OSAKA AND AICHI IN TOP-OF-THE-TABLE CLASH THIS WEEKEND IN JAPAN

Watch the 11th leg of the men’s SV.League live on VBTV

High-flying Yuji Nishida in attack against the block of TJ DeFalco

The men’s Daido Life SV.League in Japan resumes on Friday with its first match for 2025, between Voreas Hokkaido and Tokyo Great Bears, to get the 11th leg of the regular season underway. Of course, the one that stands out among the five double headers this weekend is the one between the two top teams in the current standings – Osaka Bluteon and JTEKT Stings Aichi.

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Table leaders Osaka Bluteon stand on a 15-3 win-loss ratio and 45 points, while second-placed JTEKT Stings Aichi are well within reach of the first place, on 16-4 and 42. To emerge back on top after this weekend, however, Kento Miyaura, Torey DeFalco and their teammates will have to win both of the matches against their hosts, featuring the likes of Yuji Nishida and Thomas Jaeschke among a long line of international stars. The two titanic duels at the Panasonic Arena are set to start at 14:05 local time (05:05 UTC) on Saturday and Sunday.

When the two teams met for the first time this season back in November, also in Osaka, Bluteon shut out JTEKT in the first match, but then the visitors from Aichi celebrated a five-set victory in the second. With that win, JTEKT interrupted an Osaka winning streak of six consecutive matches in the head-to-head series and beat this opponent for the first time since February 2023.

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Should Aichi lose both of their games in Osaka this weekend, third-placed Wolfdogs Nagoya, standing on 14-6 and 42, will be able to move up the table with two home wins over Nagano Tridents, placed second from the bottom, ninth on 4-14 and 10. The starting times of the two games at the Entrio are 15:35 (06:35) on Saturday and 14:35 (05:35) on Sunday.

Defending champions Suntory Sunbirds Osaka, standing fourth on 12-6 and 37, will also play at home this weekend. They will host Toray Arrows Shizuoka, who are in eighth place on 5-13 and 15. The two matches will be played at the EDION Arena Osaka at 13:05 (04:05) on Saturday and Sunday.

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Table neighbours Nippon Steel Sakai Blazers and Hiroshima Thunders will meet for two games at the Nippon Steel Sakai Gymnasium on Saturday at 15:05 (06:05) and on Sunday at 13:05 (04:05). The hosts from Sakai are running seventh in the standings on 7-11 and 23, while Hiroshima are right above them, in sixth place on 8-12 and 24.

The SV.League weekend will open on Friday, January 3, at 13:35 (04:35), at the Recruit Staffing Rick&Sue Asahikawa Gymnasium with a game between Voreas Hokkaido and Tokyo Great Bears. The two teams will meet again at the same starting time on Saturday. Voreas trail bottom, in 10th place on 1-17 and 7, while the squad from the capital stands fifth on 12-8 and 37.

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Men’s SV.League 2024-2025 11th leg:
Jan 03, 13:35 local (04:35 UTC): Voreas Hokkaido v Tokyo Great Bears
Jan 04, 13:05 local (04:05 UTC): Suntory Sunbirds Osaka v Toray Arrows Shizuoka
Jan 04, 13:35 local (04:35 UTC): Voreas Hokkaido v Tokyo Great Bears
Jan 04, 14:05 local (05:05 UTC): Osaka Bluteon v JTEKT Stings Aichi
Jan 04, 15:05 local (06:05 UTC): Nippon Steel Sakai Blazers v Hiroshima Thunders
Jan 04, 15:35 local (06:35 UTC): Wolfdogs Nagoya v Nagano Tridents
Jan 05, 13:05 local (04:05 UTC): Suntory Sunbirds Osaka v Toray Arrows Shizuoka
Jan 05, 13:05 local (04:05 UTC): Nippon Steel Sakai Blazers v Hiroshima Thunders
Jan 05, 14:05 local (05:05 UTC): Osaka Bluteon v JTEKT Stings Aichi
Jan 05, 14:35 local (05:35 UTC): Wolfdogs Nagoya v Nagano Tridents

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