Posts by Zack Fair

    Osaka Marvelous signed Koyumi Fukumura


    https://www.jti.co.jp/sports/m…s/2024/2502_01/index.html

    They have so many OHs now. It’s more fun tho because there seems to be an internal competition on who gets to play alongside Hayashi or who will replace Tanaka, who might be retiring soon that’s why they’re stacked with OHs. Their scrimmages must be pretty intense.


    I wonder if they’ll bring in a true local OP. I dont think Ameze is happy about being a backup OP :rolll:

    Aki Momii was apparently dropped/changed by her club team in Greece due to her performance there. Marte of DOM is their new setter.

    Makes me wonder if she'll sign with a SVLeague team again next season and where.

    What’s happening to her? She really went downhill after Tokyo

    Tsukuba girls are at it :box:

    Are there any promising tall or talented new setters?

    Momii 🙂‍↕️ THE V.League champion rookie setter. She could’ve been the one in Imoco/Italy/Turkey. Girl can surely block those Euro OHs.


    I hope she redeems herself just like Kurogo is doing now.

    Or, she can also go to Himeji to be an Opp there 🤣


    Sanspo article mentioned her going to SVLeague. Other 2006 key players Omori and Nishimura are rumored to go to University.

    Oh yeaahh I forgot about Himeji! I guess she doesn’t wanna be Wada-fied in JT so it’s etiher Himeji (OPP) or NEC (OH). But I’m sure her mom’s gonna help her choose the best option given her connections in Himeji and experience in JT, NEC, and Hisamitsu hahahhaha

    Here’s the highlights of Haruko Finals:

    https://sportsbull.jp/p/1972216/


    Miku Akimoto is a monster. There’s no doubt she’s the next face of Japan Women’s NT. She plays all positions except libero and setter.


    Now I’m confused what her role will be in the pros and senior NT because she also receives. I know she’s an OPP in the U-NT but there’s currently a lack of tall total package, i.e, tall OH. Plus, there’s already plenty of contenders for the OPP spot—Kurogo, Valdes, Wada, Furukawa, Chuganji etc.


    I’m sure she won’t be a middle because they don’t wanna waste her ability to score OOS.


    As for her future club, if she’ll be an OPP, I think she’ll go to JT. If she’ll be an OH, she’ll be in NEC and replace Ajcharaporn and become their next Koga.

    Why she was never called when she was peaking (the year they played JT in the Final) I'll never understand

    IKR her reception rate has been at a solid >60% since ‘19-‘20. Now, it’s just around 43.6% but it’s still great considering the top receivers currently only have ~40% reception rate which is weird :what:


    Well, I guess it’s because she doesn’t do pipe attacks. Okayama’s system seems pretty old/traditional/conservative, making it harder for their players to fit with “modern” volleyball. Something’s also different about their form and technique, especially their setters. I had a feeling that Ferhat Akbas didn’t like Miyashita because of this.

    I didn’t notice that the league had shifted to having more terminating local OPs. It used to be support/defensive role, except for Nagaoka. Now, they have Kurogo (sometimes), Wada, Furukawa, Valdes, Nonaka (sometimes), Hawi, Tanaka, and Yoshitake. Akimoto and Chuganji are next in line. I have a feeling that Akimoto will go to JT.


    On the flipside, there’s now a shortage of young, tall, and “complete” OHs.

    Valdes and this nepobaby


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    Kurogo’s been doing pretty well in the JVL. She has highest attack rate among the local OPs right now so she might reclaim her spot but she’s a receiving OP in Ageo. I feel like they’ll move away from using a receiving OP. Airi Furukawa is another OP prospect, currently ranked 3rd among local wingers in attack rate. I wish she’s an OH, which Toray tries at times, but her reception and floor defense are lacking so they use her as OP more often than as an OH. Hayashi could play as an OH in the NT and sub for Mayu. I wouldn’t want them on court together cuz it’d make it too easy for the Euro OPs to dominate. If it’s against Thailand and other lower-tier Western teams, then maybe it’s fine.


    Kurogo hits in the open sometimes so they might consider as OH but I don’t think she’d take on the challenge and the pressure. Nishikawa seems like a lost cause and you can see from her performance in JT that she herself is upset about it. Kitamado is firey at times but I don’t see star quality in her tbh but it’s too early to judge I guess. Inoue’s doing pretty good scoring-wise but bad at reception. That’s not what you want if there will no longer be a receiving OP in the NT.


    All in all, I haven’t come across a tall, young OH like when I first saw Koga in 2015, not strong but very smart and dexterous.



    MVP - Yoshino Sato

    Is this the beginning of her surpassing Koga? I wonder who will take the OH1 spot between her and Ajcharaporn now that Koga has retired. If it’s her, could she be Japan’s next OH1? I can’t think of any other standout tall OH1 that would work well with Mayu, unless Inoue will still play for the NT. I’m concerned that U21 World Champion OH1 Mayu won’t work against the senior powerhouses. Well, it did work tho against Thailand and SoKor with KYK back in AVC 2019 so who knows?