AGEO AND NEC GO HEAD TO HEAD FOR CONTROL OF THIRD PLACE

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An exciting battle between the two candidates for the third place in the current standings in the women’s Daido Life SV.League in Japan will take place this weekend, February 8 and 9, as Saitama Ageo Medics and NEC Red Rockets Kawasaki go head to head in one of the seven double headers of the 15th leg.

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Last season’s bronze medallists Saitama Ageo Medics are the current residents of the third place in the SV.League table. They stand on an 18-8 win-loss ratio and 55 points. On the same ratio, but just a point shorter, NEC Red Rockets Kawasaki are running fourth. Ageo will welcome NEC to the Ageo Citizen Gymnasium on Saturday and Sunday at 13:05 local time (04:05 UTC).

When the two teams met at the Todoroki Arena in October for the season’s opening weekend, Ageo mastered a straight-set upset of the defending champions in the first match. In the second, the hosts took revenge with a four-set win. The overall historic head-to-head record between the two clubs is pretty balanced as well, with NEC leading by 15-14 in wins. Red Rockets have, however, won five of the six most recent encounters.

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If either Ageo or NEC lose both games of their double header this weekend, they will not only lose control of the third place, but also run the risk of dropping below the fourth, as fifth-place Victorina Himeji are not far behind, on 17-9 and 47. Himeji, on the other hand, are at risk of losing control of the fifth place, which will happen if they fail to win at least one game in their double header at Saga Hisamitsu Springs. Saga are sixth on 17-11 and 53 and will overtake Himeji in the table if they beat them twice this weekend. The matches at the Teruha Sekisui House Arena will serve off at 14:05 (05:05) on both competition days.

Both teams will be keen to bounce back from suffering two defeats each last weekend. Saga will also be keen to get back at Himeji for the two fiercely-fought five-setters they conceded to them in October at the Victorina Wink Gymnasium. Hisamitsu Springs still lead the overall head-to-head record between the two clubs by 7-6 in wins.

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Table leaders Osaka Marvelous will pay a visit to PFU BlueCats Ishikawa Kahoku at the Toriyasaimiso BlueCats Arena for two matches starting at 13:05 (04:05) on Saturday and Sunday. Osaka top the standings on 22-4 and 67, while PFU are in ninth place on 11-17 and 32. It will be the first encounters between the two teams this season.

Denso Airybees Koriyama, who are slightly behind Marvelous in the table, in second place on 21-7 and 65, will also play on the road this weekend. They will travel to the ZIP Arena, where they will be entertained by Okayama Seagulls at 13:05 (04:05) on both competition days of the weekend. Okayama are in 11th place on 9-15 and 28. Airybees and Seagulls have not met this season yet.

The weekend’s SV.League action will get underway with Astemo Rivale Ibaraki hosting Queenseis Kariya at the Ikenokawa Sakura Arena on Saturday at 12:05 (03:05). They will meet again at the same time on Sunday. When they met in January, the two teams exchanged four-set victories. Now Astemo are in seventh place on 15-11 and 43, while Kariya are 10th on 10-16 and 31.

Aranmare Yamagata will host Toray Arrows Shiga at the Yamagata Prefectural Sports Park Arena on Saturday at 14:05 (05:05) and on Sunday at 13:05 (04:05). In their previous double header in October, hosts Toray Arrows produced two four-set wins. Now they stand eighth on 14-14 and 40. Aranmare are second from the bottom, in 13th place on 4-24 and 13.

Table trailers Gunma Green Wings will look for their first win of the season as they visit Kurobe Aqua Fairies at the Ariso Dome on Saturday and Sunday at 13:05 (04:05). When Gunma hosted Kurobe in the fall, the visitors swept the first match in straight sets and won the second by 3-1. Gunma are in 14th place on 0-24 and 2. Kurobe are two spots above them, in 12th place on 10-18 and 28.

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Women’s SV.League 2024-2025 15th leg:
Feb 08, 12:05 local (03:05 UTC): Astemo Rivale Ibaraki v Queenseis Kariya
Feb 08, 13:05 local (04:05 UTC): PFU BlueCats Ishikawa Kahoku v Osaka Marvelous
Feb 08, 13:05 local (04:05 UTC): Okayama Seagulls v Denso Airybees Koriyama
Feb 08, 13:05 local (04:05 UTC): Saitama Ageo Medics v NEC Red Rockets Kawasaki
Feb 08, 13:05 local (04:05 UTC): Kurobe Aqua Fairies v Gunma Green Wings
Feb 08, 14:05 local (05:05 UTC): Aranmare Yamagata v Toray Arrows Shiga
Feb 08, 14:05 local (05:05 UTC): Saga Hisamitsu Springs v Victorina Himeji
Feb 09, 12:05 local (03:05 UTC): Astemo Rivale Ibaraki v Queenseis Kariya
Feb 09, 13:05 local (04:05 UTC): PFU BlueCats Ishikawa Kahoku v Osaka Marvelous
Feb 09, 13:05 local (04:05 UTC): Okayama Seagulls v Denso Airybees Koriyama
Feb 09, 13:05 local (04:05 UTC): Saitama Ageo Medics v NEC Red Rockets Kawasaki
Feb 09, 13:05 local (04:05 UTC): Kurobe Aqua Fairies v Gunma Green Wings
Feb 09, 13:05 local (04:05 UTC): Aranmare Yamagata v Toray Arrows Shiga
Feb 09, 14:05 local (05:05 UTC): Saga Hisamitsu Springs v Victorina Himeji

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