Only a minor change in the current standings occurred, towards the lower end of the table, after the matches of the eighth leg in the men’s Daido Life SV.League in Japan were played this week. All of the top four teams scored two wins each and widened the gap from the others. Star opposites Kento Miyaura and Nimir Abdel-Aziz showed brilliant performances, especially from the serving line, acing away to lead their teams to success.
SV-Men 2024-2025
Miyaura and Nimir ace away in Japan
Recap of men’s SV.League eighth-leg matches
Published 03:19, 01 Dec 2024
Nimir Abdel-Aziz about to fire another ace
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Fifth-placed Tokyo Great Bears are the only other team with a positive balance despite the two losses they suffered at third-placed Wolfdogs Nagoya in the most anticipated double header of the week. On Saturday, Nagoya picked up three points with a 3-1 (25-17, 25-23, 20-25, 25-21) victory, inspired by a 33-point match high from Dutch opposite Nimir Abdel-Aziz, including three aces and three kill blocks. Polish outside hitter Maciej Muzaj was Tokyo’s most prolific player with 24 points, including five blocks. On Sunday, however, the two teams put up a five-set battle with the visitors opening a two-set lead. The home team mounted a furious comeback and celebrated a 3-2 (22-25, 27-29, 25-13, 25-16, 15-11) win. Nimir once again powered the winners with as many as 36 points, including six aces and two blocks, while Tokyo’s Masahiro Yanagida put away 15 points. Wolfdogs improved to a 12-4 win-loss ratio and 36 points. Great Bears are on 9-7 and 28.
“I am very pleased that the players did not give up until the end, making use of the lessons learned from yesterday's tough match. The spirited performance of both teams and the enthusiasm of the fans on the stands made us forget the cold outside, and we were so engrossed in the match,” commented Nagoya’s Italian head coach Valerio Baldovin after Sunday’s match.
Second-placed JTEKT Stings Aichi also had some difficulties in their first home game against Hiroshima Thunders as they were pushed to a tie-breaker resolution. The home side had to come back from a set down twice in the match, but eventually emerged with a 3-2 (24-26, 25-19, 22-25, 25-19, 15-10) win. Their opposite Kento Miyaura fired six aces towards a 35-point match high. Captain Yudai Arai led Hiroshima with 24 points. Miyaura kept the fire burning on Sunday as well. He hammered another four aces to top the scorers chart in his team’s 3-1 (25-20, 19-25, 25-21, 25-19) win with a total of 33 points. Brazilian opposite Felipe Roque was Hiroshima’s top scorer with 21 points. Aichi improved to 13-3 and 33, while Hiroshima kept their sixth place, on 5-11 and 17.
Defending champions Suntory Sunbirds Osaka achieved two home wins over Nippon Steel Sakai Blazers, but failed to collect the full six points either. In Thursday’s leg opener, they mastered a 3-0 (25-17, 25-17, 25-10) shutout with a 17-point match high from Russian opposite Dmitriy Muserskiy. On Friday, however, Sakai pushed the champs to a tie-breaker, but a crowd of over four and a half thousand on the stands was pleased with a 3-2 (25-20, 25-19, 17-25, 23-25, 15-13) victory in the end. This time Cuban outside Alain De Armas led the winners with 20 points, including five aces, while Sakai’s Canadian opposite Sharone Vernon-Evans topped the match scorers with 31 points. Suntory Sunbirds continue in fourth place on 10-4 and 31. Sakai are seventh on 4-10 and 13.
Table leaders Osaka Bluteon lived up to the expectations and mastered two straight-set victories on the road at Nagano Tridents, becoming the only team to collect the full six points this week and expanding their lead with 12-2 and 36. Nagano dropped one spot and are now second to last, in ninth place on 4-10 and 10. Cuban outside Miguel Lopez was Osaka’s best scorer in both matches, putting away 18 points towards Saturday’s 3-0 (25-18, 25-22, 26-24) shutout and another 19 towards Sunday’s 3-0 (25-22, 25-17, 25-16) victory.
Toray Arrows Shizuoka were the team that overtook Nagano into the eighth place. They stand on 4-10 and 12 after two home wins over bottom-placed Voreas Hokkaido, now on 1-13 and 6 in the 10th place. Saturday’s game delighted the home fans with a 3-0 (25-23, 25-21, 25-19) sweep by Toray Arrows and an 18-point match high from Brazilian opposite Alan Souza. However, a five-set rollercoaster battle unfolded on Sunday before the home team could celebrate a 3-2 (25-19, 23-25, 20-25, 25-16, 15-13) victory. This time, Italian outside Francesco Recine led the winners with 22 points.
Another five double headers will be played in the ninth leg next weekend, December 7 and 8.
Men’s SV.League 2024-2025 9th leg:
Dec 07, 14:05 local (05:05 UTC): Hiroshima Thunders v Toray Arrows Shizuoka
Dec 07, 14:05 local (05:05 UTC): Osaka Bluteon v Tokyo Great Bears
Dec 07, 15:05 local (06:05 UTC): Nippon Steel Sakai Blazers v Nagano Tridents
Dec 07, 15:35 local (06:35 UTC): Wolfdogs Nagoya v Suntory Sunbirds Osaka
Dec 07, 18:35 local (09:35 UTC): Voreas Hokkaido v JTEKT Stings Aichi
Dec 08, 13:05 local (04:05 UTC): Hiroshima Thunders v Toray Arrows Shizuoka
Dec 08, 13:05 local (04:05 UTC): Nippon Steel Sakai Blazers v Nagano Tridents
Dec 08, 14:05 local (05:05 UTC): Osaka Bluteon v Tokyo Great Bears
Dec 08, 14:35 local (05:35 UTC): Wolfdogs Nagoya v Suntory Sunbirds Osaka
Dec 08, 18:35 local (09:35 UTC): Voreas Hokkaido v JTEKT Stings Aichi
