Japan - SV.League Women 2025-2026

    Quote from giangi1964

    Is Gicquel out of the game due to technical difficulties or injury?

    I don't watch Toray very much so don't know about what might be up with her, sorry

    Quote from giangi1964

    Is Gicquel out of the game due to technical difficulties or injury?

    she did briefly play as a sub on Saturday. Coach may just want to try something at this point.

    There is no promotion relegation in SV League right now, so Toray can experiment with their really bad team at this point.

    Also it is a little weird that she is the captain a couple of matches ago.

    Normally Japanese teams don’t make the captain a foreigner, at least not in their first season with the team. I could see it with a megastar, but it is a little strange.

    NEC Red Rockets just signed Camila de la Rosa of DR and Florida A&M.


    I just have to say this is a really bizarre signing for me.

    You are such a large club, and signing someone from this background at much smaller schools. When there are many more players from much bigger schools, and an attractive location to play in.
    this feels like a slot for someone bigger in 2026. Sign this player first and I’ll get you this player.

    Quote from brahmin

    NEC Red Rockets just signed Camila de la Rosa of DR and Florida A&M.


    I just have to say this is a really bizarre signing for me.

    You are such a large club, and signing someone from this background at much smaller schools. When there are many more players from much bigger schools, and an attractive location to play in.
    this feels like a slot for someone bigger in 2026. Sign this player first and I’ll get you this player.

    She's not so bad, but she is very unexpected and it was pretty clear when she got chances to play with NT (when Marte and Rodríguez weren't in the roster).

    Quote from VBdiamond

    She's not so bad, but she is very unexpected and it was pretty clear when she got chances to play with NT (when Marte and Rodríguez weren't in the roster).

    I can only go with the following. She did not have a club after finishing college volleyball.

    For an entire season.

    She played in the world champs in all of their matches, which in the new format was only 4 matches. And played the majority of the time. Barely was on court during VNL.

    Marte of course being out due to her pregnancy with World Champs.

    2 wins against Colombia and Mexico, 3-0

    A loss to China 3-0 in group play

    A 3-1 loss to Brazil in round of 16.


    in general Japanese teams had foreigner limits in the past, pre SV League of 1 + ASEAN player, so two. So teams would usually do an opposite or all around player and a middle blocker.

    With the SV League being open some teams have gone with Thai setters.


    I understand that setters are a specialized position and hence have some challenges when doing it in Japan, so these combinations with a player who did not play in a higher conference in college is just kind of why I felt it was a weird signing.

    from the 26-27 season with the league split into two conferences, east and west, the top 3 teams from each conference will make the playoffs, and the the next two ranked teams from either conference will be considered wild cards for the playoffs.


    the top seed from either conference will face one of the two wild cards, higher ranked conference champion would get the lower ranked wild card team.

    A question for our Polish friends, Olivia Różański is having a dominant season in Japan, I remember her in Italy being good but not phenomenal (she wasn't a regular starter), even in the national team I don't think she was a starter, but has she improved a lot or is the level in Japan low?

    However, I like the Japanese SV.League

    Quote from giangi1964

    A question for our Polish friends, Olivia Różański is having a dominant season in Japan, I remember her in Italy being good but not phenomenal (she wasn't a regular starter), even in the national team I don't think she was a starter, but has she improved a lot or is the level in Japan low?

    However, I like the Japanese SV.League

    I think that that overall game style of the league fits her, fast sets, short block, long rallies. Olivia played the best seasons of her career before she went abroad both in club and NT, when she went abroad she lost her confidence, wouldn't be a starter and her overall level dropped but I believe that SV.League is a perfect league to get her confidence back and she will shine during NT season

    Quote from mintonette

    Rozanski has always been a lethal attacker. She benefits from having great reception and floor defence from her teammates as well so she can focus on attacking.

    That lethal attacker wasn't there when she was playing in Beşiktaş. She struggled A LOT to kill a ball. That's why her performance in Japan might be misleading if she is considered for NT this summer. However, polish OHs in turkey aren't having great performances so far. Thus rosanski might still get a shot.

    Quote from sean1

    sitenoise who are your standouts for this season so far? local players only, i'm trying to catch up

    I'm not really watching much. Mostly just NEC and Kurobe, and Himeji when Kyoka Ohshima does the setting. I love that girl. It's all about imports now which doesn't interest me. If I try to see any "new" locals that might rise to the NT, NEC's Moeka Kinoe is probably the only one. She's neither young nor rookie but seems to be finally rising to the level of game she promised back in her Uni days


    Momoko Niida is finally getting to show her game but she's got some 'tude issues I think will keep her away from the NT. Gunma has gotten crazy better this year. Olivia is probably my fave import behind Sylvia. I'd watch Gunma more but their other import kinda kills them for me, shouting and being angry about who knows what. I don't want to watch that

    actually the Springs are a surprise to me tight now, solidly in second. Gunma were basically fighting for last last season, and now being 4th, is amazing for them.

    Kitamado and Araki doing decent for the Springs.

    Toray is just incredibly bad with a really young lineup.

    Himeji is better than last year, but slightly underperforming. JT started slow, but now in 3rd place.

    Ageo is underperforming compared to last year, and not in a playoff spot right now (outside the top eight).

    Quote from brahmin

    actually the Springs are a surprise to me tight now, solidly in second. Gunma were basically fighting for last last season, and now being 4th, is amazing for them.

    Kitamado and Araki doing decent for the Springs.

    Toray is just incredibly bad with a really young lineup.

    Himeji is better than last year, but slightly underperforming. JT started slow, but now in 3rd place.

    Ageo is underperforming compared to last year, and not in a playoff spot right now (outside the top eight).

    What do you think is the problem with Denso? They seem to be underperforming despite a strong lineup on paper. I personally think Sabrina is not a match with the team and is causing issues. Also, I think the main setter is not that good.

    Rosamaria is down 5% from last year’s spike percentage alone, 42%-37%.

    Mainly due to the setter switch. Yamaguchi was the starter last year, and Yamazaki is the setter now, and just has not worked. yamazaki came back after taking a year off from Ageo, but not really worked.