Tokyo Great Bears failed to qualify either. They even dropped a spot, from fifth to sixth place on 19-19 and 59, after losing both matches of their home double header against trending playoff candidate Nippon Steel Sakai Blazers, who are just below the cut-off line in the table, in seventh place, now on 15-23 and 44 with six games to go. On Saturday, Sakai came back from two sets down, to celebrate a 3-2 (21-25, 17-25, 25-21, 27-25, 15-11) win with a team-high 19 points from Danish opposite Ulrik Dahl against a match-high 24 points from Tokyo’s outside hitter Rikuto Goto. Another five-set saga unfolded in front of well over three thousand fans at the Ariake Coliseum on Sunday, with Sakai once again emerging victorious, 3-2 (26-28, 25-21, 25-22, 23-25, 15-13). Italian outside Tommaso Rinaldi was the best scorer of the match with 32 points, including three blocks and two aces, for the winners, while Polish star opposite Bartosz Kurek signed off with 27 for Great Bears.
In the highest-profile match-up of the weekend, Suntory Sunbirds Osaka and JTEKT Stings Aichi traded three-point victories. In front of over 5,400 fans in the stands, the defending champions and table leaders mastered a 3-0 (25-17, 25-23, 25-18) sweep of Saturday’s game with a match-high 20 points from Russian opposite Dmitriy Muserskiy. On Sunday, Aichi struck back with a 3-1 (18-25, 31-29, 25-21, 26-24) win, with over 5,700 spectators at the Ookini Arena Maishima. French opposite Stephen Boyer spearheaded the winners with 24 points, while Muserskiy topped the match chart again, with 30 points, including three blocks and two aces. Already qualified straight to the semis, Suntory Sunbirds occupy the first place on 34-4 and 99. Quarterfinals-bound Stings are third on 23-15 and 66.
