Japan - V.League V1 (Division 1, Women) 2023-2024

Kurobe signed Setter Shion Nagasawa and Libero Ayami Urayama from Artemis Hokkaido. Both decent in that context. I hope they can grow. Kurobe needs big help at those 2 positions

Also, Himeji OHs Rino Furuichi and Rimi Kaneda. Furuichi is short but I've always liked her. From Juntendo. She hits hard

Not a Rimi fan, but these two will probably be Kurobe starters unless they hire an import, and they are probably as good as anything Kurobe's had for the past few years

Not much hope for Kurobe who, as far as I can tell, doesn't have a head coach yet. And in a League rigged for the wealthy donor class to win instead of trying to make the League fun and competitive it's gonna be tough for them to win a match

Quote from volleyb

German National Team OH Lena Stigrot is rumored to Kurobe

Is she the one that had a breakout (I know she's not a youngster) a couple years ago (maybe back from injury) and so we liked her because she was a basher, but then she became inconsistent, doesn't receive well, and makes errors at critical moments so now we don't know what to think of her?

Summer League East

Breath Hamamatsu 25–12 Hitachi Set 1

Three courts going on in this new PFU Chicken Vegetable Miso Soup Arena

All three V1 teams lost their first match of the night in full setters

University 2–1 NEC
Tokyo Sunbeams 2–1 Yamagata
Hamamatsu 2–1 Hitachi

I assume this is meaningless. Otherwise it would be meaningful

I hope the Hokkaido girls take over at Setter and Libero for Kurobe. I just can't with who they have now

This Ligare Sendai team tries real hard. I like that in a team

Nice seeing Miiku Iwasawa back in action

Momoko Niida is a piece of work. 177.5cm, 24 years old. Wonder what her future holds

Uni Girls Rule

Falling in love with this Sendai team again

Gunma lost to Kurobe and Ukishima's mullet embryo. Not good for Gunma

This skinny little 20 year old on Sendai, Non Suzuki, is killing me. Super nice swing. Back attacker

This OP on Sendai seems to be wearing something like a 3 inch wide rubber band around her hips. It floats up to her waste on every play and she has to reset it back down to her hips. Never seen anything like it

Sendai 2–1 Saitama
Uni Girls 2–0 Brilliant Aries

Kurobe 2–0 Gunma

Over to U20 now

What is this thing

Sendai's two best players last year were their middle blockers and they have both left

They played their lefty banger OP Yuki Egawa at MB last night, and someone who still has little girl legs

They signed 186+cm Ami Takahashi from Nihon but she was 186 when she started high school and nobody's heard of her

Why is NEC so scary?

Quote from volleyb

I'm not impressed with either of the 2 liberos left for NEC. The team will really miss Kojima.

Yoshino is so underwhelming this tournament so far. Probably has given more errors than points. Good to see Sasaki having playing time though.

Sasaki seems like a better passer. I like her

This was Yoshino's chance to shine/carry the team and she's not delivered. She may never get off the bench once the season starts. She should transfer hope to a hobbyist team

NEC will bounce back tho. Losing the first set to Brilliant Aries gotta wake 'em up

Oh I was watching Gifu beat Hitachi in overtime. NEC benched Yoshino