Rosamaria hammers 28 in three-set match, Denso top table in Japan

Denso Airybees Koriyama took the lead in the standings after the first leg of matches in Japan’s women’s Daido Life SV.League as the only team who managed to win both of their matches in straight sets. Brazilian star Rosamaria Montibeller made a solid contribution to her team’s success and especially impressed with a 28-point tally in just the three sets of their second game. Another three teams - Astemo Rivale Ibaraki, Saga Hisamitsu Springs and Osaka Marvelous – also came up with two wins each, while the participants in the remaining three double headers registered a win each.

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In their opening game, at home at the Fukushima Toyota Crown Arena on Saturday, Denso Airybees Koriyama mastered a 3-0 (25-17, 25-20, 25-23) shutout of Aranmare Yamagata with a 19-point match high from Brazilian opposite Rosamaria. She was even more convincing on the following day, when she fired as many as 28 points towards a 3-0 (27-25, 25-20, 25-20) sweep. In just three sets of play, she spiked 25 points at a 63% success rate in attack, raised two kill blocks and delivered one ace to top the charts.

“In the second match, we were not able to perform well, because the opponent had prepared countermeasures and we were overwhelmed by their momentum, but we were able to turn the tide by correcting each point one by one,” said Denso’s setter Yuki Yamagami. “We will prepare for the next match by correcting the areas that need improvement and putting in our best performance.”

In the last double header of the leg, played on Monday and Tuesday, Astemo Rivale Ibaraki produced two three-point victories over their hosts Gunma Green Wings. First, they achieved a 3-0 (28-26, 25-14, 25-22) shutout, with 16 points (including three blocks) from American middle blocker Brionne Butler and 15 from opposite Fuyumi Hawi Okumu Oba. In the last match of the “weekend”, Astemo claimed a 3-1 (25-18, 20-25, 25-20, 25-19) win, this time on a 20-point match high from another American, Mackenzie May.

Saga Hisamitsu Springs played their home opener on Sunday and celebrated a 3-0 (25-20, 25-19, 25-20) shutout of Kurobe Aqua Fairies with outside Sae Nakajima and US opposite Stephanie Samedy sharing the top scorer honours with 15 points each. The visitors put up a tougher fight on Monday and pushed the match to five sets, but Saga once again emerged victorious with a tight 3-2 (24-26, 18-25, 25-15, 25-23, 16-14) comeback from two sets down. Samedy was on fire with a 30-point match high, including two aces. On the other side of the net, German international Lena Stigrot finished with 28 points.

Osaka Marvelous started their home double header against Toray Arrows Shiga on Sunday with a 3-2 (18-25, 26-24, 23-25, 25-18, 15-13) rollercoaster, in which Belgian opposite Lise Van Hecke led the way with 26 points, including three kill blocks and an ace. On Monday, the hosts claimed the whole three points with a 3-1 (25-20, 25-15, 25-27, 25-20) victory. This time, outside Mikoto Shima led the team with 18 points, while Toray’s Italian opposite Sylvia Nwakalor came up with a match-high 19.

PFU BlueCats Ishikawa Kahoku mounted a huge comeback from two sets down in their home opener against Victorina Himeji to celebrate a 3-2 (16-25, 25-27, 30-28, 25-20, 15-9) victory, with outside Kiiro Omura leading the team with 23 points. Her Himeji counterpart Arisa Inoue did one better to top the charts with 24. In the second match on Sunday, however, the visitors hammered out a 3-0 (25-21, 25-18, 25-15) sweep with a 16-point match high from opposite Saki Tanaka, to take fifth place in the current standings.

The sixth place is for Okayama Seagulls, who also bounced back from a five-set loss in the first match with a straight-set win in the second. Their visitors from Queenseis Kariya achieved a 3-2 (22-25, 22-25, 25-18, 25-20, 15-13) turnaround on Saturday with a major contribution from their substitute opposite Ayana Funane, who led them with 21 points. Also with 21 points each, but starting in all five sets, were Okayama’s Yuzu Nakamoto and Syuka Kaneda. A very close battle unfolded in Sunday’s match as well, but the home team managed to take it in three sets, each pushed into overtime, 3-0 (26-24, 28-26, 28-26). Nakamoto produced a match-high 17 points.

In the season opener on Saturday, Saitama Ageo Medics disappointed over three thousand home fans on the stands at the Todoroki Arena by producing a huge 3-0 (26-24, 25-23, 25-22) upset of defending champions NEC Red Rockets Kawasaki. Ai Kurogo and Yuka Sato led the visitors with 14 points apiece, while Brazilian opposite Lorrayna Marys scored 17 times for the Rockets. On Sunday, the home team bounced back with a 3-1 (27-25, 17-25, 25-20, 25-16) victory, but only enough for the seventh place in the standings, just below Ageo, as the two opponents settled in the middle of the table for now. Sub-in outside Haruko Sasaki was the best scorer of the second game with 17 points for the winners.

A set of five double headers will be played on Friday, Saturday and Sunday of this week.

Women’s SV.League 2024-2025 2nd leg:
Oct 18, 19:05 local (10:05 UTC): Aranmare Yamagata v PFU BlueCats Ishikawa Kahoku
Oct 19, 12:05 local (03:05 UTC): Victorina Himeji v Saga Hisamitsu Springs
Oct 19, 13:05 local (04:05 UTC): Astemo Rivale Ibaraki v Okayama Seagulls
Oct 19, 13:05 local (04:05 UTC): Kurobe Aqua Fairies v Denso Airybees Koriyama
Oct 19, 13:05 local (04:05 UTC): Aranmare Yamagata v PFU BlueCats Ishikawa Kahoku
Oct 19, 14:05 local (05:05 UTC): Toray Arrows Shiga v NEC Red Rockets Kawasaki
Oct 20, 12:05 local (03:05 UTC): Victorina Himeji v Saga Hisamitsu Springs
Oct 20, 13:05 local (04:05 UTC): Astemo Rivale Ibaraki v Okayama Seagulls
Oct 20, 13:05 local (04:05 UTC): Kurobe Aqua Fairies v Denso Airybees Koriyama
Oct 20, 14:05 local (05:05 UTC): Toray Arrows Shiga v NEC Red Rockets Kawasaki

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