Both matches of the Osaka Bluteon against JTEKT Stings Aichi double header will be evening games, serving off at 18:05 local time (09:05 UTC). They will be played at the Ookini Arena Maishima. Last year’s SV.League regular season winners – FIVB Volleyball Men’s Club World Championship silver medalists Bluteon – are running second in the current standings on a 26-6 win-loss ratio and 76 points. They have already qualified for the playoffs and the next goal for them is to secure a top-two regular season finish, which comes with a direct ticket to the semifinals. Aichi, on the other hand, stand fourth on 20-12 and 58, behind third-placed Nagoya on set ratios, and are yet to stamp their playoff berth mathematically. Last year, JTEKT Stings won both matches of their semifinal series against Bluteon to advance to the final. This season, the two teams have already played four times at Aichi. In November, Osaka won by 3-1 and 3-2, and in January, they swept the first match of that double header in straight sets, before losing the most recent encounter in four sets the following day.
Wolfdogs Nagoya will welcome Tokyo Great Bears to the Entrio at 14:35 (05:35) on Saturday and at 13:35 (04:35) on Sunday. While Nagoya stand third on 20-12 and 58, Tokyo occupy fifth place on 17-15 and 50. Great Bears hosted the previous four encounters with Wolfdogs this season. In November, the visitors from Nagoya swept both matches in straight sets. The squad from the capital retaliated with 3-2 and 3-0 in January.
