Wolfdogs to challenge Sunbirds this weekend in Japan

A clash between third-placed Wolfdogs Nagoya and current standings leaders Suntory Sunbirds Osaka is in the spotlight this upcoming weekend, as the 11^th leg in the men’s Daido Life SV.League in Japan unfolds with a full set of five double headers on Saturday and Sunday, January 17 and 18.

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Wolfdogs Nagoya will host defending champions Suntory Sunbirds Osaka at the IG Arena on Saturday at 15:35 local time (06:35 UTC) and on Sunday at 14:35 (05:35) in the most interesting match-up of the 11^th leg. The home team is running in third place on a 13-7 win-loss ratio and 38 points, while the visitors convincingly top the table on 19-1 and 55. Nagoya have won 14 of the previous 32 meetings with Suntory in the league. The club from Osaka won the remaining 18, plus one golden set. The two met in last season’s best-of-three semifinals, when Sunbirds came back from losing the first match and beat Wolfdogs in the next two to advance to the final and eventually win the title. Suntory also won the first two encounters with Nagoya this season in November, celebrating two 3-1 road wins.

Second-placed Osaka Bluteon will play at home this weekend. The FIVB Volleyball Men’s Club World Championship runners-up will welcome Nagano Tridents to the Asue Arena Osaka in the opening matches on both competition days, serving off at 12:35 (03:35). Bluteon stand firmly in the SV.League runner-up position on 16-4 and 46, while Nagano are stuck at the bottom of the table, in 10^th place on 3-17 and 14.

JTEKT Stings Aichi, standing in fourth place on 13-7 and 38, and a lower set ratio than Nagoya, will visit Voreas Hokkaido, who are third from the bottom, in eighth place on 5-13 and 16. Saturday’s match will get underway at 16:05 (07:05). The one on Sunday will start an hour earlier, at 15:05 (06:05). The games will be played at the Hakodate Arena. When Voreas hosted Stings in October, they surprised them in the first match with a 3-1 win, but the visitors from Aichi swept the next day’s match in straight sets.

Fifth-placed Tokyo Great Bears will also play on the road this weekend. They will travel to Nippon Steel Sakai Blazers for two matches at the Kitakyushu City General Gymnasium, serving off at 15:05 (06:05) on Saturday and at 14:05 (05:05) on Sunday. The team from the capital stands on 9-9 and 26, while their hosts are in ninth place on 5-15 and 15.

Hiroshima Thunders will entertain Toray Arrows Shizuoka at the IHI Arena Kure. The first encounter between the two teams will start at 14:05 (05:05) on Saturday and the second at 13:05 (04:05) on Sunday. The two teams are neighbors in the table. Hiroshima are in sixth place on 7-11 and 22, while Torray Arrows are seventh on 6-12 and 18.

Men’s SV.League 2025-2026 11th leg:
Jan 17, 12:35 local (03:35 UTC): Osaka Bluteon v Nagano Tridents
Jan 17, 14:05 local (05:05 UTC): Hiroshima Thunders v Toray Arrows Shizuoka
Jan 17, 15:05 local (06:05 UTC): Nippon Steel Sakai Blazers v Tokyo Great Bears
Jan 17, 15:35 local (06:35 UTC): Wolfdogs Nagoya v Suntory Sunbirds Osaka
Jan 17, 16:05 local (07:05 UTC): Voreas Hokkaido v JTEKT Stings Aichi
Jan 18, 12:35 local (03:35 UTC): Osaka Bluteon v Nagano Tridents
Jan 18, 13:05 local (04:05 UTC): Hiroshima Thunders v Toray Arrows Shizuoka
Jan 18, 14:05 local (05:05 UTC): Nippon Steel Sakai Blazers v Tokyo Great Bears
Jan 18, 14:35 local (05:35 UTC): Wolfdogs Nagoya v Suntory Sunbirds Osaka
Jan 18, 15:05 local (06:05 UTC): Voreas Hokkaido v JTEKT Stings Aichi

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