The Japanese men's volleyball team played their final warm-up match before the Paris Olympics against world number one Poland, winning 3-2 (23-25, 25-20, 25-19, 23-25, 17-15).
Opposite Nishida Yuji led the team with 28 points, the highest score for both teams. Outside hitter Takahashi Ai, who had been absent due to injury, returned to the game for the first time in a month and scored 21 points, the second highest on the team. However, in the early part of the fourth set, middle blocker Takahashi Kentaro collapsed during play and had to be carried off on a stretcher.
Japan's starting lineup
OP Nishida (28), MB Yamauchi (9), S Sekita, MB Takahashi Kentaro (5), OH Takahashi Ai (21), OH Ishikawa Yuki (20), L Yamamoto
Substitute Entrance
MB Onodera (4), S Fukatsu, OP Miyaura (3), OH Otsuka, OH Kai
Match Report
Set 1
In the early stages, Japan took a 4-2 lead with consecutive points from OH Ai's spikes and blocks. However, Poland quickly turned the game around with two consecutive service aces from OH Leon that knocked away L Yamamoto to make it 4-5. After that, Poland extended their lead to 8-11 with spikes and blocks from OP Krek, but Japan caught up with 11-11 with spikes and blocks from OH Ishikawa. From there, Poland took the lead again with 13-17 from MB Bieniek's service aces, but Japan also caught up with 22-22 with a service ace from OH Ishikawa. However, Japan made a series of mistakes shortly afterwards, making the score 22-24, and finally Poland took the set 23-25 with an error on the serve from relief server OH Kai.
Set 2
Japan took the lead at 5-3 with a service ace from OH Ishikawa, but Poland tied the score at 6-6 due to Japan's mistake. After that, the game went into a battle for side-outs and the score was 12-12, but Japan won consecutive breaks with spikes from OP Nishida and took the lead at 16-13. Poland then closed in at 17-16 with a spike from OP Krek, but Japan pulled away again with a block from OH Ai and a service ace from OP Nishida to make it 23-19, and finally Japan took the set with a service ace from OH Ai, 25-20.
Third set
Poland started off with two blocks from MB Bieniek, giving them a 1-4 lead. But a service ace from OH Ishikawa tied the score at 4-4, and then two consecutive service aces from OP Nishida and OH Ai put Japan ahead at 11-8. Poland also closed in on the lead at 15-14 with a spike and a service ace from MB Bieniek, but a back attack from OH Ishikawa from the left put Japan back in front at 17-14, giving Japan another three-point lead. Then, in the final stages, a service ace from OH Ishikawa and consecutive blocks from the double Takahashi gave Japan four consecutive breaks to make it 24-18, but a Poland service error gave Japan the final score at 25-19.
Fourth set
Poland took a 3-6 lead with consecutive aces from OP Krek and a block from MB Bieniek. During this play, MB Kentaro collapsed and was carried off on a stretcher (MB Onodera entered the court instead). From there, Japan closed in on 13-14 with a spike from OH Ishikawa, but Poland took the lead again with a service ace from OH Fornal, 16-20. Poland made a series of mistakes from there and closed in on 19-20 again, but a quick from the middle worked, and OH Fornal then scored a super cross from OH Ai, followed by a spike himself, giving Poland a 23-25 win.
Set 5
Japan took a 7-5 lead with spikes from OP Nishida, but Poland tied the score at 9-9 with OP Krek's fourth service ace of the day. From there, the game was a battle for side-outs, with Japan scoring mainly with MB Onodera and MB Yamauchi, and Poland scoring mainly with OP Krek. The game then went into deuce. At 16-15, OH Ishikawa, who was in top form that day, served, and L Yamamoto passed the ball to OH Ishikawa, who scored a pipe attack to make it 17-15. Japan won the set, defeating Poland 3-2.
Interview
Photo: Volleyball World, author's photo
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[Distribution date and time]
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September 7th (Saturday) 5pm Men's #4
Saturday, September 14th 5pm Women's #4
(Quoted from TBS TV release)
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