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SV.League regular season winners Osaka Marvelous (source: svleague.jp)
The top four teams of the final regular season standings lived up to their ranking and moved swiftly through their quarterfinal playoffs to fight on for the inaugural crown in the revamped women’s Daido Life SV.League in Japan. In the upcoming best-of-three semifinal playoffs, set to take place on Friday, on Saturday and potentially on Sunday, Osaka Marvelous will host Denso Airybees Koriyama, while NEC Red Rockets Kawasaki will welcome Saga Hisamitsu Springs.
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Osaka Marvelous v Denso Airybees Koriyama
The Panasonic Arena will set the stage for the semifinal series between hosts Osaka Marvelous and Denso Airybees Koriyama. The first match between these two teams will open the semifinal playoffs on Friday, April 25, at 18:05 local time (09:05 UTC). Osaka and Denso will meet again on Saturday at 16:05 (07:05), and if the series is tied at one win each, a deciding third game on Sunday at 14:05 (05:05) will determine who advances to the final.
Spearheaded by Belgian opposite Lise Van Hecke and Japanese favorites like Kotona Hayashi and Ameze Miyabe, and steered by coach Daisuke Sakai, Osaka dominated the regular season, cruising to the top of the table on a 37-7 win-loss ratio and 112 points. Then they hammered out 3-0 sweeps of both their quarterfinal matches against Astemo Rivale Ibaraki at home to move on to the semifinals.
Powered by Brazilian opposite Rosamaria Montibeller and Colombian outside Amanda Coneo, Denso finished the regular season in fourth place on 29-15 and 89. Coach Takeshi Tsuji’s squad went on to win the quarterfinal series against Saitama Ageo Medics at home, 3-0 in the first match and 3-2 in the second, and earned their spot against Osaka in this semifinal playoff.
The two teams engaged in only one double header with each other this season, back in November. Hosts Denso celebrated victorious in both games, 3-1 and 3-2.
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NEC Red Rockets Kawasaki v Saga Hisamitsu Springs
NEC Red Rockets Kawasaki will entertain Saga Hisamitsu Springs at the Todoroki Arena on Friday at 19:05 (10:05), on Saturday at 16:05 (07:05), and if needed, on Sunday at 15:05 (06:05).
NEC’s head coach Takayuki Kaneko has two foreign stars – Brazil’s Lorrayna Marys and Thailand’s Ajcharaporn Kongyot – on his squad and relies mainly on Japanese players headlined by the likes of Haruyo Shimamura and rising star Yoshino Sato. The defending champions of the previous two years achieved a second-place finish in the regular season on 30-14 and 92, and moved through the quarterfinals on 3-0 and 3-2 at home against Toray Arrows Shiga.
With American opposite Stephanie Samedy and Hungarian outside Greta Szakmary among the leaders of coach Shingo Sakai’s well-rounded squad, Saga finished the regular season in third place on 30-14 and 89, just three points below NEC. In the quarterfinals, they knocked out their visitors from star-studded Victorina Himeji, beating them by 3-1 in the first game and by 3-0 in the second.
Saga took five-set victories in both matches of their double header at NEC in November. When they hosted them for their second double header of the season last month, the two sides traded four-set wins.
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Women’s SV.League 2024-2025 semifinals:
Apr 25, 18:05 local (09:05 UTC): Osaka Marvelous v Denso Airybees Koriyama
Apr 25, 19:05 local (10:05 UTC): NEC Red Rockets Kawasaki v Saga Hisamitsu Springs
Apr 26, 16:05 local (07:05 UTC): Osaka Marvelous v Denso Airybees Koriyama
Apr 26, 16:05 local (07:05 UTC): NEC Red Rockets Kawasaki v Saga Hisamitsu Springs
Apr 27, 14:05 local (05:05 UTC): Osaka Marvelous v Denso Airybees Koriyama (if necessary)
Apr 27, 15:05 local (06:05 UTC): NEC Red Rockets Kawasaki v Saga Hisamitsu Springs (if necessary)
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