NEC DOWN AGEO TWICE TO TAKE OVER THIRD PLACE IN JAPAN

Recap of women’s SV.League 15th-leg matches

NEC’s Yoshino Sato in attack against Ageo

Defending champions NEC Red Rockets Kawasaki beat Saitama Ageo Medics twice this weekend to surpass them in the third place of the women’s Daido Life SV.League current standings as the seven double headers of the 15th leg unfolded on Saturday and Sunday.

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Last season’s bronze medallists Saitama Ageo Medics and gold medallists NEC Red Rockets Kawasaki were running neck and neck in this season’s table until they met twice this weekend and the visitors from Kawasaki took the full six points to open a wide gap and take control of the third place. NEC Red Rockets improved to a 20-8 win-loss ratio and 60 points, while Ageo fell to fourth place on 18-10 and 55.

In Saturday’s first match, NEC hammered out a 3-0 (25-16, 25-19, 25-21) sweep of their hosts, with outside hitter Yoshino Sato on fire, contributing a match-high 19 points, while Brazilian opposite Lorrayna Marys added another 15 points, including three kill blocks.

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On Sunday, Ageo tried fighting back, but only managed to win a set. NEC claimed another three points, celebrating a 3-1 (25-19, 24-26, 25-22, 25-23) victory. Sato delivered three aces and two blocks towards a solid 31-point match high, while Lorrayna added 19 points.

“There were tough moments because of the opponent’s rhythm-changing serves and skillful offense, but our players responded well and worked hard until they won three sets,” commented NEC’s head coach Takayuki Kaneko. “Right now the team has good momentum, and in order to aim even higher from here, we should take care of some issues that came up today before the next game.”

https://x.com/nec_rr_official/status/1888476744509964537

Saga Hisamitsu Springs also overtook Victorina Himeji into the fifth place after winning both games of their head-to-head double header this weekend. American opposite Stephanie Samedy inspired hosts Saga to a 3-1 (25-17, 24-26, 25-18, 27-25) victory on Saturday with a match-high 24 points, while Himeji’s outside hitters Chatchu-On Moksri of Thailand and Arisa Inoue scored 23 and 22 points, respectively. 

The only five-set match of the leg closed the weekend, with Saga coming back from a set down twice to celebrate a dramatic 3-2 (18-25, 25-23, 15-25, 28-26, 15-11) success on Sunday. Outside Megumi Fukazawa fuelled the winners with a fantastic 32 points, while Inoue put away 24 points for Himeji. Hisamitsu Springs improved to 19-11 and 58, pushing Victorina down to sixth place on 17-11 and 48.

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Table leaders Osaka Marvelous added another six points to their record with two wins on the road at PFU BlueCats Ishikawa Kahoku and improved to 24-4 and 73, pushing their hosts two positions down to 11th place on 11-19 and 32. PFU managed to take the first set on Saturday, but then Marvelous mercilessly turned it around to a 3-1 (22-25, 25-19, 25-20, 25-19) win with a 22-point match high from Belgian opposite Lise Van Hecke, including four kill blocks. On Sunday, Osaka were even more convincing on the way to a 3-0 (25-18, 25-15, 25-20) sweep, led by opposite Ameze Miyabe with 18 points.

Second-placed Denso Airybees Koriyama took home similar spoils from their trip to Okayama Seagulls to stay close behind Osaka in the standings, on 23-7 and 71. Okayama dropped to 12th place on 9-17 and 28. Brazilian opposite Rosamaria Montibeller carried Denso in Saturday’s 3-1 (18-25, 25-19, 25-19, 25-19) win with an impressive 30 points to her name. In Sunday’s 3-0 (29-27, 25-21, 25-16) shutout, Rosamaria led the way with 18 points.

Queenseis Kariya achieved a 3-1 (25-21, 18-25, 25-21, 25-22) upset of Astemo Rivale Ibaraki on Saturday with Belgian opposite Kaja Grobelna putting away a match-high 25 points. The hosts from Ibaraki reacted with an emphatic 3-0 (25-16, 25-23, 25-21) sweep of Sunday’s match. Miwako Osanai and Fuyumi Hawi Okumu Oba led the way with 14 points each. Astemo remained in seventh place, on 16-12 and 46, while Kariya stayed in 10th, on 11-17 and 34.

https://x.com/SVLEAGUE_JP/status/1888446929425793158

Just like in October, Toray Arrows Shiga produced two four-set wins over Aranmare Yamagata, this time on the road, as both teams stayed put in the table – Toray Arrows in eighth place, now on 16-14 and 46, and Aranmare in 13th, on 4-26 and 13. In the first match, Italian opposite Sylvia Nwakalor hammered out 26 points towards the visitors’ 3-1 (23-24, 25-14, 27-25, 25-10) victory. In the second, Nwakalor did one better and fired 27 points towards another 3-1 (19-25, 25-21, 25-17, 25-15) turnaround from a set down.

Kurobe Aqua Fairies did not allow Gunma Green Wings to get even close to scoring their first win of the season and hammered out two straight-set victories to leave their opponents winless at the bottom of the table, in 14th place on 0-26 and 2. Kurobe, however, rose three spots up to ninth place on 12-18 and 34. In the first match, outside hitters Rimi Kaneda (five kill blocks) and Germany’s Lena Stigrot contributed a match-high 19 points towards a hard-fought 3-0 (25-12, 29-27, 25-23) victory. In the second, middle blocker Maki Yamaguchi impressed with five kill blocks towards an emphatic 3-0 (25-21, 25-16, 25-11) shutout and emerged as the best scorer of the game with 15 points.

https://x.com/SVLEAGUE_JP/status/1888456582864003146

Another set of seven double headers is scheduled for next weekend, February 15 and 16.

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

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