Japan Women's NT 2021

Quote from Phoenix

https://www.jva.or.jp/index.php/topics/20211022-1

"I am truly proud to be able to take on the challenge of carrying the Hinomaru flag again for the sake of Japanese volleyball. Based on our 10th place finish in the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games, I have a considerable sense of urgency; we will start in the spring of 2022, and the qualifying round for the Paris Olympics will begin in the summer of 2023. It is a very tight schedule. The Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games did not require the host country to compete in the qualifying rounds, but the Paris Olympic Games will require the host country to win the qualifying rounds. The Olympic qualifying rounds will be even more pressure-packed than the Olympics, and the games will be extremely difficult. I would like to overcome this difficult situation with all Japan team members. What we can say now is that the minimum requirement is to qualify for the Paris Olympics. I would like to set a new goal for the Olympic Games after assessing the situation as well as my thoughts. In terms of height, it hasn't changed much from five years ago, but technically, their serve-receive has become more stable and the maturity of most outside hitters have improved. In particular, France's mens team and Argentina (who won medals at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics) are not very tall, but they were cohesive with few losses. There were many hints for Japan's women's volleyball.

Japan has a lot of young players, including gold medallists from the 2019 World Junior Championships, and I think they have a lot of potential. I believe that Japan has a lot of potential, and we can definitely make up for it and recover if we go into the All-Japan team. In terms of team building, I would like to solidify the core players as soon as possible and actively promote new players. It is also important to deploy staff who can help solve problems. Because of Japan's short stature, we cannot win by doing the same things as the rest of the world. We want to pursue an original Japanese women's volleyball team and a new Japanese women's national team."

Yours Truly, Manabe xoxo

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what?? am I reading this right? France women's national team will have to go through qualifiers to participate in their own olympics?

Isn’t there is a new rule that now the host country have to participate in qualification round as well? Or was I reading that wrong.

Quote from akitoakie

Isn’t there is a new rule that now the host country have to participate in qualification round as well? Or was I reading that wrong.

No, there isn't.

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Miyabe, who will graduate with a degree in Asian and Middle Eastern studies, isn’t sure what the future holds for her and volleyball. She has entertained the thought of playing professionally, but first, she wants to see how the rest of her final collegiate season plays out.

Winding road from Japan for Miyabe, from barely speaking English to JC to starting for Minnesota

if you search "Minnesota volleyball" on youtube, you should find Miyabe's matches.

She has stats listed here (which may or may not make any sense lol)

So im definitely not hallucinating. Ive seen Airi Miyabe play for the Japan national team before. Ive seen her sub for Nagaoka a few times I believe.

Quote from yudeko

So im definitely not hallucinating. Ive seen Airi Miyabe play for the Japan national team before. Ive seen her sub for Nagaoka a few times I believe.

It was during the 2015 season.

Quote from avid

if you search "Minnesota volleyball" on youtube, you should find Miyabe's matches.

She has stats listed here (which may or may not make any sense lol)

How long has Miyabe been in the US?

Quote from SR71

How long has Miyabe been in the US?

since 2017 I think

Article about Miya Sato and Naonobu Fujii:

https://number.bunshun.jp/articles/-/850750?page=1

Most of the content are about how their relationship - how they became friends, the proposal, and married life, but what struck me is what she shared about how painful for her to not be able to play in the Olympics while supporting his husband who got in the roster. The rawness and honesty of what she said.

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[google translate, so might not be very accurate]

It seems to be an ideal relationship, but because the place we are aiming for is the same, Miya at one period of time couldn't accept the decisive "difference" that occurred between the two of them.

"He went to the Olympics. But I couldn't get out. That's the decisive difference. That's why I was so jealous, the person I want to support the most, I'm rooting for you, but I can't support you. Looking back now, I said a lot of terrible things."

Quote from sitenoise

I agree with the statement "better players make you better" but it begs the question: What do you mean by "better players"? Bigger stronger attackers? In what other way is Boskovic a better player than Sarina Koga? (okay, serve lol)

You can't 'learn' bigger stronger. To say it worked for KYK or Zhu Ting means nothing to Ruriko Uesaka. People bring up the two big (not Japanese) guns that were practically born world class. Any other examples? If a player like Rino Murooka was 187cm she would benefit from playing in Turkey 1 or Italy 1 ... but Azerbaijan?

Gabi and Britt Herbots. They're Japanese sized and kill harder than every Japanese player because they choose to. But in what other way are they any better than Yuki Ishii?

I'm convinced that this repulsive, measured swing approach, so grossly on display in the OGs, is taught/required/whatever. Watch HS, Uni, V2, or 9-ball and you see players swinging like Gabi all the time. It gets removed from players who want to work their way up the food chain.

Of course there is something to be said of playing in a more intense environment where the opposing team is sending the ball your way at greater speeds. But that's not where very many Japanese players need improvement. Could Japanese liberos learn a thing or two from Moki? Sure, but that's just a saying. It's not something that's likely to actually happen.

Japan needs more players like the Ohno sisters If you get, you get it.

Japan's problems are attitudinal. They have no violence in attack (which is an attitude deficiency, not physical weakness) and this current squad is simply not in love with floor defense.

Having said all that, a case could me made which I wouldn't oppose that Mami Uchiseto improved a little since she came back from Europe (and I have no idea if she even played or not). And by "improved" I mean she's a little pissier in her attack. Did her reception or floor defense improve? Nope. Did her blocking improve? She's 170cm. I think her mental attitude also "improved", and has likely been nudged along by Antônio Marcos Lerbach.

Playing in a very select few places in Europe would be a good thing for a very select few Japanese players who are willing or able to get a little pissier. Sadly there are not very many of them.*

Could any of Japan's middle-blockers improve if they played alongside BRA's Carols, TUR's Duo, even Italy's MBs? Absolutely yes! Is THAT ever going to actually happen? No.

* I might spend a few minutes thinking of who they might. Rei Kudo comes to mind; Rino Murooka; Minami Takaso -- don't deny it until you try it; V1 is tough. I can think of a dozen in V2, Uni and 9-ball. Go watch 172cm HS junior Risa Yajima swing.

Watch these pages to see if NEC's Hina Kawakami makes the NT. She is super soft, great receiver, likes defense, and makes the Kurogo look like Britt Herbots when she swings.

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How are Gabi and Herbotts any better than Yuki Ishii? Omg. You don't see how they're so much better? For real

Quote from sitenoise

I see them as better attackers, like I said, and asked "in what other way are they any better than Yuki Ishii?" You tell me

Gabi is a much better reciever. Herbotts a better server and more powerful. I think it's not just the attitude (as you said about the Japs being less aggressive), but simply physicality. Put it to their diet too. And their training. I forgot that Brazilian player who played in Japan who mentioned that the Japanese spends the least at the gym (lifting weights etc).