Osaka and Denso to open SV.League weekend on Friday

In a remake of one of last season’s semifinals, Osaka Marvelous and Denso Airybees Koriyama will open the 21^st leg of the women’s Daido Life SV.League in Japan on Friday. Another seven matches will be played on Saturday and six on Sunday to produce a full set of seven double headers as the regular season enters its crucial phase. The top six teams in the current standings – NEC Red Rockets Kawasaki, Saga Hisamitsu Springs, Osaka Marvelous, PFU BlueCats Ishikawa Kahoku, Victorina Himeji and Queenseis Kariya – have already secured their participation in the playoffs. The next five – Gunma Green Wings, Saitama Ageo Medics, Denso Airybees Koriyama, Kurobe Aqua Fairies and Astemo Rivale Ibaraki – are still in contention for the remaining three quarterfinal vacancies. One of them, Gunma, could potentially book their spot by the end of the weekend.

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Gunma Green Wings are running in seventh place on a 22-16 win-loss ratio and 63 points, and face a difficult task on the road at Saga Hisamitsu Springs, second on 30-8 and 82, who have already beat them twice this season, by 3-1 and 3-2 on the road. In addition, whether or not they qualify this weekend will depend on the results of other teams as well. The matches at the Happiness Arena are set to serve off at 14:05 local time (05:05 UTC) on both Saturday and Sunday.

Queenseis Kariya will host Saitama Ageo Medics at the Wing Arena Kariya in Saturday’s closing match at 18:05 (09:05), and on Sunday at 15:05 (06:05). Ageo are also in the playoff zone, right on the edge of it, eighth place on 19-19 and 53. Kariya are in sixth place on 23-15 and 75. When Ageo hosted Kariya in January, the two teams put together two five-set battles, both resulting in victories for the home team.

Denso Airybees Koriyama stand right below the cut-off line in the table, in ninth place on 18-20 and 56. They have a tough trip to defending champions Osaka Marvelous, challenging them at the Kobe Tokiwa Arena on Friday and Saturday at 14:05 (05:05). Marvelous are third in the table on 27-11 and 81. In the previous double header between the two teams this season, visitors Osaka swept the first game, while hosts Denso retaliated with a 3-2 win in the second.

Another two candidates for quarterfinal tickets, table neighbors Kurobe Aqua Fairies and Astemo Rivale Ibaraki, will meet head to head at the Ariso Dome on Saturday and Sunday at 14:05 (05:05). Kurobe are in 10^th place on 16-22 and 48, while their visitors stand 11^th on 14-24 and 46, which means some negative results for either team could dash its hopes of advancement by the end of the weekend. When Astemo hosted Kurobe in December, they traded wins in two five-set battles.

Table leaders NEC Red Rockets Kawasaki will entertain Victorina Himeji at the Ota City General Gymnasium in a duel between two sure quarterfinalists. The games start at 14:05 (05:05) on Saturday and at 13:05 (04:05) on Sunday. NEC top the standings on 32-6 and 93, while Himeji are fifth on 26-12 and 75.

Fourth-placed PFU BlueCats Ishikawa Kahoku, running on 26-12 and 81, will visit table trailers Aranmare Yamagata, stuck in 14^th place on 3-35 and 11, without a shot at the playoffs. These two matches at the INPEX Sakata Arena will also serve off at 14:05 (05:05) on Saturday and at 13:05 (04:05) on Sunday.

Another two teams out of contention for the quarterfinals will meet face to face this weekend. Toray Arrows Shiga, 12^th on 6-32 and 19, will welcome Okayama Seagulls, 13^th on 4-34 and 15, to the Shiga Daihatsu Arena at 15:05 (06:05) on both competition days.

Women’s SV.League 2025-2026 21st leg:
Mar 20, 14:05 local (05:05 UTC): Osaka Marvelous v Denso Airybees Koriyama
Mar 21, 14:05 local (05:05 UTC): Osaka Marvelous v Denso Airybees Koriyama
Mar 21, 14:05 local (05:05 UTC): Aranmare Yamagata v PFU BlueCats Ishikawa Kahoku
Mar 21, 14:05 local (05:05 UTC): NEC Red Rockets Kawasaki v Victorina Himeji
Mar 21, 14:05 local (05:05 UTC): Kurobe Aqua Fairies v Astemo Rivale Ibaraki
Mar 21, 14:05 local (05:05 UTC): Saga Hisamitsu Springs v Gunma Green Wings
Mar 21, 15:05 local (06:05 UTC): Toray Arrows Shiga v Okayama Seagulls
Mar 21, 18:05 local (09:05 UTC): Queenseis Kariya v Saitama Ageo Medics
Mar 22, 13:05 local (04:05 UTC): Aranmare Yamagata v PFU BlueCats Ishikawa Kahoku
Mar 22, 13:05 local (04:05 UTC): NEC Red Rockets Kawasaki v Victorina Himeji
Mar 22, 14:05 local (05:05 UTC): Kurobe Aqua Fairies v Astemo Rivale Ibaraki
Mar 22, 14:05 local (05:05 UTC): Saga Hisamitsu Springs v Gunma Green Wings
Mar 22, 15:05 local (06:05 UTC): Toray Arrows Shiga v Okayama Seagulls
Mar 22, 15:05 local (06:05 UTC): Queenseis Kariya v Saitama Ageo Medics

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