In the Nations League Final Round, the Japan men's volleyball team faced Slovenia in the quarterfinals and won 3-0 (17-25, 19-25, 18-25).
First set starting lineup
Japan
OH: Ai Takahashi, Ishikawa
MB: Onodera, Yamauchi
OP: Nishida
S: Sekita
L: Yamamoto
Slovenia
OH: Urnalt, Mozic
MB: Pajenk, Kozamelnik
OP: Chevy
S: Loplet
L: Kovacic
*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, OH Ishikawa scored points one after another with spikes, blocks, and serves, giving Japan a 9-7 lead. However, Slovenia soon tied the score with OH Urnarto and OH Mojic, and the game continued to be close. In the final stages, MB Pajenc's spikes and blocks gave Slovenia the first set point at 23-24, but after a turnaround, OH Ishikawa and OH Takahashi Ai scored consecutive spikes to turn the game around and Japan won at 25-24. Finally, OP Miyaura, who came in as a substitute, made a fine play by grabbing the hand of OH Urnarto's block in the air and throwing the ball out, making it 26-24 for Japan to take the first set.
In the second set, OH Takahashi Ai's good serve, OP Nishida's spike, and the opponent's mistakes all combined to give Japan an 8-3 lead. After that, Japan continued to score points, mainly from OH Ishikawa, to extend their lead to 18-11. Slovenia also narrowed the gap to 19-16 with spikes from OH Urnarut, but MB Yamauchi's block gave Japan a set point at 24-18, and finally OH Takahashi Ai scored a pipe attack to win the set 25-18.
In the third set, Japan took the lead 8-4 with OH Ishikawa's spikes and blocks. Slovenia also closed the gap to 13-12 with OH Urnarut's spikes, but Japan maintained the lead with OH Ishikawa's spikes and MB Onodera's blocks, and took the match point 24-21. Finally, OH Ishikawa scored a spike to win the set 25-22, and Japan won 3-0 against Slovenia.
personal MVP
Japan: OH Ishikawa Yuki
27 points (1 serve, 4 blocks), attack effectiveness rate 54%, serve reception success rate 45%
He scored 27 points in the 3rd set, which means he scored more than 1/3 of the total points, making him the undisputed MVP. His determination to reach the top 4, which was his goal for this tournament, was overflowing from his entire body, and he was at full throttle from the first set. I was worried that he would be found out along the way, but he kept going all out until the end. However, his play itself was calm as usual, and he scored one point after another, mixing in tips and rebounds without his opponents being able to respond. I thought the same thing when watching the Italian league games this season, but Ishikawa can really step up his game in important games. I think this game was a good example of that.
Runner-up: S. Sekita Masahiro (1 point (1 serve))
Slovenia: MB Alen Pajenc
12 points (including 1 block), attack efficiency rate 69%
A veteran middle-back who tormented Japan with his high attack success rate until the end. He supported Slovenia's side-outs while the side attackers' success rate was not improving. Japan's middle-backs were unable to cope with his tall and wide quicks, and his attacks were left to their own devices.
Thoughts etc.
This was the match that determined our goal of reaching the top four in the Nations League.
Unlike the first day of the quarterfinals the previous day, the number of spectators at the start of the match was sparse, probably because most of the fans today were there to watch the second match against the host team Poland.
The match was Ishikawa's show from the start. Even from a slightly distant seat, I could feel his spirit and his determination to make it to the top four. However, Takahashi Ai was not in good form in the first set, and Slovenia's attacks were working well, so the match developed into a close one. Slovenia was ahead by two points at 23-24 thanks to MB Pajenc's great play, and had the first set point, but Ishikawa made a skillful block out to make it 24-24, and then Takahashi Ai scored a back attack with his second touch to turn the game around and make it 25-24!
And the best part was the play by Miyaura, who came in as a relief blocker. He pulled his hand back just before Urnaruto's spike and got the spike out!! According to Miyaura himself after the match, he received advice from Sekita that it was okay to pull back, and when he put it into practice, it worked (if you look back at the video of the match, you can see that right after this play, both players pointed at each other in joy). This play helped Japan win the first set in a close match, so it could be said to be the most key moment of the match. In that sense, I think Sekita and Miyaura were the unsung MVPs of the match.
Even so, the joy shown by Miyaura after this play and by coach Blanc when it was received was incredible (laughs).
After that, it was completely Japan's pace. Ai Takahashi and Nishida recovered, and Japan's serve and block worked well, and they were able to advance the game favorably from start to finish. Slovenia also changed the setter and tried changing the position of the side players in the third set, but it was no use against Japan, who had once got on the roll. In the end, Ishikawa scored a solid pipe attack and won 3-0.
I wasn't too worried about this match because Japan was the favorite, but before I knew it, they were winning 3-0 in straight sets, and from the second set onwards, their play was beyond my imagination. Captain Ishikawa was really fired up. I could feel his determination for this match more than anyone else.
Photo: FIVB
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