Watch the sixth leg of the men’s SV.League live on VBTV
Osaka Bluteon’s star Yuji Nishida in attack (source: osaka-bluteon.com)
The top two teams in the men’s Daido Life SV.League current standings are about to engage in a titanic head-to-head clash this weekend, as a set of four double headers unfold on Saturday and Sunday. First-placed Osaka Bluteon and second-placed JTEKT Stings Aichi, on a 9-1 win-loss record each, will meet twice in a direct battle for the top.
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The difference between Osaka Bluteon and JTEKT Stings Aichi is three points (26 against 23), so only if the visitors from Aichi win both games at the sold-out Asue Arena Osaka this weekend, they will overtake their opponents into the first place in the table. Osaka’s stellar squad with Yuji Nishida, Thomas Jaeschke, Tomohiro Yamamoto, Akihiro Yamauchi and Miguel Lopez on the roster will entertain Aichi’s equally dazzling line-up with Masahiro Sekita, Ricardo Lucarelli, Torey DeFalco and Kento Miyaura in a dream spectacle, starting at 14:05 local time (05:05 UTC) on both competition days.
Aichi enter this double header riding the wave of an eight-match winning streak, while Bluteon arrive with seven back-to-back victories. In the head-to-head series, however, Osaka are on a five-match winning streak against JTEKT, with the last four encounters resolved in straight sets. The last time Stings managed to beat this opponent occurred back in February 2023.
“It’s all about defence. It’s very important that we do that well and play the volleyball that we can. I think that JTEKT Stings Aichi is a similar team to us, at a similar level, so I’m sure it will be a very interesting match. I hope it will be an opportunity for people to become obsessed with the sport of volleyball.”
Yuji Nishida, opposite of Osaka Bluteon
https://x.com/SVLEAGUE_JP/status/1856894876996309032
In another high-level duel, defending champions Suntory Sunbirds Osaka will visit Hiroshima Thunders at IHI Arena Kure on Saturday and Sunday at 14:05 (05:05). Suntory Sunbirds are running third in the table on a 5-3 win-loss record and 17 points, two spots above Thunders, who are in fifth on 5-5 and 15. It has been over a year since Hiroshima’s last win over Suntory, who celebrated victories in the three most recent encounters between the two clubs. The last two matches they played in January, however, produced five-set battles.
Fourth-placed Wolfdogs Nagoya will take a trip to Toray Arrows Shizuoka for two matches at the Shiwa Town General Gymnasium, at 14:05 (05:05) on Saturday and at 13:05 (04:05) on Sunday. Wolfdogs stand on 6-4 and 20, while Toray Arrows are desperate to put an end to their five-game losing streak that has brought them down to second from the bottom, in ninth place on 2-8 and 7.
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The fourth double header will be contested between Tokyo Great Bears and Nagano Tridents, set to meet at Arena Tachikawa Tachihi at 15:05 (06:05) on Saturday and at 14:05 (05:05) on Sunday. The team from the capital is in sixth place on 5-5 and 15, while the visitors from Nagano are eighth on 2-6 and 5.
Men’s SV.League 2024-2025 6th leg:
Nov 16, 14:05 local (05:35 UTC): Toray Arrows Shizuoka v Wolfdogs Nagoya
Nov 16, 14:05 local (05:05 UTC): Osaka Bluteon v JTEKT Stings Aichi
Nov 16, 14:05 local (05:05 UTC): Hiroshima Thunders v Suntory Sunbirds Osaka
Nov 16, 15:05 local (06:05 UTC): Tokyo Great Bears v Nagano Tridents
Nov 17, 13:05 local (04:05 UTC): Hiroshima Thunders v Suntory Sunbirds Osaka
Nov 17, 14:05 local (05:35 UTC): Toray Arrows Shizuoka v Wolfdogs Nagoya
Nov 17, 14:05 local (05:05 UTC): Osaka Bluteon v JTEKT Stings Aichi
Nov 17, 14:05 local (05:05 UTC): Tokyo Great Bears v Nagano Tridents
https://x.com/SVLEAGUE_JP/status/1856607978331484367
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