On the second day of the second week of the Nations League, the Japanese men's volleyball team played against Cuba and won 3-0 (25-21, 25-16, 25-21). After the match, we asked Japan's middle blocker, Akihiro Yamauchi, to give us some comments.
-How was today's game?
Yamauchi: We played against Cuba at the World Championships last year, and I was very impressed by their high blocks, spikes, and powerful attacks. We tried not to lose, so we started by breaking down their defense with our serves, transitions, and our passes were good, so it was great to be able to get side-outs one by one from those points, and I think it was easy for us to create a rhythm.
-Your serve was outstanding in yesterday's match against Canada, but today you also scored 8 points in attacks, with an 80% success rate, which was fantastic. What was the reason for your particularly good quick attacks today?
Yamauchi: Yes, I played horrible as a middle player yesterday. I didn't make any blocks, and I couldn't make any quick shots. I think I was able to contribute with my serve, but I'm the type of player who wants to score quick points and create rhythm, so today he gave me the toss at a good time and I was able to score without much stress, so I think it was easier for me to create rhythm and get fired up, or how should I put it? It's a little difficult to explain, but I think I was able to play with more fighting spirit and that influenced the team in a good direction, so I want to continue making quick attacks like today, and if I can contribute more with blocks, I think I can make more breaks with good transitions, so I think that tomorrow, in the next game in Brazil, it will be a very tough game, but I hope that many people will be able to see how well our volleyball works in such situations.
- Tomorrow's opponent is Brazil, and I think you will be facing some very strong middle blockers such as Lucas and Flavio. Can you say anything about that?
Yamauchi: He's not my goal, but I respect him and he's a great player. We're different styles, but I've watched a lot of footage of him thinking I might be able to steal some of his techniques. So I'm really happy to be able to go up against a player I respect, and I'm really looking forward to it as it'll be an opportunity to test how well I can do.
How to watch Nations League 2023
All Japan matches in the Nations League 2023 will be broadcast live on BS-TBS,U-NEXTandVolley TVBut it's being broadcast live.
We recommend U-NEXT, which can be viewed for free using the free trial.!
To apply for a 31-day free trial, click the banner below.
U-NEXTandVolley TVFor details, please refer to the following article.
Let's support Ryujin Nippon through the live broadcast!!!
Photo: Author
Photo book "CATCH ××× DREAM" featuring Ryujin Nippon's three players Ishikawa, Takahashi, and Nishida will be released on June 5th! ↓
English 
Japanese