At the 2023 Asian Championships (venue: Urmia, Iran), the Japanese men's volleyball team faced Uzbekistan in their second group match and won 3-0 (25-8, 25-19, 25-13).
After the game, outside hitter Tatsunori Otsuka gave us some comments.
-How do you feel looking back on today's game?
Otsuka: The team members have changed completely, and some people are in the starting lineup for the first time in an official national team match, so I made a conscious effort to take the lead on the court, proactively creating a good atmosphere, leading the team and encouraging others to keep going.
-How did it feel to be on the court for the senior national team alongside Ryu Yamamoto, your teammate at Rakunan High School?
Otsuka: I'm really happy, and I think that we're able to work together like this as a result of both of us having worked hard at what we do up to this point, so I wouldn't say that I have any special feelings about it, but I do think that this opportunity to work together like this is proof of what we've done up until now, so in that sense I'm really glad that we've been able to work together while competing with each other.
-Please say a few words about the upcoming final tournament.
Otsuka: We can't afford to lose. No matter who our opponent is, they'll all be playing against Japan in the Nations League, so I think all the teams will come in with the determination to go all out and take on the challenge. I want to sense that and not become passive, so we want to keep attacking and play our own style of volleyball.
[Re-upload] After the match against Uzbekistan in the Asian Championship # Tatsunobu Otsuka Player Comments ① # Volleyball #Ryujin NIPPON pic.twitter.com/I7NQrkEq6F
— TOSHIKI (@toshikit71) August 26, 2023
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