After a long break prompted by the Emperor’s Cup tournament, men’s Daido Life SV.League action resumes on Friday, December 27, and continues through Monday, with a full set of five double headers.
SV-Men 2024-2025
SV.League action in Japan resumes on Friday
Watch the 10th leg of the men’s SV.League live on VBTV
Published 10:01, 26 Dec 2024
Nagoya’s Dutch scoring machine Nimir Abdel-Aziz in attack against Suntory
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The competition weekend will open at 18:05 local time (09:05 UTC) on Friday, with Osaka Bluteon welcoming Voreas Hokkaido to the Panasonic Arena. The second game of that double header will start at 16:05 (07:05) on Saturday. The hosts are the heavy favourites in this duel. They are second in the current standings on a 13-3 win-loss ratio and 39 points. Over the break, they reached the final of the Emperor’s Cup. Their visitors from Hokkaido trail bottom, in 10th place on 1-15 and 7.
In this leg’s highlight, Suntory Sunbirds Osaka will entertain Wolfdogs Nagoya at the EDION Arena Osaka for two matches on Sunday and Monday, starting at 13:05 (04:05). The two teams are neighbours in the table. Defending champions Suntory are in fourth place on 11-5 and 33. Last Sunday in Osaka, they hammered out a straight-set victory over Osaka Bluteon to snatch the Emperor’s Cup trophy as their star outside hitter Ran Takahashi was voted Most Valuable Player by the fans. Nagoya stand third in the SV.League on 13-5 and 40.
Takahashi is just one of the stars set to grace the court at the EDION on Sunday and Monday. The home squad also features the likes of Russian opposite Dmitriy Muserskiy, Polish outside Aleksander Sliwka and middle blocker Taishi Onodera, to name a few. Dutch opposite and scoring machine Nimir Abdel-Aziz highlights the Wolfdogs’ line-up, along with outsides Tine Urnaut of Slovenia and Kenta Takanashi, among others.
The two clubs have previously met 24 times. In 13 of those matches, Suntory celebrated victorious. When they met at the Entrio in the previous leg, earlier in December, hosts Nagoya won the first match in four sets, and the visitors from Osaka took revenge on the next day in a five-set battle.
Three double headers will have their matches on Saturday and Sunday.
Table leaders JTEKT Stings Aichi will try to improve on their 15-3 and 38 as they host Hiroshima Thunders, standing sixth on 7-11 and 22. The two games at the Okazaki Central Park Martial Arts Arena are set to start at 14:05 (05:05).
Tokyo Great Bears will travel to Nagano Tridents for a double header at the Kotobuki Arena Chikuma. The matches will start at 14:05 (05:05) on Saturday and at 13:05 (04:05) on Sunday. Tokyo are fifth in the current standings on 10-8 and 31, while Nagano stand second from the bottom, in ninth place on 4-12 and 10.
Toray Arrows Shizuoka will welcome Nippon Steel Sakai Blazers to the Shiwa Town General Gymnasium on Saturday at 14:05 (05:05) and on Sunday at 12:05 (03:05). These two sides are also neighbours in the standings. Toray Arrows are in eighth place on 4-12 and 13, while Sakai are just above them, in seventh on 6-10 and 19.
Men’s SV.League 2024-2025 10th leg:
Dec 27, 18:05 local (09:05 UTC): Osaka Bluteon v Voreas Hokkaido
Dec 28, 14:05 local (05:05 UTC): Toray Arrows Shizuoka v Nippon Steel Sakai Blazers
Dec 28, 14:05 local (05:05 UTC): Nagano Tridents v Tokyo Great Bears
Dec 28, 14:05 local (05:05 UTC): JTEKT Stings Aichi v Hiroshima Thunders
Dec 28, 16:05 local (07:05 UTC): Osaka Bluteon v Voreas Hokkaido
Dec 29, 12:05 local (03:05 UTC): Toray Arrows Shizuoka v Nippon Steel Sakai Blazers
Dec 29, 13:05 local (04:05 UTC): Suntory Sunbirds Osaka v Wolfdogs Nagoya
Dec 29, 13:05 local (04:05 UTC): Nagano Tridents v Tokyo Great Bears
Dec 29, 14:05 local (05:05 UTC): JTEKT Stings Aichi v Hiroshima Thunders
Dec 30, 13:05 local (04:05 UTC): Suntory Sunbirds Osaka v Wolfdogs Nagoya
