Posts by sitenoise

theloneracer wrote:

If I recall correctly, Hisamitsu only loss to JT was when they were without Akinradewo in the early part of the season.

True. A magnificent 5 setter

Hisamitsu is on a different level, and clearly the favorite. That's why it will be fun, and likely make my heart race a little, rooting for some other team--who's playing well--to win

In addition to the Final 3 next weekend there is also the:

CHALLENGE MATCH (to see who gets the 12th spot in Division 1 next season)

Sat 30 March

16:00 PFU BlueCats v JA Gifu Rioreina

Sun 31 March

16:00 PFU BlueCats v JA Gifu Rioreina

Watching the Gifu matches this season they look like the better team to me, BUT I've only seen them play other V2 teams, not Hisamitsu and etc.

Hisamitsu pulled a Himeji against NEC with two come from behind set wins followed by a beat down. Winners do that a lot. No stream for it so I watched a web page update the score. (N K just posted the match in uncharacteristic poor resolution--not worth watching).

The only other time I can recall JT playing without Brankica they used Kurihara in her place. That didn't change the equation at all in terms of floor coverage. Last night JT went with Kitsui (19/50) ,and they looked like Okayama out there. JT was digging everything, saving all the pinball machine plays, the tips, the flips, and the dips. They even got in some block coverage! A totally different team. Makes me wish Japan would outlaw Defensive Liabilities and just play Japanese ball. It's so much more fun to watch.

Toray looked awful in the first two sets, dead to the world. JT was frustrating them deeply, not letting them score. But as I've been saying for weeks now, Toray has this winner's mentality, where they are oblivious to the score and just play like they are on their way to a win. It's admirable. Winners don't play the score, they play the point. Toray hung in there and then put the clampers on in the Tie-Break. It's going to be a different game next weekend when JT has Brankica--assuming she's not injured or ill and just took the night off--but it feels like Toray has the wind at their back.

I love this story. Toray could have Euro-commented the heck out of the unfair pool draw (if we can call the East/West Conference divide a Pool Draw). But they chose the alternative: WIN MATCHES. Of course I'm just making that up but remember: Toray finished 4th in the West which netted them zero gift points for the Final 8. They would have finished 1st in the East and brought six with them. So based on that, and Nanami Seki's awesomeness, I want Toray to win it all

I couldn't stay awake for the Denso/Saitama match--it didn't start until almost 1:00am my time--but it looks like it was a fun one.

Jaja (18/28, 5 blocks), Kyōko "pajamas' Aoyagi 9/11, 2 blocks, 1 ace). Keti was only (25/58, 4 blocks)--not a lot of swings for a 5 setter, so I'm also giving props to The Great Distributor Misaki Inoue even though I haven't seen the match yet

On the Denso side Sinéad went (14/28, 7 blocks). Nothing else on the Denso stats remotely suggests Denso won the match

I want Eda to win. and gum chewers to lose

Sun 24 March 2019 Results Day 8/8 Final 8 Stage Final Finale

JT outplayed a dreary looking Toray, with a surprising result.

Final 8 Finish:

Here's what the Final 8 Finish without Gift Points would have looked like:

NEC

No idea. I think everyone partied too much last night. All of Toray looked pretty pale

A Brankica-less JT and Toray heading to Tie Break

I can't believe that in the midst of The Apocalypse this N K youtuber has uploaded almost every match of the season in in wonderful 1080--the good/important matches often hours after they are finished.

So I just got to watch the Toray v Toyota match from last night in HD.

A couple observations:

1) It's been explained to me about nine times and I still don't get it: Targeting an OH on serve to reduce her likelihood of an attack. I read about it all the time in the Euro-Threads.

Sure. if you put her stomach on the floor with the serve, good move. But just bringing her to her knees doesn't look like much of a deterrent (allowing that there's a slight difference for a 173cm vs 193cm person getting up from their knees). One Euro-comment suggested that even just making the receiver bend her knees was enough to take her out of the play. WT-lol-F? If the reception is routine it seems like an advantage for the receiver because she has some inside scoop on timing. Isn't this one reason everyone wants their best OHs to also be receivers? If you don't want them caught in the trap just hide them.

Toyota totally targeted Kurogo in the match (instead of the 98 pound teenage rookie, Rena Mizusugi, who just joined the club (and who, for my money, looks like she is going to improve Toray).

• Jana Kulan: 23/63, 2 errors; zero receptions
• Ai Kurogo: 23/50, 2 errors; 54 receptions, 28 Excellents, 13 "into the power Goods" (whatever they are)
• Rena Mizusugi: 6 receptions, 3 Excellents, 3 "into the power Goods" (whatever they are)

2) Nanami Seki uses her middle blockers in transition for the HULK SMASH. A lot. It's beautiful

Sat 23 March 2019 Results Day7/8 Final 8 Stage

Toray MBs - Nanami Inoue (11/19, 2 blocks) and Erina Ogawa (7/11, 1 block, 2 Aces). Who are they? Inoue's numbers are almost identical to Foluke's in this Final 8.

Hitachi beat JT in the Regular Round. It's of no real consequence to JT unless it ignites their self-perpetuating loser mentality. That will be a disadvantage against a team that feels like winning is natural--which is what Toray is feeling right now. JT/Toray will have a warmup match tomorrow (for--temporary--2nd place) before they play the Final 3 next week.

Hitachi played Ruriko Uesaka instead of Miwako Osanai. Excellent! A very fun match.

Sun 24 MAR 2019

11:00 NEC Red Rockets v Hisamitsu Springs

13:30 JT Marvelous v Toray Arrows

16:00 Saitama Ageo Medics v Denso Airybees

Peak Toray

18-25 25-19 17-25 23-25

TOYOTA 1–3 TORAY

They entered the Final 8 with zero gift points and just clinched a spot in the Final 3 with two no-name middle blockers HULK SMASHING it. Seki Rules!

Sads for Toyota . Congrats to Toray

Just showed up on the betting site

Toray up 2-1

Looks like Toyota is still without has their Captain

Toray is peaking. 25-18 over Toyota Set 1

No streams to see it

Turnabout's fair play , Toyota 25-19 over Toray Set 2

NEC Eliminated

I almost can't watch this. Everyone on NEC looks like they should be using a cane

NEC v Saitama:

Where did Rhamat get all that hair? Cool look!

brahmin wrote:

How can you suck at reception and lead in kill%? Neriman is your #1 spiker so she is getting a lot of attempts and putting the ball to the floor.

I was riddling myself about Toray. They have Jana swinging a lot but they also have three others with a better kill% than Neriman in this Final 8 -- a bit skewed by Nanami Inoue's recent 9 of 11 game. Not a lot of swings but it boosts the % greatly.

I'm feeling it for Toray. Good luck to both teams tonight.

I'm not feeling it for being able to watch the match, however. The V.League site doesn't have it listed as even being broadcast on the home page

There's an odd "For violation of the duty on the venue secure 2018-19V.LEAGUE V · Final stage" apology in the V.League news feed. Maybe they forgot to book a stadium for the Final Matches

Toyota v Toray tomorrow night is huge for Toyota. If Toyota loses they are done. If they win they are not necessarily in the Final 3 but at least they'll have a few more hours to agonize over their fate.

I'm not a Toray fan but they deserve some props. They are peaking right now. Good time for it. Jana Kulan is a big part of it, not only scoring but blocking. She's tall AF and playing good ball.

But riddle me this ... Toray finished the Regular Round 3rd from the bottom in reception and 1st in Kill%. At present that is where they stand in the Final 8--3rd from the bottom in reception and 1st in Kill%. How do you explain that? Probably a number of ways but one of them is Nanami Seki. She's got her two middle-blockers in the top 4 of kill% and two of her swingers in the top 15--Ai Kurogo is not one of them and Mari Horikawa isn't playing. Damn.

Toray hasn't accomplished anything yet. All they've done is beat the weeny East teams, and lost to Hisamitsu. So scheduling has given them some lift. Depending on which Toyota shows up tomorrow night, I think the wind is in Toray's favor. JT Marvelous the next night will be tougher.

Of course ... I'd like to see Toray eliminate Toyota to get them out of the way, and then lose to JT so NEC can swoop in after beating Saitama and kick some Hisamitsu ass. It's possible The path to Gold is there if NEC wants it (and Toray plays along).

Sat 23 MAR 2019

11:00 NEC Red Rockets v Saitama Ageo Medics

13:30 Toyota Body Queens v Toray Arrows

16:00 JT Marvelous v Hitachi Rivale

Sun 24 MAR 2019

11:00 NEC Red Rockets v Hisamitsu Springs

13:30 JT Marvelous v Toray Arrows

16:00 Saitama Ageo Medics v Denso Airybees

Highlights from the end of the V1 Challenge Stage

Sat 16 MAR

Kurobe AquaFairies v PFU BlueCats 3–1

Sun 17 MAR

Okayama Seagulls v PFU BlueCats 3–0

Highlights from the third week of the FINAL 8

Sat 16 MAR 2019

NEC Red Rockets v Denso Airybees (0–3) ... 19-25 17-25 19-25 Stats

Hisamitsu Springs v Saitama Ageo Medics (3–2) ... 20-25 25-18 23-25 25-17 15-10 Stats

Hitachi Rivale v Toray Arrows (0–3) ... 17-25 15-25 16-25 Stats

JT Marvelous v Toyota Body Queens (3–0) ... 25-20 25-22 26-24 Stats

Sun 17 MAR 2019

NEC Red Rockets v Hitachi Rivale (3–2) ... 23-25 18-25 25-15 25-12 15-11 Stats

Hisamitsu Springs v JT Marvelous (3–0) ... 25-18 25-22 25-16 Stats

Denso Airybees v Toray Arrows (1–3) ... 25-22 19-25 23-25 15-25 Stats

Saitama Ageo Medics v Toyota Body Queens (0–3) ... 17-25 26-28 17-25 Stats