Ageo take the lead in Japan after Denso suffer at Astemo

A new leader emerged in the women’s Daido Life SV.League in Japan with the completion of the seven sixth-leg double headers on Saturday and Sunday. While previous table-toppers Denso Airybees Koriyama suffered two defeats during their visit to Astemo Rivale Ibaraki, Saitama Ageo Medics capitalized on two three-point wins at Aranmare Yamagata to take over the first place.

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On Saturday, Ageo mastered an emphatic 3-0 (25-10, 25-22, 25-19) shutout of Aranmare with 13 points from opposite Aki Meguro and 12 each from outside hitters Momoko Niida and Yuka Sato. Thai outside Donphon Sinpho produced a match-high 14 points for the home team. Sunday’s game was resolved in four sets, 3-1 (25-17, 25-19, 24-26, 25-23), once again in favour of Ageo. This time Serbian star Sara Lozo topped the charts with 20 points for the winners. Ai Kurogo and captain Sato added 18 and 17 points, respectively, while middle blocker Hiroyo Yamanaka raised three kill blocks to finish with 16 points. On an 8-2 win-loss record and 23 points, the team from Saitama climbed to the first place in the current standings, while Aranmare are second from the bottom, in 13^th place on 2-10 and 8.

Previous leaders Denso Airybees Koriyama got only a point out of their trip to Astemo Rivale Ibaraki and dropped to second place on five points more than Ageo, but a lower win-loss ratio of 9-3. On Saturday, the home team achieved a 3-1 (24-26, 25-17, 25-19, 25-23) victory with Americans Mackenzie May and Brionne Butler leading the squad with 18 points each, while Denso’s Brazilian opposite Rosamaria Montibeller topped that with 19. A five-set battle unfolded on Sunday and resulted in a 3-2 (20-25, 26-24, 15-25, 25-18, 15-11) win for Astemo. This time May and captain Rui Nonaka led the winners with 20 points apiece, while Rosamaria scored 26. Astemo climbed one spot to fourth place on 7-3 and 19, surpassing Victorina Himeji.

Victorina Himeji had a good start to the weekend with an amazing 3-2 (23-25, 20-25, 25-18, 25-11, 15-5) comeback win over Osaka Marvelous. Arisa Inoue contributed a match-high 20 points. Middle blocker Airi Miyabe added another 19. Her sister Ameze Miyabe also scored 19 points, but for the visitors from Osaka. On Sunday, Marvelous took revenge with a 3-1 (25-23, 20-25, 25-22, 25-17) victory. Belgian opposite Lise Van Hecke powered her team with four kill blocks and one ace towards a 22-point match high. On the other side of the net, Himeji’s Serbian middle Minja Osmajic impressed with as many as eight kill blocks to finish with 19 points. Osaka, who were also overtaken by Ageo, fell to third place on 7-3 and 22, while Himeji dropped to fifth on 7-3 and 19.

Defending champions NEC Red Rockets Kawasaki achieved two home wins over PFU BlueCats Ishikawa Kahoku and climbed to sixth place on 6-4 and 20, while their opponents descended to ninth on 6-6 and 17. In Saturday’s game, outside Yoshino Sato hammered out a match-high 21 points towards NEC’s 3-1 (25-20, 25-23, 22-25, 25-17) victory. Opposite Yukiko Wada led the way with 17 points in Sunday’s 3-0 (25-21, 25-19, 25-22) shutout.

Saga Hisamitsu Springs kept the seventh place, now on 7-5 and 21, after two straight-set home victories over Okayama Seagulls, which sent the opponents down to 10^th place on 3-5 and 11. On Saturday, American opposite fired an amazing 30 points in a three-set match, including three kill block towards a 3-0 (25-22, 25-19, 27-25) shutout. She slowed down a bit on Sunday to contribute “only” 22 points in another 3-0 (25-21, 25-20, 25-19) sweep.

Toray Arrows Shiga ascended two spots to eighth place on 6-6 and 17 after two home wins over bottom-placed Gunma Green Wings: a hard-fought 3-2 (21-25, 17-25, 25-17, 25-20, 17-15) comeback from two sets down with a 25-point match high from Italian opposite Sylvia Nwakalor on Saturday, and a 3-1 (27-25-20-25, 25-20, 25-21) victory with Nwakalor leading the way with 29 points on Sunday. Gunma remain winless in eight games played, in 14^th place on 1 point, which they earned this weekend.

Kurobe Aqua Fairies lifted themselves from the 13th to the 12th place on 3-9 and 8 with two away victories over Queenseis Kariya, who remained 11^th, now on 3-7 and 10. The first match offered a hard-fought three-set duel that ended at 3-0 (25-23, 25-22, 29-27) Kurobe’s way, with Lena Stigrot leading the way with 17 points. The second produced a five-set rollercoaster. The scoring race between the German outside and Belgian opposite Kaja Grobelna finished 35-29 Stigrot’s way in points and resulted in a 3-2 (25-22, 25-23, 21-25, 20-25, 15-12) Kurobe win.

The seventh leg next weekend will offer another full set of seven double headers on the programme for November 23 and 24.

Women’s SV.League 2024-2025 7th leg:
Nov 23, 11:35 local (02:35 UTC): Victorina Himeji v Astemo Rivale Ibaraki
Nov 23, 13:05 local (04:05 UTC): Denso Airybees Koriyama v Saga Hisamitsu Springs
Nov 23, 13:05 local (04:05 UTC): PFU BlueCats Ishikawa Kahoku v Saitama Ageo Medics
Nov 23, 14:05 local (05:05 UTC): Aranmare Yamagata v Queenseis Kariya
Nov 23, 14:05 local (05:05 UTC): Gunma Green Wings v NEC Red Rockets Kawasaki
Nov 23, 16:05 local (07:05 UTC): Kurobe Aqua Fairies v Osaka Marvelous
Nov 23, 16:05 local (07:05 UTC): Okayama Seagulls v Toray Arrows Shiga
Nov 24, 11:35 local (02:35 UTC): Victorina Himeji v Astemo Rivale Ibaraki
Nov 24, 13:05 local (04:05 UTC): Denso Airybees Koriyama v Saga Hisamitsu Springs
Nov 24, 13:05 local (04:05 UTC): PFU BlueCats Ishikawa Kahoku v Saitama Ageo Medics
Nov 24, 13:05 local (04:05 UTC): Aranmare Yamagata v Queenseis Kariya
Nov 24, 13:05 local (04:05 UTC): Kurobe Aqua Fairies v Osaka Marvelous
Nov 24, 14:05 local (05:05 UTC): Gunma Green Wings v NEC Red Rockets Kawasaki
Nov 24, 16:05 local (07:05 UTC): Okayama Seagulls v Toray Arrows Shiga

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