Saga and NEC trade five-set wins in exciting SV.League weekend

The high-profile match-up of the 15^th leg in the women’s Daido Life SV.League in Japan, between Saga Hisamitsu Springs and NEC Red Rockets Kawasaki, lived up to the expectations and produced two spectacular five-set battles with the two teams trading victories. In another two of the seven double headers of this exciting weekend - Gunma Green Wings against Osaka Marvelous and Denso Airybees Koriyama against Victorina Himeji – the teams also exchanged wins.

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Well over five thousand fans attended each of the two games at the Saga Arena. NEC Red Rockets Kawasaki achieved a 3-2 (25-20, 18-25, 22-25, 25-22, 15-12) win over hosts Saga Hisamitsu Springs in the first match on Saturday. American outside hitter Giovanna Day led the winners with 22 points, while her compatriot, opposite Stephanie Samedy, produced a match-high 25 for the home team. Saga got back at their visitors with a 3-2 (26-28, 25-20, 19-25, 25-22, 15-8) victory on Sunday. Samedy led the winners with 22 points, while NEC’s Italian opposite Sylvia Nwakalor topped the chart with 27 points, including three kill blocks and an ace. Red Rockets continue to lead the current standings, now on a 24-4 win-loss ratio and 68 points. Saga are in second place on 21-7 and 56.

Defending champions Osaka Marvelous remain third on 21-9 and 64 after trading three-point victories with their hosts Gunma Green Wings, who are in seventh place on 17-13 and 50. Osaka mastered a 3-0 (25-15, 25-20, 25-16) sweep of the first match on Saturday with a match-high 19 points, including three blocks, from outside hitter Ameze Miyabe. Gunma retaliated with a 3-1 (25-15, 22-25, 25-16, 25-21) upset on Sunday, led by Vietnamese opposite Tran Thi Thanh Thuy with a match-high 19 points, including four blocks and two aces.

Victorina Himeji took a 3-1 (25-21, 32-34, 25-20, 25-22) road victory over Denso Airybees Koriyama on Saturday with a match-high 31 points, including three blocks and an ace, from Italian outside Camilla Mingardi. The home team took its revenge on Sunday with a 3-1 (25-18, 25-20, 23-25, 25-22) win, with Brazilian opposite Rosamaria Montibeller leading the way with 23 points. Himeji dropped a spot to fifth place in the table on 19-11 and 55, while Denso climbed one position to ninth place on 13-15 and 40.

PFU BlueCats Ishikawa Kahoku rose to fourth place on 18-10 and 59 after claiming the full six points from their home double header against Saitama Ageo Medics, who descended from seventh to eighth place on 14-14 and 39. Opposite Melissa Valdes contributed a match-high 23 points to PFU’s 3-1 (23-25, 25-20, 25-23, 25-18) victory on Saturday and a team-high 13 points to Sunday’s 3-0 (25-19, 25-18, 25-20) sweep. Outside Rina Yamaji was the top scorer of the second match with 14 points for Ageo.

Queenseis Kariya moved two spots up the table, to sixth place on 17-13 and 57, after two home wins over Okayama Seagulls, who dropped to second from the bottom, in 13^th place on 4-24 and 15. Kariya shut out their opponents by 3-0 (25-20, 27-25, 25-18) in the first game with American opposite Danielle Cuttino emerging as the best scorer with 21 points. With a match-high 19 points under her belt, she led the home team in Sunday’s 3-1 (25-18, 22-25, 25-16, 25-12) win.

Toray Arrows Shiga delivered two upsets of their hosts Kurobe Aqua Fairies and ascended from 13^th to 12^th place on 5-23 and 15. Kurobe dropped a spot to 10^th place on 13-15 and 38. On Saturday, Toray Arrows took out Kurobe in straight sets, 3-0 (25-19, 25-19, 25-19), with a match-high 20 points from French opposite Lucille Gicquel. A five-set duel unfolded on Sunday, with the visitors celebrating again, 3-2 (19-25, 25-19, 25-20, 21-25, 15-8). Gicquel topped the chart with 30 points.

Astemo Rivale Ibaraki swept both of their home matches against Aranmare Yamagata in straight sets – 3-0 (29-27, 25-15, 25-15) on Saturday and 3-0 (25-21, 25-22, 25-16) on Sunday – and stayed in 11^th place, now on 11-17 and 34. Aranmare are stuck at the bottom, in 14^th place on 3-25 and 10. American opposite Mackenzie May was the best scorer of both matches with 19 and 21 points, respectively. In the second game, she raised an impressive four kill blocks.

Another full set of seven SV.League double headers is scheduled for next weekend, February 14 and 15.

Women’s SV.League 2025-2026 16th leg:
Feb 14, 12:05 local (03:05 UTC): Victorina Himeji v Toray Arrows Shiga
Feb 14, 13:05 local (04:05 UTC): Gunma Green Wings v Kurobe Aqua Fairies
Feb 14, 13:05 local (04:05 UTC): PFU BlueCats Ishikawa Kahoku v Queenseis Kariya
Feb 14, 14:05 local (05:05 UTC): Aranmare Yamagata v Osaka Marvelous
Feb 14, 14:05 local (05:05 UTC): NEC Red Rockets Kawasaki v Denso Airybees Koriyama
Feb 14, 14:05 local (05:05 UTC): Okayama Seagulls v Astemo Rivale Ibaraki
Feb 14, 14:05 local (05:05 UTC): Saga Hisamitsu Springs v Saitama Ageo Medics
Feb 15, 12:05 local (03:05 UTC): Victorina Himeji v Toray Arrows Shiga
Feb 15, 13:05 local (04:05 UTC): Gunma Green Wings v Kurobe Aqua Fairies
Feb 15, 13:05 local (04:05 UTC): PFU BlueCats Ishikawa Kahoku v Queenseis Kariya
Feb 15, 13:05 local (04:05 UTC): Aranmare Yamagata v Osaka Marvelous
Feb 15, 13:05 local (04:05 UTC): NEC Red Rockets Kawasaki v Denso Airybees Koriyama
Feb 15, 14:05 local (05:05 UTC): Okayama Seagulls v Astemo Rivale Ibaraki
Feb 15, 14:05 local (05:05 UTC): Saga Hisamitsu Springs v Saitama Ageo Medics

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