Ageo and Denso head to head for playoff spot

Two vacancies in the women’s Daido Life SV.League in Japan are still open and the bottom two of the three candidates are set to go head to head this weekend in one of the seven double headers of the 22^nd leg on Saturday and Sunday, March 27 and 28. Saitama Ageo Medics, placed eighth in the current standings, will host ninth-placed Denso Airybees Koriyama in a clash that might prove crucial for one of the spots in the quarterfinals, while seventh-placed Gunma Green Wings host table trailers Aranmare Yamagata and will qualify for the playoffs if they win both games.

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Saitama Ageo Medics are hanging to the edge of the playoff zone, in eighth place on a 21-19 win-loss ratio and 58 points. Denso Airybees Koriyama are currently the first team below the cut-off, standing ninth on 20-20 and 61. If Ageo beat Denso in both matches this weekend, they will be a sure quarterfinalist, while their opponents from Koriyama will be out of contention. If the two teams split the wins or Denso win both games, then the final resolution will be left for the last leg the following weekend. When Airybees hosted Medics in November, they lost the first game in five sets, but won the second in three. Medics will now welcome Airybees to the Hasuda City Civic Gymnasium Palthy on Saturday and Sunday at 13:05 local time (04:05 UTC).

At the same time, at the Open House Arena Ota, Gunma Green Wings will entertain Aranmare Yamagata. The home team stands on 22-18 and 64 in sixth place, and two victories this weekend would stamp their ticket to the playoffs. Aranmare are stuck at the bottom, in 14^th place on 3-37 and 11. Gunma swept both of their previous encounters with Aranmare this season on the road in straight sets.

While the teams below the ninth place are no longer in contention for the quarterfinals, all the other ones will be looking for better positioning in the playoff bracket.

In a clash between two teams already qualified for the playoffs, Victorina Himeji will welcome Queenseis Kariya to the Victorina Wink Gymnasium at 14:05 (05:05) on both days of the weekend. They stand fifth on 26-14 and 75, and sixth on 23-17 and 76, respectively. In November, Himeji brought home two wins from their visit to Kariya, but the second one came only after a five-set duel.

Table leaders NEC Red Rockets Kawasaki will host Toray Arrows Shiga at the Tokyu Dresser Todoroki Arena on Saturday at 14:05 (05:05) and on Sunday at 13:05 (04:05). Red Rockets stand on 34-6 and 99. Toray Arrows are second from the bottom on 6-34 and 19.

Saga Hisamitsu Springs, running in second place on 32-8 and 87, will travel to Okayama Seagulls, placed 12^th on 6-34 and 21. Both matches at the Shigeto Arena Okayama are set to serve off at 14:05 (05:05). In one of their away matches in December, Seagulls managed to push Hisamitsu Springs to a fifth-set decider.

Third-placed PFU BlueCats Ishikawa Kahoku will entertain Kurobe Aqua Fairies at the Toriyasaimiso BlueCats Arena at 13:05 (04:05) on both competition days. PFU stand on 28-12 and 87, while Kurobe are in 11^th place on 16-24 and 48.

Defending champions Osaka Marvelous, placed fourth on 27-13 and 82, will visit Astemo Rivale Ibaraki, who are in 10^th place on 16-24 and 52. The two fixtures at the Hitachinaka City Sports Park Total Gymnastics are scheduled at 14:05 (05:05). In the last encounter between these two teams, visitors Astemo forced their hosts from Osaka to a five-set battle.

Women’s SV.League 2025-2026 22nd leg:
Mar 28, 13:05 local (04:05 UTC): Gunma Green Wings v Aranmare Yamagata
Mar 28, 13:05 local (04:05 UTC): Saitama Ageo Medics v Denso Airybees Koriyama
Mar 28, 13:05 local (04:05 UTC): PFU BlueCats Ishikawa Kahoku v Kurobe Aqua Fairies
Mar 28, 14:05 local (05:05 UTC): NEC Red Rockets Kawasaki v Toray Arrows Shiga
Mar 28, 14:05 local (05:05 UTC): Astemo Rivale Ibaraki v Osaka Marvelous
Mar 28, 14:05 local (05:05 UTC): Victorina Himeji v Queenseis Kariya
Mar 28, 14:05 local (05:05 UTC): Okayama Seagulls v Saga Hisamitsu Springs
Mar 29, 13:05 local (04:05 UTC): Gunma Green Wings v Aranmare Yamagata
Mar 29, 13:05 local (04:05 UTC): Saitama Ageo Medics v Denso Airybees Koriyama
Mar 29, 13:05 local (04:05 UTC): PFU BlueCats Ishikawa Kahoku v Kurobe Aqua Fairies
Mar 29, 13:05 local (04:05 UTC): NEC Red Rockets Kawasaki v Toray Arrows Shiga
Mar 29, 14:05 local (05:05 UTC): Astemo Rivale Ibaraki v Osaka Marvelous
Mar 29, 14:05 local (05:05 UTC): Victorina Himeji v Queenseis Kariya
Mar 29, 14:05 local (05:05 UTC): Okayama Seagulls v Saga Hisamitsu Springs

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