Japan Women's NT 2022

    I hope Airi Miyabe doesn't get Kurogo'd in some way. And I wonder if the folks who think she's going to come save the day have seen her play volleyball since she left Japan ... what, 4-5 years ago?


    I'd never seen her play volleyball until the past couple days. Watched a couple matches and ... uhm ... well ... I dunno. NCAA volleyball is a different breed. The court seems crowded, lots of wussy whacking and wimp tips from bad sets (Japan does that too), and/but this match between Stanford and Minnesota was like a masterclass in overpassing :S (sorry avid ) :)


    Japan plays system ball, based on defense and passing. Airi Miyabe doesn't strike me as some power hitter who can exist outside that like the second coming of Boskovic. Frankly, I think her little sister hits harder than she does but it's a different game, different context. Airi's quick and lanky with long arms, and her other world experience might help everybody. I'm withholding judgement until I see her play in the context of Japan volleyball


    I know a couple matches isn't a lot to go on but I'm not gonna plow through a bunch of NCAA stuff when there's Japanese uni-ball going on. I will just wait and see. VNL starts in 3 weeks. Can you believe it =O Japan's first match is against Korea. No pressure :rolll:

    I agree. I don't really see her being an effective OPP for Japan. Valdes imo is their best bet to put as OPP. If they do well during VNL but get cut during WCH Manabe will eventually have to reconsider his selection.

    A couple other notes from my investigations into Airi Miyabe. She seems pretty savvy on broken plays. A quick creative thinker, like Yurie Nabeya. And strangely, she has that Japan NT controlled swing thing down, like Ai Kurogo, not a lot of passion but reasonably finessed

    Quote from sitenoise

    I hope Airi Miyabe doesn't get Kurogo'd in some way. And I wonder if the folks who think she's going to come save the day have seen her play volleyball since she left Japan ... what, 4-5 years ago?


    I'd never seen her play volleyball until the past couple days. Watched a couple matches and ... uhm ... well ... I dunno. NCAA volleyball is a different breed. The court seems crowded, lots of wussy whacking and wimp tips from bad sets (Japan does that too), and/but this match between Stanford and Minnesota was like a masterclass in overpassing :S (sorry avid ) :)


    Japan plays system ball, based on defense and passing. Airi Miyabe doesn't strike me as some power hitter who can exist outside that like the second coming of Boskovic. Frankly, I think her little sister hits harder than she does but it's a different game, different context. Airi's quick and lanky with long arms, and her other world experience might help everybody. I'm withholding judgement until I see her play in the context of Japan volleyball

    I would say a lot of that impression may be a result of Hugh McCutcheon's system. He would much rather see an attacker tip and keep the point alive, than to take a big swing and miss/get blocked. His philosophy is definitely a lot of 'dig deep, don't error... wait for them to'


    (also yea... that match was a mess... Stanford cant pass and Minnesota was missing their libero lol)


    I think Airi getting into Japan's system (and with a better setter... her's at MN is not good)... may help develop a better picture of how/where/if she can contribute.

    Quote from avid

    I would say a lot of that impression may be a result of Hugh McCutcheon's system. He would much rather see an attacker tip and keep the point alive, than to take a big swing and miss/get blocked. His philosophy is definitely a lot of 'dig deep, don't error... wait for them to'


    (also yea... that match was a mess... Stanford cant pass and Minnesota was missing their libero lol)


    I think Airi getting into Japan's system (and with a better setter... her's at MN is not good)... may help develop a better picture of how/where/if she can contribute.

    Definitely seemed a little deja vu-y in the 'dig deep, don't error... wait for them to' way. Very Japanese. You mentioned elsewhere McCutcheon developed USA Fast system. I did feel some similar vibes to Japan with the way Minnesota plays


    I think Airi may fit in pretty well. I'm not positive --at this point-- if we will for sure see her at VNL, what with three weeks to go and she just arrived in country. She's not Annie Drews :)

    It's unfair that volleyballworld shows a player who isn't in the roster to anticipate the Japanese women's team what the hell was that? and why would they show a clip from 2019 but the rest of the teams they showed are from the 2020 VNL? Japan doesn't have a KYK and that specific player they showed is not it.


    The volleywood boy who is in charge of their social media hates featuring Koga and wouldn't acknowledge her at all. I noticed even during the poster for VNL they placed a very tiny Mayu at the very bottom. Japanese fans including Rena's mom are already complaining about it.


    https://www.instagram.com/stor…miko/2835761177000391349/

    Quote from Pancake

    It's unfair that volleyballworld shows a player who isn't in the roster to anticipate the Japanese women's team what the hell was that? and why would they show a clip from 2019 but the rest of the teams they showed are from the 2020 VNL? Japan doesn't have a KYK and that specific player they showed is not it.


    The volleywood boy who is in charge of their social media hates featuring Koga and wouldn't acknowledge her at all. I noticed even during the poster for VNL they placed a very tiny Mayu at the very bottom. Japanese fans including Rena's mom are already complaining about it.


    https://www.instagram.com/stor…miko/2835761177000391349/

    im not seeing anything on vbw's instagram. did they delete it? Is it on ig or somewhere else?