Huge Osaka derby between Suntory Sunbirds and Bluteon to open SV.League weekend

There is no better way for Japan’s men’s Daido Life SV.League to return from a 20-day break than with a mouth-watering double-header Osaka derby between the two leading teams in the current standings, separated by only a point at the top of the table. Suntory Sunbirds Osaka and Osaka Bluteon will go head to head in the weekend opener as the eighth leg of regular season action unfolds with that and another four double headers on Saturday and Sunday, December 27 and 28.

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Defending champions Suntory Sunbirds Osaka and Osaka Bluteon, who achieved a historic success for Japan during the break, a 2025 FIVB Volleyball Club World Championship silver, will meet at Ookini Arena Maishima at 13:05 local time (04:05 UTC) on both competition days. Suntory Sunbirds top the table on a 13-1 win-loss ratio and 38 points. Bluteon are just below them, in second place on 13-1 and 37.

This will be the second double header between the two giants this season. In the 2025-2026 league opener, they traded four-set victories, with Bluteon winning the first match and Suntory Sunbirds retaliating the next day. Last season, the two clubs met six times. Bluteon won the first two encounters, while Suntory Sunbirds won the next four. Two of the six matches were resolved after five-set battles.

JTEKT Stings Aichi will host Hiroshima Thunders in another high-profile clash between the third and the fifth in the standings. The two games at the Okazaki Central Park Gymnasium will serve off at 14:05 (05:05) on Saturday and Sunday. Aichi are running in third place on 10-4 and 30, while Hiroshima are two places below them on 6-8 and 19. These two teams also exchanged four-set wins, when they met in the first half of November.

Wolfdogs Nagoya, who were crowned Emperor’s Cup champions last week, with MVP Kento Miyaura leading the team to the trophy, will welcome Nippon Steel Sakai Blazers to the Entrio at 14:35 (05:35) on Saturday and at 13:35 (04:35) on Sunday. Nagoya are fourth in the standings on 9-5 and 25, while Sakai stand second from the bottom, in ninth place on 3-11 and 8.

Nagano Tridents will entertain Tokyo Great Bears at the Air Water Arena Matsumoto at 14:05 (05:05) on Saturday and at 13:05 (04:05) on Sunday. The squad from the Japanese capital is in sixth place on 5-7 and 14. Nagano are eighth on 3-11 and 13. They already met this season. In early November, Tokyo won the first match in five sets and the second in three.

After reaching a historic Emperor’s Cup final, Voreas Hokkaido returns to the SV.League with a home double header against Toray Arrows Shizuoka, featuring two evening shows at the Hokkai Kitael, serving of at 19:05 (10:05) on both competition days. Voreas are seventh on 4-10 and 13, while Toray Arrows trail bottom, in 10^th place on 2-10 and 7.

Men’s SV.League 2025-2026 eighth leg:
Dec 27, 13:05 local (04:05 UTC): Suntory Sunbirds Osaka v Osaka Bluteon
Dec 27, 14:05 local (05:05 UTC): Nagano Tridents v Tokyo Great Bears
Dec 27, 14:05 local (05:05 UTC): JTEKT Stings Aichi v Hiroshima Thunders
Dec 27, 14:35 local (05:35 UTC): Wolfdogs Nagoya v Nippon Steel Sakai Blazers
Dec 27, 19:05 local (10:05 UTC): Voreas Hokkaido v Toray Arrows Shizuoka
Dec 28, 13:05 local (04:05 UTC): Suntory Sunbirds Osaka v Osaka Bluteon
Dec 28, 13:05 local (04:05 UTC): Nagano Tridents v Tokyo Great Bears
Dec 28, 13:35 local (04:35 UTC): Wolfdogs Nagoya v Nippon Steel Sakai Blazers
Dec 28, 14:05 local (05:05 UTC): JTEKT Stings Aichi v Hiroshima Thunders
Dec 28, 19:05 local (10:05 UTC): Voreas Hokkaido v Toray Arrows Shizuoka

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