Mika Shibata and Karen Moriki are retiring.
Ana Luiza Rudiger is leaving.
My reading of Karen Moriki's bye-bye is that she isn't "retiring". I hope she isn't. It'll be hard to return to Hamamatsu tho. Their new setter is good
Mika Shibata and Karen Moriki are retiring.
Ana Luiza Rudiger is leaving.
My reading of Karen Moriki's bye-bye is that she isn't "retiring". I hope she isn't. It'll be hard to return to Hamamatsu tho. Their new setter is good
"Interview" with Ferhat where he word salads a lot and says nothing
My money quote would be
Quote"no longer a question of bridging a technical or physical gap, but rather of making a mental leap"
except it's vague, like all the rest. I'm just hoping he means something like I mean = swing like you fucking mean it
He mentions "modern volleyball" whatever that means, but I want him to comment specifically on Middle Work and if he's hired anyone to specifically address it, whether the Euro OP worship thing is appropriate for Japan, what he thinks the setters need help with and if he's hired someone to specifically address any issues, whether he's looking for "ace" volleyball, or combination
In addition to his strengths as a coach, which seem to be nada at this point, he's a big bag of hot air who blabs a lot and says nothing. Does he really think he's a motivational speaker who's going to perk up the players with his charm?
Omg
She played the game of her career and Ferhat just happened to be watching
"Takayuki Kaneko, manager/coach for 2 seasons and manager for 7 seasons (2016-2025) "
Manager = Head Coach
Kurowashiki Final Results and Awards
GOLD |
Tsukuba |
SILVER |
Breath Hamamatsu |
Bronze |
Kinrankai |
-- | -- |
4th |
Kurashiki |
5th | Aoyama Gakuen
Forest Leaves Tokyo Sunbeams Viale Hyogo |
Awards
MVP |
Tsukuba |
|
Fighting Spirit |
Breath Hamamatsu |
|
Best 6 |
Rin Honda |
Tsukuba |
|
Breath Hamamatsu |
|
|
Tsukuba |
|
|
Kinrankai |
|
|
Tsukuba |
|
|
Kyomi Hayakawa |
Breath Hamamatsu |
Best Libero |
Kinrankai |
|
Best Newcomer |
Yuzuki Baba |
Kinrankai |
Kinrankai does it. I'm happy for them and their Shenanigan Ball shenanigans but I really wanted Kurashiki to win because they have three players I really like. I don't know Kinrankai well enough to love anyone beyond Yuzuki
This is getting hairy. Kinrankai was executing so well (up by 5) but seems to have dropped the ball on the back nine here
13 - 13
14–14
Tsukuba gets the Crown while Kinrankai is going for a reverse sweep into bronze. Tie Breaker starting now
Breath Hamamatsu did pretty well for being without their best all around player: Leirelainy Saito de Andrade (Leire)
I'm speculating she joins Denso. She's got Brazilian blood and it wouldn't make sense for her to ditch Hamamatsu for another V2 team. She must have hopes and aspirations, and I'll bet an ear in Denso world
I don't mind the Kurowashiki being passed on to the Tier Two Teams. Been some good matches, but Kinrankai needs explain what the heck they are doing. They started a freshman setter tonight who didn't even play in yesterday's match where three different players played setter, two of whom stayed on court at OH/OP and took 35 swings between them. Talk about Shenanigan Ball
Kurowashiki Final and 3rd place match starting now at the same time
Final: Tsukuba v Breath Hamamatsu
Bronze: Kurashiki v Kinrankai
Tsukuba picked it up and Kurashiki completely fell apart so half the school equation is going to the Final
Kurowashiki handled Set 1 easy. See if they can keep it up. They're playing well in this tournament. Setter, Kyoka Ohshima, is the most aggressive setter on the planet. In the Regular Season, 25 matches, she went 73/184 @39.7%
Kurowashiki SFs
Tsukuba – Kurashiki 11:00am JST:
Kinrankai – Hamamatsu 14:00 JST:
Would be cool, and it's a little likely, if this Final comes down to a HS team v a Uni team. We can then revisit the age old question of whether or not the best HS teams are better than the best Uni teams
Kurowashiki Quarterfinals
11:00am JST
Tsukuba – Viale Hyogo
Kurashiki – Forest Leaves
14:00pm JST
Kinrankai – Aoyama
Hamamatsu – Sunbeams
Streaming https://www.youtube.com/@osaka-volleyball/streams
Lots of good matches last night. Viale Hyogo the big surprise. My Yamanashi Chuo Bank Sporting Bears didn't advance They've lost a couple players. Poor Shujitsu drew the death Pool
It's weird the schools and club teams are in 2025-26 mode while the V2 teams are still 2024-25. It's all fucked up at volleybox where for example, someone like Koto Monta who graduated Tsukuba and is playing for Gunma now will get credit for playing this Kurowashiki Tournament because it's in the database as a 2024-25 Tournament. The reverse is true for school and club newcomers. They won't get credit for playing the tournament unless we back date them
Tanaka's been up and down and all around through her many years but she's got champion blood in her. Nobody on NEC is playing with her confidence
I hate when balls land in front of the 3 point line. I hate it
sato can't score again
yeah, does not bode well for her upcoming summer festivities
This is not as embarrassing as last night but NEC is clearly outmatched
I wouldn't play Wada over Larrayna right now
A libero battle which Nishizaki is winning handily but this is improvement for Daikuzono
Nice camera work zooming in close on them when they hit the floor
Hey, this is Clayton Lucas, right? Or that other guy? He just said "Oh my goodness me"