HIMEJI ON THE HUNT FOR TWO POINTS NEEDED FOR THE PLAYOFFS

Watch the women’s SV.League in Japan live on VBTV

Photo source: @SVLEAGUE_JP

Victorina Himeji could well become the next team to book a spot in the women’s Daido Life SV.League playoffs. That could happen as soon as this weekend as the games of 21st leg are played in Japan, as Himeji need to earn just two points to line up among the quarterfinalists along with already qualified Osaka Marvelous, NEC Red Rockets Kawasaki, Denso Airybees Koriyama, Saga Hisamitsu Springs, Saitama Ageo Medics and Toray Arrows Shiga. A total of six double headers are on the program for Saturday and Sunday, March 22 and 23.

• Watch Japan’s SV.League on VBTV.

Victorina Himeji will visit Queenseis Kariya at the Kariya City Gymnasium at 13:05 local time (04:05 UTC) on both competition days. They are placed seventh in the current standings on a 23-15 win-loss ratio and 67 points and if they collect two more points, they can no longer be pushed below the eighth-place cut-off by the end of the regular season. So if they win at least one of the matches in Kariya this weekend, or push both of them to five sets, this will be equivalent to a safe spot in the quarterfinals. Meanwhile, Queenseis are also among the candidates for the playoff berths, aiming at the eighth place in the final regular season table. Currently, they are 10th on 16-22 and 50. When Himeji hosted Kariya in late December, the two sides traded three-point wins.

https://www.instagram.com/p/DHZ3j7ThBXI/?utm_source=ig_web_button_share_sheet

The coveted eighth place is currently taken by Astemo Rivale Ibaraki on 19-19 and 54. At the same starting times on both days this weekend, they will visit Okayama Seagulls at the Takahashi Citizen Gymnasium. Standing 12th on 12-24 and 35, Okayama still hold a distant shot at the playoffs. In their previous double header in October at Astemo, the two teams managed to shut out each other once.

PFU BlueCats Ishikawa Kahoku are the highest placed team below the red line for the quarterfinals. Standing ninth on 17-21 and 50, they are hoping to improve their record as they welcome Saga Hisamitsu Springs to the Komatsu General Gymnasium this weekend. However, Saga swept all four previous encounters with PFU this season in straight sets. They stand fourth on 24-14 and 73. 13:05 (04:05) is the starting time for both upcoming matches between PFU and Saga.

In the highest-caliber clash this weekend, between two top-five teams, Denso Airybees Koriyama will entertain Saitama Ageo Medics at the Marusan Attamaru Arena, also serving off at 13:05 (04:05) on both Saturday and Sunday. Denso are running third on 27-11 and 83, while Ageo are in fifth place on 24-14 and 73, slightly below Saga on set ratio. These two also traded three-point victories, when Ageo hosted Denso in the fall.

https://www.instagram.com/p/DHc2n_yTuS4/?utm_source=ig_web_button_share_sheet

Defending champions NEC Red Rockets Kawasaki will try to consolidate their top-two standing as they welcome Kurobe Aqua Fairies to the Ota City General Gymnasium at 14:05 (05:05) on Saturday and at 13:05 (04:05) on Sunday. Red Rockets occupy second place on 28-10 and 84, while Kurobe are in 11th on 13-25 and 38, also still with a mathematical possibility to make their way to the playoffs. In the last encounter between the two teams, Kurobe persevered through a five-set battle to claim a home victory over the reigning title holders and take partial revenge for the straight-set loss they suffered the previous day.

The weekend will also offer a bottom-of-the-table “derby” between Aranmare Yamagata and Gunma Green Wings. On a negative streak of seven consecutive defeats, Aranmare are in 13th place on 5-33 and 16. Gunma, on the other hand, celebrated their first SV.League win last weekend to put an end to a series of 35 defeats in a row. They still trail bottom on 1-35 and 5. Aranmare will host the first match at the Yamagata Prefectural Sports Park Arena on Saturday at 14:05 (05:05) and the second – on Sunday at 12:05 (03:05).

https://www.instagram.com/p/DHdHw5cpfDT/?utm_source=ig_web_button_share_sheet

Table leaders Osaka Marvelous and sixth-placed Toray Arrows Shiga will have the weekend off.

Women’s SV.League 2024-2025 21st leg:
Mar 22, 13:05 local (04:05 UTC): Denso Airybees Koriyama v Saitama Ageo Medics
Mar 22, 13:05 local (04:05 UTC): PFU BlueCats Ishikawa Kahoku v Saga Hisamitsu Springs
Mar 22, 13:05 local (04:05 UTC): Queenseis Kariya v Victorina Himeji
Mar 22, 13:05 local (04:05 UTC): Okayama Seagulls v Astemo Rivale Ibaraki
Mar 22, 14:05 local (05:05 UTC): Aranmare Yamagata v Gunma Green Wings
Mar 22, 14:05 local (05:05 UTC): NEC Red Rockets Kawasaki v Kurobe Aqua Fairies
Mar 23, 12:05 local (03:05 UTC): Aranmare Yamagata v Gunma Green Wings
Mar 23, 13:05 local (04:05 UTC): Denso Airybees Koriyama v Saitama Ageo Medics
Mar 23, 13:05 local (04:05 UTC): PFU BlueCats Ishikawa Kahoku v Saga Hisamitsu Springs
Mar 23, 13:05 local (04:05 UTC): Queenseis Kariya v Victorina Himeji
Mar 23, 13:05 local (04:05 UTC): Okayama Seagulls v Astemo Rivale Ibaraki
Mar 23, 13:05 local (04:05 UTC): NEC Red Rockets Kawasaki v Kurobe Aqua Fairies

QUICK LINKS

AVC Website: click www.asianvolleyball.net

AVC Facebook: click www.Facebook.com/AsianVolleyballConfederation

AVC Twitter: click: www.twitter.com/AsianVolleyball

AVC Instagram: click: https://www.instagram.com/avcvolley/?hl=en

Mikasa Instagram: click: https://www.instagram.com/mikasasports_official

AVC Youtube: click: Asian Volleyball Confederation

AVC WeChat: Asian Volleyball Confederation