NAGOYA AND AICHI IN DIRECT BATTLE FOR SECOND PLACE

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Two teams on equal win-loss ratios and standing next to each other in the men’s Daido Life SV.League table are set to go head to head this weekend in direct duels for control of the second place. Second-placed Wolfdogs Nagoya will host third-placed JTEKT Stings Aichi on Saturday and Sunday in one of the five 12th-leg double headers coming up in Japan.

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Both Wolfdogs Nagoya and JTEKT Stings Aichi are on a 16-6 win-loss ratio, occupying the second and the third place in the current standings on 48 and 42 points, respectively. If one of the teams wins both matches of their double header this weekend, it will break away in the race for the second place and stay close to table leaders Osaka Bluteon, while the other one is running the risk of dropping below the top three and even below the top four as the next two teams in the standings, Suntory Sunbirds Osaka and Tokyo Great Bears, are not far behind. If Nagoya and Aichi exchange victories, they will maintain their parity in the win-loss ratios and Wolfdogs will continue to edge ahead on points.

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These stellar clashes between the likes of Nimir Abdel-Aziz, Tine Urnaut and Kenta Takanashi on the home side and Kento Miyaura, Torey DeFalco and Ricardo Lucarelli across the net at the Entrio will be the last games on the daily programmes for both Saturday and Sunday, starting at 15:35 local time (06:35 UTC) and at 14:35 (05:35), respectively.

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This will be the second double header between the two squads this season. Back in October, also at the Entrio, Stings achieved two victories, by 3-1 and by 3-2. The overall historic head-to-head record is slightly in favour of Wolfdogs, standing at 11-10 in wins.

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Right below Nagoya and Aichi in the table, placed fourth on 4-16 and 43, defending champions Suntory Sunbirds Osaka will be looking to seize an opportunity to climb up the standings in their home double header against Hiroshima Thunders, running in sixth place on 10-12 and 29. They will open the SV.League weekend on Saturday at 13:05 (04:05). Their second encounter at the Asue Arena Osaka on Sunday will have the same starting time.

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Similarly, Tokyo Great Bears will welcome table trailers Voreas Hokkaido hoping to extract the maximum of these two meetings and stay well in contention for the top spots in the standings. Tokyo are currently fifth on 14-8 and 42, while Voreas are at the bottom, in 10th place on 1-19 and 8. Saturday’s match at the iconic Ariake Coliseum will start at 15:05 (06:05). On Sunday, the first whistle will blow at 14:05 (05:05).

Osaka Bluteon are safe for their leading position for now as they top the standings on 17-3 and 51. They will try to further improve their record as they visit Nippon Steel Sakai Blazers at the Kitakyushu City General Gymnasium on Saturday at 15:05 (06:05) and on Sunday at 13:05 (04:05). Sakai stand seventh on 7-13 and 24.

In a clash within the bottom half of the table, Nagano Tridents will entertain Toray Arrows Shizuoka at the Swan Dome on Saturday at 14:05 (05:05) and on Sunday at 13:05 (04:05). The two teams are neighbours in the standings. Nagano are second from the bottom, in ninth place on 4-16 and 10, while Toray Arrows are just above them, in eighth place on 5-15 and 15.

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Men’s SV.League 2024-2025 12th leg:
Jan 11, 13:05 local (04:05 UTC): Suntory Sunbirds Osaka v Hiroshima Thunders
Jan 11, 14:05 local (05:05 UTC): Nagano Tridents v Toray Arrows Shizuoka
Jan 11, 15:05 local (06:05 UTC): Nippon Steel Sakai Blazers v Osaka Bluteon
Jan 11, 15:05 local (06:05 UTC): Tokyo Great Bears v Voreas Hokkaido
Jan 11, 15:35 local (06:35 UTC): Wolfdogs Nagoya v JTEKT Stings Aichi
Jan 12, 13:05 local (04:05 UTC): Suntory Sunbirds Osaka v Hiroshima Thunders
Jan 12, 13:05 local (04:05 UTC): Nagano Tridents v Toray Arrows Shizuoka
Jan 12, 13:05 local (04:05 UTC): Nippon Steel Sakai Blazers v Osaka Bluteon
Jan 12, 14:05 local (05:05 UTC): Tokyo Great Bears v Voreas Hokkaido
Jan 12, 14:35 local (05:35 UTC): Wolfdogs Nagoya v JTEKT Stings Aichi

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