Japan Women's NT 2022

  • btw - I don't think Kaneda can back row attack. that's probably why she isn't called. Seems like a very important tactic for the current team

  • Has anyone else noticed that TBS rarely invites Ai Otomo to be a match commentator. She should be invited more often. I've seen a video of Saori being the commentator for the 100th time and yes I love her she's a goddess but she's seriously awful. A lot of filler words in between very few observations. The male commentator had to fill her in on the players names. I don't know how she did with Shimizu Kunihiro during one of the matches for the men's team but I can't imagine her being any better then.

  • Has anyone else noticed that TBS rarely invites Ai Otomo to be a match commentator. She should be invited more often. I've seen a video of Saori being the commentator for the 100th time and yes I love her she's a goddess but she's seriously awful. A lot of filler words in between very few observations. The male commentator had to fill her in on the players names. I don't know how she did with Shimizu Kunihiro during one of the matches for the men's team but I can't imagine her being any better then.

    They should invite Arisa Sato. She's a director/senshu/prefectural ambassador/she holds her own camps for people above 30 to play volleyball etc. although I've honestly never heard speak before

  • They should invite Arisa Sato. She's a director/senshu/prefectural ambassador/she holds her own camps for people above 30 to play volleyball etc. although I've honestly never heard speak before

    lol - I don't think I've ever heard her speak either. I bet she's busy af tho

  • so my U20 wrap up would be:


    • The SAGA girls were pretty ho hum. Megumi seemed way off and Yoshitake (playing MB) reverted to invisible to me
    • Best MB was Rin Honda, but she's Tsukuba goods, so I'm not objective. Had the best slide attack tho, objectively
    • Tsugumi looked pretty good (playing OP) with back court attacks but got subbed out
    • Tall Airi Furukawa MB was weak sauce, pretty much
    • Saiki started and played well, but got subbed out
    • Best performances by OH were Anna Uemura and Arina Tsutsumi. They are better defensive players than Megumi and Saiki
    • Toyota setter Haruka Kaji did better than starter Niina Kumagai -- maybe that works out for Toyota
    • Ayane Kitamado came in at OP. She's 181 and still young but I'm kind of the most excited to see more of her than anyone else . She's the least known to me, but looks totally comfortable in her tall young body
  • so my U20 wrap up would be:


    • The SAGA girls were pretty ho hum. Megumi seemed way off and Yoshitake (playing MB) reverted to invisible to me
    • Best MB was Rin Honda, but she's Tsukuba goods, so I'm not objective. Had the best slide attack tho, objectively
    • Tsugumi looked pretty good (playing OP) with back court attacks but got subbed out
    • Tall Airi Furukawa MB was weak sauce, pretty much
    • Saiki started and played well, but got subbed out
    • Best performances by OH were Anna Uemura and Arina Tsutsumi. They are better defensive players than Megumi and Saiki
    • Toyota setter Haruka Kaji did better than starter Niina Kumagai -- maybe that works out for Toyota
    • Ayane Kitamado came in at OP. She's 181 and still young but I'm kind of the most excited to see more of her than anyone else . She's the least known to me, but looks totally comfortable in her tall young body

    Did they win?

  • Did they win?

    oops, yeah 3-0 :lol:


    they were down like 1-13 in set 2. That was major sub time. And came back to win the set


    [edit] it was 1–8, 3–11, 6-13 so not as bad as I remembered . but it was bad

  • They should have called Yui Hamamura, former Seitoku OH :teach::teach:

    i was thinking that that the other day myself. Assuming you mean U20

  • sitenoise here's Sakoda's tragic guilt free ice cream CM to make you cry


    I keep coming back to this for the girl in the hat. I hope she makes it big :rose:

  • I keep coming back to this for the girl in the hat. I hope she makes it big :rose:

    that is Japanese London Judo gold medalist Kaori Matsumoto.


    she retired in 2019 and wanted to create an ice cream that people and kids could eat with fear of allergies and created this brand herself (with of course so help from businesses).


    gluten free, no trans fat, no milk and no white sugar is used in making this ice cream.

  • Has anyone else noticed that TBS rarely invites Ai Otomo to be a match commentator. She should be invited more often. I've seen a video of Saori being the commentator for the 100th time and yes I love her she's a goddess but she's seriously awful. A lot of filler words in between very few observations. The male commentator had to fill her in on the players names. I don't know how she did with Shimizu Kunihiro during one of the matches for the men's team but I can't imagine her being any better then.

    I love Saori too, but she’s very different in an interview versus play-by-play. I could not imagine her in play-by-play. even in interviews after matches she was kind of scatterbrained, which made her endearing, but as a commentator, just does not work.
    With the time difference, Kana Oyama is probably not available with the twins. Omoto has like four kids in the family, so she has likely less time and the time difference doesn’t help either.

  • Not closely following Japan NT but any ideas why Momii is not playing this VNL? Is she injured or Manabe prefers a different setter?

  • Not closely following Japan NT but any ideas why Momii is not playing this VNL? Is she injured or Manabe prefers a different setter?

    Momii wasn't active during the regular season. Mika Shibata who also made the NT wide roster, took over as JT's main setter. All 3 setters that made the VNL roster were active the entire season.


    Her getting injured was only a suspicion.

  • Not closely following Japan NT but any ideas why Momii is not playing this VNL? Is she injured or Manabe prefers a different setter?

    I read somewhere Manabe said he wanted to use the AVC 2019 setters (Seki & Matsui) for this VNL coz he thinks it'd be a positive sign for Japan women's if he starts off their campaign with gold medalist setters.