AGEO AND SAGA LOOKING TO BOOK PLAYOFF SPOTS THIS WEEKEND

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Ageo’s experienced libero Akane Moriya in action against Toray Arrows

With Osaka Marvelous, NEC Red Rockets Kawasaki and Denso Airybees Koriyama already booked with playoff berths in the women’s Daido Life SV.League, as many as another four teams may secure their quarterfinal spots by the end of this weekend’s 20th-leg double headers in Japan. And while for two of them – Victorina Himeji and Toray Arrows Shiga – this will also depend on favorable results in other matches as well, the other two – Saitama Ageo Medics and Saga Hisamitsu Springs – have the opportunity to achieve that on their own terms.

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Saitama Ageo Medics need to pick up just one point from their trip to Toray Arrows Shiga to reserve their place in the quarterfinals. The two teams will meet at the YMIT Arena at 14:05 local time (05:05 UTC) on Saturday and Sunday. Ageo are fourth in the current standings on a 24-12 win-loss ratio and 72 points, while Toray Arrows are in seventh place on 22-14 and 64, also with an opportunity to secure a top-eight finish, given that they make the necessary gains against Ageo and ninth-placed PFU BlueCats Ishikawa Kahoku suffer some damages upon their visit to table leaders Osaka Marvelous. Toray Arrows are enjoying the momentum of a winning streak of nine consecutive three-point victories, which they are hoping to extend against their powerful visitors this weekend. When Ageo hosted Torray in late December, they lost the first game in five sets, but won the second in four.

Saga Hisamitsu Springs, on the other hand, could book a ticket to the quarterfinals by collecting three points from their home double header against defending champions NEC Red Rockets Kawasaki at the Saga Arena at 14:05 (05:05) on Saturday and at 14:00 (05:00) on Sunday. Saga are in fifth place on 23-13 and 70. Running on a seven-game winning streak, NEC Red Rockets are second on 27-9 and 82. When Saga visited NEC in November, they put up two five-set battles and celebrated two victories.

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Sixth-placed Victorina Himeji could also see themselves among the quarterfinalists by the end of the upcoming leg, if they achieve some gains at home against Denso Airybees Koriyama and if the results of the PFU and the Queenseis Kariya matches are favorable. Himeji stand on 22-14 and 64, while Denso are third in the table on 26-10 and 80. Their fixtures are set at the Victorina Wink Gymnasium at 13:05 (04:05) on Saturday and at 14:05 (05:05) on Sunday. November’s double header between them at Denso resulted in a 3-1 win for the home team and a 3-2 victory for Himeji.

Obviously, how many teams emerge as quarterfinalists by the end of the competition weekend will have something to do with the results of the Osaka Marvelous vs. PFU BlueCats Ishikawa Kahoku double header at the Ookini Arena Maishima at 13:05 (04:05) on Saturday and at 15:05 (06:05) on Sunday. Osaka lead the standings on 30-6 and 91, while PFU are the first team below the cut-off line for the playoffs, running in ninth place on 16-20 and 48.

BlueCats’ best bet for eventually qualifying for the quarterfinals would be to overtake Astemo Rivale Ibaraki in the table. However, they have never been able to defeat Marvelous in a league game before, while Astemo’s upcoming appointment is at home against Aranmare Yamagata, who stand second from the bottom, in 13th place on 5-31 and 16, without even a mathematical shot at the playoffs. However, in one of the matches they played in November, the team from Yamagata managed to push their opponents to five. The games between Astemo and Aranmare at the CNA Arena Akita will start at 13:05 (04:05) on both competition days.

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Queenseis Kariya are also still well in contention for a playoff berth and hope to improve their chances as they visit winless Gunma Green Wings this weekend. Kariya are in 10th place on 15-21 and 47, while Gunma trail bottom, in 14th place on 0-34 and 2. 14:05 (05:05) is the starting time for both matches at the Open House Arena Ota on Saturday and Sunday. These two clubs will go head to head in a league match for the first time in history.

Table neighbors Kurobe Aqua Fairies and Okayama Seagulls will also try to stay in contention as they meet at the Ariso Dome at 13:05 (04:05) on both competition days. Kurobe are in 11th place on 13-23 and 36, and Okayama are in 12th on 10-24 and 31. In the first of two October matches between the two teams, Okayama beat Kurobe in straight sets, but in the second, Kurobe got back at their hosts with a five-set win.

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Women’s SV.League 2024-2025 20th leg:
Mar 15, 13:05 local (04:05 UTC): Astemo Rivale Ibaraki v Aranmare Yamagata
Mar 15, 13:05 local (04:05 UTC): Kurobe Aqua Fairies v Okayama Seagulls
Mar 15, 13:05 local (04:05 UTC): Victorina Himeji v Denso Airybees Koriyama
Mar 15, 13:05 local (04:05 UTC): Osaka Marvelous v PFU BlueCats Ishikawa Kahoku
Mar 15, 14:05 local (05:05 UTC): Saga Hisamitsu Springs v NEC Red Rockets Kawasaki
Mar 15, 14:05 local (05:05 UTC): Gunma Green Wings v Queenseis Kariya
Mar 15, 14:05 local (05:05 UTC): Toray Arrows Shiga v Saitama Ageo Medics
Mar 16, 13:05 local (04:05 UTC): Astemo Rivale Ibaraki v Aranmare Yamagata
Mar 16, 13:05 local (04:05 UTC): Kurobe Aqua Fairies v Okayama Seagulls
Mar 16, 14:00 local (05:00 UTC): Saga Hisamitsu Springs v NEC Red Rockets Kawasaki
Mar 16, 14:05 local (05:05 UTC): Victorina Himeji v Denso Airybees Koriyama
Mar 16, 14:05 local (05:05 UTC): Gunma Green Wings v Queenseis Kariya
Mar 16, 14:05 local (05:05 UTC): Toray Arrows Shiga v Saitama Ageo Medics
Mar 16, 15:05 local (06:05 UTC): Osaka Marvelous v PFU BlueCats Ishikawa Kahoku

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