On the final day of the Paris Olympic Qualifiers/World Cup Volleyball 2023 Men's Tournament, the Japanese national team faced the United States and lost 2-3 (19-25, 25-22, 25-19, 23-25, 12-15).
First set starting lineup
Japan
OH: Otsuka, Tomita
MB: Yamauchi, Evadedan
OP: Miyaura
S: Ryu Yamamoto
L: Ogawa
America
OH: Jaskier, Muagtutia
MB: Avril, Smith
OP: Anderson
S: Christenson
L: Shoji
*Positions: OH = outside hitter, MB = middle blocker, OP = opposite, S = setter, L = libero
The stats for this match areHere
Match Report
In the first set, Japan took the lead 8-6 with a block from MB Everdedan and an attack from OP Miyaura. However, the USA took the lead 10-11 with two consecutive breaks from OP Anderson's serve, and Japan made more mistakes, leading to a 12-16 lead. In the final stages, the USA took the lead 17-23 with a service ace from MB Everil and a spike from OP Anderson, and finally the USA took the set 19-25 with a quick from MB Smith.
In the second set, the US started with S. Maa, OP. Enshin, and L. D'Agostino. In the early stages, the US took a 5-8 lead with spikes and blocks from OH. Muagtutia. However, Japan also gradually broke through with spikes from OP. Miyaura, OH. Otsuka, and OH. Tomita, who were digging from L. Ogawa and others, and succeeded in turning the game around to 15-14. Furthermore, a service ace from OP. Miyaura and consecutive spikes from Ishikawa, who came in as an opposite after a substitution, widened the gap to 21-18. In the final stages, OP. Miyaura was caught by a block from MB. Evril, and the score was reduced to 23-22, but OH. Otsuka scored a spike from a perfect serve receive by OH. Takahashi. Ai, who entered the game as a substitute, to get the set point, and finally OH. Otsuka scored a service ace to win the set 25-22.
In the third set, Japan, led by OH Tomita, and USA, led by OH Jeski, scored points early on and went up 9-9. From there, OH Otsuka's attacks and opponents' mistakes put Japan ahead at 15-11. OH Otsuka's efforts further widened the gap to 19-13, but Japan's mistakes continued and the gap narrowed slightly to 21-18. However, OP Miyaura's sharp service ace on a tricky course made the score 23-18, and OH Tomita scored from a set by OH Takahashi Ai, who entered the game as a substitute, to make it 24-19, and finally MB Yamauchi made a block to make it 25-19, and Japan took this set as well.
In the fourth set, the USA took a large lead from the beginning, 5-9, with spikes and blocks from MB Jendrick and MB Smith, who were in the starting lineup from this set. In the middle of the set, Japan made a break with a spike from OP Miyaura, two consecutive service aces, and a spike from OH Kai, who came in as a substitute, to turn the game around and take the lead 20-17. However, the USA took the lead again with four consecutive breaks from OH Jeski's serve, 20-22, and with that score difference, the USA took the set back with a spike from OH Muagtutia, 23-25.
In the fifth set, the USA took the score to 1-3 with a spike and block from MB Jendrick, but Japan quickly caught up with OP Miyaura's consecutive spikes to make it 4-4. However, the USA made consecutive blocks from MB Jendrick's serve, and the USA took a sudden lead of 5-9. Japan managed to break the score with spikes from OP Miyaura and OH Kai, closing the gap to 12-13, but in the end, MB Jendrick scored a spike to give the USA the score of 12-15, and Japan lost to the USA 2-3.
TOSHIKI'S MVP
Japan: OP Kento Miyaura
27 points (4 serves, 1 block), attack efficiency rate 36.361 TP 3T
Most points scored by either team. He continued to score alone from the beginning of the match when the other Japanese attackers struggled to score, and supported the team with his left arm until the end. In this match in particular, while there were many instances where setter Yamamoto's sets were unstable, he skillfully continued to attack by mixing soft and hard depending on the situation, and he also hit sharp serves into tricky spots, producing a lot of aces. In this way, he fully demonstrated his ability as a starter, but on the other hand, there were many instances where he was reliant on Miyaura in a negative sense, and this match made us feel the need to improve the overall team.
USA: MB Jeffrey Gendrick
6 points (2 of which were blocks), attack effectiveness rate 80%
He was the key player who changed the flow of the match. He took to the court in the fourth set and scored points with quick plays and blocks at key moments, and in the fifth set he used his own serve to score consecutive breaks, turning the tide in America's favor.
Thoughts etc.
Today, I was able to watch the game on-site again!!
As both teams had already qualified for the Paris Olympics with the results of the previous day, this day's match was, so to speak, a dead giveaway. Dead giveaways tend not to be very entertaining in general, so I was worried whether I would be able to see anything worth the price of the ticket, but when I saw it, it was the most entertaining and entertaining match I've ever seen!
First of all, Miyaura, who played in Poland last season and whom I interviewed more than anyone else, played a great game. He scored a lot of goals. In the Paris Olympic qualifiers, he was mostly used as a one-point player and didn't have much playing time, so it was great to see him go wild at the end in Japan. As expected, he was a starter in the VNL, contributing to the team's first defeat of Brazil in 30 years and their first bronze medal at the World Championships in 46 years, and you could feel the difference in his ability compared to the other reserve side attackers.
I was especially thrilled by his spike on the fourth point of the fifth set. He also showed us some sharp aces on his serve, which he is good at, hitting them in the corners and on the sidelines. I was thinking to myself, "Show me at least three aces!" and it seems my voice was heard as he scored four aces, including one extra one. The course of his spikes and serves was really intense.
Also, setter Yamamoto Ryu's play was not very stable that day, with many sets where the antenna was not extended or was low, but he was still able to match those balls well, scoring points and getting rebounds, and I felt that he had grown in that area as well.
I felt that the difference in the setter was one of the factors that determined the outcome of this match. After all, Christensen and Maa, who is on the reserve team, are both experienced players, having led their Turkish team to the semi-finals of the European Champions League. It seemed like that difference was big. However, Yamamoto will also gain experience in Romania from next season and will surely return to the Japanese national team next year having grown even more.
Another player who stood out was libero Ogawa. His serve reception was stable, and he also picked up a lot of digs. There were many scenes where I thought, "Wow! ... Ogawa!!" He also has experience as a setter, so he sets the ball high and cleanly, which is easy to hit. I really think there is almost no difference between him and Yamamoto Tomohiro, just like the opposite positions. I wonder if it's a matter of compatibility with Ishikawa and Ai in terms of play.
Otsuka also showed outstanding performance in spikes, serves, and receptions. He was a reliable player who hit high balls well to score. I guess the Rakunan duo was effective here. However, I wish he had a stronger presence in blocking. At 195cm, he is the second tallest outside hitter after Kai, so I hope that will become one of his weapons in the future.
It was fun to watch Tomita, Larry and Kai play. Outside hitter Tomita was good on defense and Kai was good on offense, but Tomita in particular needs to improve on offense. Go for it! I would have liked to see Kai start the game. Larry was suddenly benched, but he should be able to do more, so go for it! Yamauchi was also able to get some blocking touches at key moments, but it was a shame that his combination with Ryu didn't work out.
And the surprise was the use of bench members. Usually, in the dead games, the starters are not allowed to play on the court to rest, but in this game, Ishikawa and Sekita were used as substitutes, and Ai was used as a receiver from the relief server.
How luxurious! Lol
When Ishikawa entered the court, the crowd was excited, and the court seemed to tighten up and the energy was filled. Ishikawa was in an opposite position, which was unfamiliar to him, and he was checking his position when receiving the serve until the very last moment, which was a fresh experience for him (laughs). Setter Sekita and the ironclad Ai were also very reassuring. They were really reliable.
I think they were using reserve players to win, but it must have been a very pleasant surprise for the fans! For me, it was like a festival and I had a lot of fun! (laughs)
However, as mentioned above, the match was lost in a full set. The last point at the end of the fifth set was far away. Although the players were also reserves for the US national team, most of them were veterans with experience in top-level leagues such as Italy, Poland, and Turkey, so it seemed like the difference in experience was evident.
Even though it was just a dead game, it was still frustrating to end the game with a loss. Especially since Miyaura had scored so many goals and played so well in that match, I wish we had been able to win the game thanks to his efforts.
No matter how well an individual performs, it's meaningless unless the team wins in team sports. A player is only a real player if he can make the team win. Ishikawa became like that in Italy last season, and has become a player who can make the Japanese national team win. If more players like this come out, Japan will become even stronger.
Anyway, I'm really glad that I was selected to compete in the Paris Olympics, and I'm so glad that I was able to come to the venue for the last two days and watch such great matches!! Also, I'd like to thank everyone I met at the venue and everyone who spoke to me!
This year's national team season started with the first victory in 30 years against Brazil in the VNL, the first World Championship medal in 46 years, the Asian Championship victory entirely away from home, and the qualification for the Paris Olympics. I was very fortunate to be able to watch all the important matches on site. It was a really special season for me.
I would like to continue to grow as a person so that I don't lose to everyone at Ryujin Nippon!!!
Congratulations and thank you Ryujin Nippon!!!
See you next year!!!
Final standings
1. USA 7 wins, 0 losses, 20 points ★
2. Japan 5 wins, 2 losses, 16 points ★
3. Slovenia 5 wins, 2 losses, 15 points
4. Türkiye: 4 wins, 3 losses, 11 points
5. Serbia 3 wins, 4 losses, 9 points
6. Finland: 2 wins, 5 losses, 7 points
7. Egypt 2 wins, 5 losses, 5 points
8. Tunisia 0 wins, 7 losses, 1 point
★Qualified for the Paris Olympics
Photo: FIVB
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