Japan Women's NT 2021

    To be fair it's not really possible to compare OPP with OH, especially as Nagaoka doesn't receive.


    But my impression was that Koga was getting blocked by Yan Ni in the first set many times and by Yuan XInyue in the 2nd set many times.

    Quote from sitenoise

    She's a volleyballer has a play-by-play that's probably pretty accurate if anybody wants to count up points or something. The google translations of Japanese translations of Chinese names are dizzying but you can mostly follow it.

    Just the same cases as I read the Chinese articles on Japanese players as well as the South Korean ones, Chinese language have their own transliteration set for all of the people names of Japan and Korea incl. the geographic ones, which differ much from the Romanized names. Unless one is following very closely, it's a big headache to digest the transliterated naming, esp. in the less known situation, ofc thing is easier for the limited NT members. And I guess the reverse may also be true, in Japanese and Korean languages for Chinese naming.


    “There are decades where nothing happens; and there are weeks where decades happen.”

    Quote from samsara

    Just the same cases as I read the Chinese articles on Japanese players as well as the South Korean ones, Chinese language have their own transliteration set for all of the people names of Japan and Korea incl. the geographic ones, which differ much from the Romanized names. Unless one is following very closely, it's a big headache to digest the transliterated naming, esp. in the less known situation, ofc thing is easier for the limited NT members. And I guess the reverse may also be true, in Japanese and Korean languages for Chinese naming.

    Sometimes it is very hit and miss -- while Sarina Koga's name doesn't sound much different in Chinese, Miyu Nagaoka's name in Chinese sounds nothing like her name in Japanese...

    Quote from zhutingfan

    To be fair it's not really possible to compare OPP with OH, especially as Nagaoka doesn't receive.


    But my impression was that Koga was getting blocked by Yan Ni in the first set many times and by Yuan XInyue in the 2nd set many times.

    I've been bitching and whining and moaning and groaning and crying and dying about Sarina Koga for three years. I feel now's my chance to feel some love, so I pounced :drink:


    But to be fair, you're the one who >'d :rolll:


    I admit my bias, anyone who can't receive serve will never get a > from me :)

    Quote from sitenoise

    I've been bitching and whining and moaning and groaning and crying and dying about Sarina Koga for three years. I feel now's my chance to feel some love, so I pounced :drink:


    But to be fair, you're the one who >'d :rolll:


    I admit my bias, anyone who can't receive serve will never get a > from me :)

    I first watched her in the 2015 WC match between China and Japan. Saori was on her way out and I thought that Japan had decent young stars like Miyashita, Koga, Nagaoka, etc.


    Then they all either disappeared forever or were injured.

    Quote from zhutingfan

    I first watched her in the 2015 WC match between China and Japan. Saori was on her way out and I thought that Japan had decent young stars like Miyashita, Koga, Nagaoka, etc.


    Then they all either disappeared forever or were injured.

    Sad but true


    My esoteric theory about Sarina is that the new NEC something or other dude cracked her skull open. She practices serve reception by studying videotape of how every player in the world serves. And she can tell you about them all. The NEC dude said 'stop that' and pushed her out into a pandemic Zoom world, told her to "entertain people, make them love you, you'll be a better volleyball player for it".


    Or else she just got to practice more during the lockdown. Either way :rolll:

    Both Miyashita and Koga have self confidence issues. I think Koga's problem has to due with missing out in Rio. I still blamed the coach for that. He brought 2 liberos and cut Koga. Everything went downhill for her after that. For Miyashita, she just puts unnecessary pressure on herself as she thinks she need to be perfect in order to play for the team.

    Quote from jetmasters

    Koga have self confidence issues. I think Koga's problem has to due with missing out in Rio. I still blamed the coach for that. He brought 2 liberos and cut Koga. Everything went downhill for her after that.

    What's wild about Koga re: that, is that right after missing Rio, in August NEC won the Asian Club Championship over good Chinese and Thailand teams, then NEC won the V.League Championship. Sarina was MVP of both. Then after that , kinda boom

    Quote from sitenoise

    Both Miyashita and Koga have self confidence issues. I think Koga's problem has to due with missing out in Rio. I still blamed the coach for that. He brought 2 liberos and cut Koga. Everything went downhill for her after that. For Miyashita, she just puts unnecessary pressure on herself as she thinks she need to be perfect in order to play for the team.

    Miyashita suffers from anxiety not from wanting to be perfect but just having to be the main setter since Kimura was around. At some point she got kinda tired of it considering her popularity being second to Kimura during those eras.


    Okayama's coach is probably far more insufferable than Nakada so if her issue was perfection then she should have moved to a different team.

    Quote from Phoenix

    Miyashita suffers from anxiety not from wanting to be perfect but just having to be the main setter since Kimura was around. At some point she got kinda tired of it considering her popularity being second to Kimura during those eras.


    Okayama's coach is probably far more insufferable than Nakada so if her issue was perfection then she should have moved to a different team.

    Weird Twilight Zone quote :) I didn't write that. I avoid the Miyashita issue

    Quote from brahmin

    for last year, but released yesterday.

    I enjoyed that. It's pure fantasy but it gave me the feels. And I guess it answers the setter question

    Quote from sitenoise

    What's wild about Koga re: that, is that right after missing Rio, in August NEC won the Asian Club Championship over good Chinese and Thailand teams, then NEC won the V.League Championship. Sarina was MVP of both. Then after that , kinda boom

    I think there is no pressure playing for club. Then comes national team, she will be reminded of getting cut. When you are the star and got cut, it dealt a great blow.

    Quote from Phoenix

    Miyashita suffers from anxiety not from wanting to be perfect but just having to be the main setter since Kimura was around. At some point she got kinda tired of it considering her popularity being second to Kimura during those eras.


    Okayama's coach is probably far more insufferable than Nakada so if her issue was perfection then she should have moved to a different team.

    Whatever the main problem for her, she just lacks confidence. She didn't have that problem when she started playing for Japan. At least not from what I've seen. Are all Japanese coaches that insufferable? I know they train hardcore but not sure what kind of emotional support they provide for players.

    Quote from jetmasters

    I think there is no pressure playing for club. Then comes national team, she will be reminded of getting cut. When you are the star and got cut, it dealt a great blow.

    I more or less agree with you about Koga/Rio, but I don't agree there's no pressure for Club play, then I agree with you again that meeting up with the NT for the first time post Rio probably triggered deep angst. It's after that summer she started sleeping on the job.


    btw - I read about the new NEC dude's plans for Sarina on their web site, it's not something I completely made up, like the feud between Ishikawa and Kurogo about where to put the ketchup ;)

    Quote from sitenoise

    I more or less agree with you about Koga/Rio, but I don't agree there's no pressure for Club play, then I agree with you again that meeting up with the NT for the first time post Rio probably triggered deep angst. It's after that summer she started sleeping on the job.


    btw - I read about the new NEC dude's plans for Sarina on their web site, it's not something I completely made up, like the feud between Ishikawa and Kurogo about where to put the ketchup ;)

    There's always pressure playing for club or national team. I think for her, playing club has much less pressure than playing for national team. Not much scrutiny when you are performing poorly. You get the hate from club fans vs entire volleyball fans for poor performance. Mutekada needs to bring her confidence back.