Set 1 and leaves the import in. The Captain is 2/12. Someone needs to do an intervention :mad:

  • Tanaka almost brought them to victory but Coach subbed the red hot girl back out and they drop Set 2 24–26, and then goes with Kanasugi over Tanaka in Set 3 :what:


    Of course I'd like to see Himeji win a match some time but I don't mind seeing Kurobe continue their winning ways

  • Plummer's back, just subbed for a swing

  • Not sure how NEC took the first set, Denso looks smokey hot

  • Soga has exploded.

    Koga and Soga are rockin but Denso has shut down Shimamura


    Oh no. Tamaki Matsui

  • I was hoping NEC would dispatch the Airybees in three straight so it'd be over by the NoSmiler match. I have a feeling this is going to a Tie Break. Pretty evenly matched teams