Araki is a lock. She’s perfect for MB2. Nippon needs 1 balanced MB and attacking MB perfect for MB1. Shimamura could be that scoring MB. Balanced MB would be a tossup between Okumura and Akutagawa.
For setter, I don’t really think Miyashita is ready for starter. She was a bit messy in world cup. Sato needs to be ready. If not, maybe there is a need to invest in the younger setters like Momii.
I give Hayashi props every chance I get. She has a great all around game. She's fast and smart but she's that mystical 173cm and skinny so I think people don't notice her
I'm gonna echo JT's lady coach and agree that she has the potential to be like Shinnabe. They're the same height, Shinnabe a bit more muscular. Hayashi has Miyashita's body. Quite the awkward, quirky character too which is the opposite of girls like Kurogo and Mayu. Kurogo being at JT before Idk if Hayashi was already there
Display MoreWhere the hell is Phoenix clearly he slept on this article
Nagaoka has a new interview (published 12/23) for Real Sports which is part of Nikkan Sports and boy is it gloomier than ever. I was pretty gutted to read this. It doesn't sound like she's motivated or possibly just ...fearful.
What I google translated is that she's not sure she'll reach a certain point where she can be great again. Her movements are very limited and she always fears that the ball could hit her left knee.
During the Hinotori remote match she was at 50% then during V.League 1st Leg she was at 70% (except she wavers on this). There's also a part about how expectations have become unbearable for her. The whole Olympics thing is still up in the air and she diverts to a topic about being satisfied just playing VB in front of her family again especially her older sister who was the reason she started playing VB.
Let's not forget how Ebata said that people kept telling her to just go with the flow and enjoy volleyball but Ebata says once you're at a certain caliber, you can't just have "fun" because people will always have their expectations and reputation is everything. It's similar to what Nagaoka says in this interview.
sidenote: I couldn't access this on my pc, it took forever to load so I suggest viewing it on your phone
https://real-sports.jp/page/articles/471510286004651049
I'm still out of town and it's hard to get decent wifi here. It's a real struggle just getting this forum to load. I'll read that when I get back.
Nagaoka always sounds so grim in current interviews so that doesn't surprise me anymore.
sitenoise thanks for the links!
Hayashi for JT has been the slack picker upper for them when Annie is a little down.
Shimamura has been ridiculously good on offense for NEC.
Okumura and Akutagawa has been ok.
https://www.volleyball.world/e…the-decade-saori?id=91778
article that I wrote on Saori Kimura.
https://www.volleyball.world/e…the-decade-saori?id=91778
article that I wrote on Saori Kimura.
wow, nice!
BTW, I think I remember that you also wrote about international competitions for volleymob in 2017 and 18 -- what happened for the 2019 events?
https://www.volleyball.world/e…the-decade-saori?id=91778
article that I wrote on Saori Kimura.
Who else is part of the Roster 100 list? from Japan's WNT
I don't understand the numbering did it start from 1-100 or 100-1. I saw Boskovic and my queen Naz
Who else is part of the Roster 100 list? from Japan's WNT
I don't understand the numbering did it start from 1-100 or 100-1. I saw Boskovic and my queen Naz
Erika Araki today and I think that's it so far for Japanese women
I didn't see Naz; are you sure?
Erika Araki today and I think that's it so far for Japanese women
I didn't see Naz; are you sure?
Oh that makes sense previous captain and current captain.
On second thought it was Neslihan not Naz. Also a legendary queen. Hopefully we do see Naz
I only did the Kimura article and not Araki. Erika is still a good choice being an Olympic medalist let alone a mom and playing at a high level. As I like to say Erika is awesome.
The roster is really just a list of the 100 most important. There is no number attached to each player, so people trying to figure out who is most important in the order is probably wrong.
Who do you think will be the starting wingers for Olympics? I have high doubts with Ishii because at this point, only experience and tenure are her advantages, but she might be the gel. Overall, Koga recently performs better than her.
Ishikawa and Kurogo are also likely, but I'm curious on how Ai would perform as an opposite internationally. Also not sure if it's smart to put both of them inside the court at the same time.
Not very optimistic with Nagaoka for Olympics based on her interviews.
Who do you think will be the starting wingers for Olympics? I have high doubts with Ishii because at this point, only experience and tenure are her advantages, but she might be the gel. Overall, Koga recently performs better than her.
Ishikawa and Kurogo are also likely, but I'm curious on how Ai would perform as an opposite internationally. Also not sure if it's smart to put both of them inside the court at the same time.
Not very optimistic with Nagaoka for Olympics based on her interviews.
Hmm ... 
did I write that while I was sleepwalking? Seems like something I would write
I think it's a bummer Japan doesn't take the OP position seriously.
I think it's a bummer Japan doesn't take the OP position seriously.
Exactly. If I recally correctly, Nagaoka seems to be the only stable OP they had in the decade? (Just because she's a lefty) All others came from being excess at the open.
Very weird considering most national teams are banking on the opposite for offense.
Exactly. If I recally correctly, Nagaoka seems to be the only stable OP they had in the decade? (Just because she's a lefty) All others came from being excess at the open.
Very weird considering most national teams are banking on the opposite for offense.
Do you think that this situation is related to the fact that teams invest a lot on Foreigners Opp?
Do you think that this situation is related to the fact that teams invest a lot on Foreigners Opp?
Well generally, yes. That also comes with the fact that they don't have enough quality opposites to man the teams so it's just a cycle.
Well generally, yes. That also comes with the fact that they don't have enough quality opposites to man the teams so it's just a cycle.
opposite is the easiest position to invest in because of they can pass anything on defense it is a positive. You are expecting the opposite to score.
Sadly, if you look the high school and college game in Japan opposites are not what you see around the world. Meaning they are serve receiving and not the focus of the offense. In my opinion. Ebata and Sakoda played as opposites and looked more like opposites should other than for height.
Exactly. If I recally correctly, Nagaoka seems to be the only stable OP they had in the decade? (Just because she's a lefty) All others came from being excess at the open.
Very weird considering most national teams are banking on the opposite for offense.
I'd give Risa some props, not as a big scorer but as someone who can score 10–15 consistently. She was there to defend against those International OPs shooting cannonballs.
There's the rub. Nagaoka can score but her defense is suspect. Risa can defend and her scoring is good but not high volume. But the fact that she needs to be covered helps the setter and other attackers.
My thing, when I say OP, is a visual. Sort of like judging a setter, not by stats, but by watching them. Japan has only a few who seem genuine OPs to me: YOLO, Miyu Kubota, and Rei Kudo is moving up. YOLO's performance in V.League has been pretty dismal, Kubote has been bumped from Hitachi lineup by a kid. Don't know what's going on there. Anxious to see how Kudo grows with NT training under her belt.
opposite is the easiest position to invest in because of they can pass anything on defense it is a positive. You are expecting the opposite to score.
Sadly, if you look the high school and college game in Japan opposites are not what you see around the world. Meaning they are serve receiving and not the focus of the offense. In my opinion. Ebata and Sakoda played as opposites and looked more like opposites should other than for height.
HS and college have big focus on Middle-Blockers as scorers. I wonder why that goes away in V.League?
I'll answer that: because they're like 173cm 
YOLO, for example, played MB in HS
Sakoda was OPPy for sure but wasn't a passer. What I want to know is why Japan has no one like her that back attacks like it's going out of business. That seems like something, the short little weaklings they are, could do more of.
opposite is the easiest position to invest in because of they can pass anything on defense it is a positive. You are expecting the opposite to score.
Sadly, if you look the high school and college game in Japan opposites are not what you see around the world. Meaning they are serve receiving and not the focus of the offense. In my opinion. Ebata and Sakoda played as opposites and looked more like opposites should other than for height.
Same thoughts. Japan's definition of opposites have been watered down to blend with the OH's which unfortunately hurts them internationally.