Japan Women's NT 2022

    Didn't get to watch the match since it was at 6am, but I see I didn't jinx them at all :cheesy::lol::win::flower:

    It hurts to see after 3 matches, the best JPN blocker is Koga with 5 kill blocks. Meanwhile Yamada and Ogawa only got 1 each. Blocking wise, this is the worst MB line within this tournament thus far :rolleyes:.

    Quote from Nghiphong

    It hurts to see after 3 matches, the best JPN blocker is Koga with 5 kill blocks. Meanwhile Yamada and Ogawa only got 1 each. Blocking wise, this is the worst MB line within this tournament thus far :rolleyes:.

    What about Shimamura? Or has she not played any matches so far yet? (I didn't get too watch any of Japan's matches due to the timing)

    Quote from sciew

    What about Shimamura? Or has she not played any matches so far yet? (I didn't get too watch any of Japan's matches due to the timing)

    She played from the 2nd set in the last match with DOM, subbing for Yamada and scored 1 block.

    Quote from Nghiphong

    She played from the 2nd set in the last match with DOM, subbing for Yamada and scored 1 block.

    Only 1 block?? Interesting... I assume the middles are attacking more than blocking?

    Dude called Yoshino "Sato" :)

    That was a very satisfying win. I know it's only VNL , but wins help the soul of the team


    I'm also happy with the way Manabe is switching around the line up, showing confidence in the length of the squad. First time a player looks down at their shoes, they're out :wavy:

    That was a good win! It doesn't matter that it is not the USA A Team. They need those wins to build their confidence at this point. The huge additional points for the World Ranking is good too as the team needs all the points for future competitions :flower:

    Random thoughts for the first round:


    Disappointments:

    Matsui and Yamada, and (Yoshino-ish) (Mayu-ish)


    Yamada is supposed to be the blocking MB. She seems very chill, which is cool, but we need fire. She also needs to bring back her moment of Zen Serve approach. Focus, girl

    Matsui seems uptight. She's worrying too much about her setting and her defense has suffered for it ... kind of like what happened to Momii. Matsui doesn't have the glitter in her eye that I'm used to and her reaction time to loose balls is slow


    I've watched Yoshino Sato play a lot of matches and know she's a good and confident player, at every skill point, but man did she get overwhelmed by the bump from Uni Ball to this. Whatever she showed in Training that let Manabe start her in the opener musta got lost. The good thing is that when she came in as a sub server she seemed to have the confidence back, and served strongly. That's what she should have started with. Baby steps. If she doesn't get cut she might come around and be a highlight


    Someone here wrote that Mayu gets flustered and lost when she gets blocked. I think that's all that's happened to her. She's not really a disappointment. Things could have gone differently, but she's not as comfortably at the top of the untouchable list that I thought she would be coming into this


    Happy surprises:

    Kojima. Damn girl. She had a nice U-Squad tenure, then sat on NEC bench for a few years waiting for Torigoe and Iwasaki to retire. When she would very occasionally sub in as DS she seemed cocky, like she knew what she was doing and had the right to direct other people around <<-- foreshadowing . It was a little annoying


    When the other girls finally retired and Manami got her chance, she and Sawada were the best anchoring Setter/Libero defensive duo in the league. I think she had a bad year last club season and I didn't expect much from her in the NT. Wow! She knows what's she's doing and has the skill to direct other people around. I think she, more than anyone else has risen to the occasion, seems pumped and comfortable with the bigger challenge. That happens to good players


    Inoue. I'm bumping her from mere kudo to happy surprise simply for her blocking. Not a lot of kills but she's getting hands on and doing well. She's always been a fine attacker


    Misc. Kudos:

    Ogawa. Not a surprise. She's doing exactly what she's been doing for a couple years now. Delightful stuff

    Koga. Ditto, and I think she's doing fine as Captain, and the team seems kumbaya'd enough ... so her "inauthentic enthusiasm", or whatever the worry was, hasn't shown itself as a problem at all, imo

    Seki. Seems better than Matsui dealing with less than perfect passes. I used to rib her for not being able to set the ball well unless she had to run after it. She's found her equilibrium now


    Shimamura and Hayashi. Fine players. Hayashi might also bloom and become a highlight before this is over


    Uchiseto . I don't know what to say about her

    Quote from Hassan Kadem

    Inoue is their best attacker. She should be a starter from now on.

    Do you think her fate is in the hands of the third pin keeping up on the passing and defense (while reasonably scoring), and/or if they don't she moves to non-receiving OP? (Japan likes receiving OPs tho)


    She has a limited skill set. It's why I'm happy to see glimmers of blocking from her. That has value