Denso v Himeji double header highlights upcoming weekend in Japan

Table leaders Denso Airybees Koriyama will host another strong opponent for two matches this weekend in their quest to stay undefeated on top of the women’s Daido Life SV.League of Japan. As the six double headers of the fifth leg unfold on Saturday and Sunday, November 9 and 10, fourth-placed Victorina Himeji will visit Denso in an attempt to put an end to the opponents’ winning streak.

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Denso Airybees Koriyama top the current standings on eight wins and 23 points, one short of a full set of 24 possible. Victorina Himeji are also on a winning streak of five consecutive victories and have a 5-1 win-loss record and 13 points. If they manage to win both games at the Kokichi Tsuburaya Memorial Arena this weekend, they will jump over Denso in the table. The match starting times on both Saturday and Sunday are 13:05 local (04:05 UTC).

When the two clubs last met in February this year, Himeji wrote history by beating this opponent for the first time in history. All 10 of their previous encounters had been won by Airybees. Whether or not Airi Miyabe, Arisa Imoue, Chatchu-on Moksri and their teammates can repeat that feat as they visit Rosamaria Montibeller and company this weekend remains to be seen.

In another anticipated double header between top-level teams, Osaka Marvelous will host Astemo Rivale Ibaraki at the Panasonic Arena also at 13:05 (04:05) on both days of the weekend. The home side around Japanese star Kotona Hayashi, now standing in fifth place on 4-2 and 12, will try to recover from the first two defeats of the season they registered upon their visit to Denso last weekend. Having allowed only one loss in six matches played, Astemo, with American players Mackenzie May and Brionne Butler in the line-up, occupy the third place on 14 points. Last season, Osaka won both meetings with Astemo, but one of them was pushed to five sets.

Second-placed Saitama Ageo Medics will visit eighth-placed Saga Hisamitsu Springs at Green Arena Kobe for two games starting at 14:05 (05:05) on both competition days. The visitors will try to further improve their record of 5-1 and 15. Winning both matches could help them take over the top of the standings, should Denso stumble in both of their games against Himeji. Saga, on the other hand, stand on 4-4 and 11.

Toray Arrows Shiga will welcome neighbours in the table Queenseis Kariya to the Ehime Prefectural Martial Arts Center at 14:05 (05:05) on Saturday and at 13:05 (04:05) on Sunday. If the 11^th-placed hosts (2-6, 8) win both matches against 10^th-placed Kariya (3-3, 7), they will be able to overtake them in the current standings.

PFU BlueCats Ishikawa Kahoku, in eighth place on 4-4 and 11, will try to move up to the top half of the table as they entertain bottom-placed Gunma Green Wings, 14^th on 0-4 and 0, for a double header at the Toriyasaimiso BlueCats Arena on Saturday and Sunday at 13:05 (04:05).

The two teams just above Gunma at the bottom of the table will engage in a direct battle with each other for a better position. Also at 13:05 (04:05) on Saturday and Sunday, Aranmare Yamagata, placed 13th on 0-8 and 2, will be striving for their first win of the season as the visit 12^th-placed Kurobe Aqua Fairies (1-7, 3) at the YKK Gymnasium.

Women’s SV.League 2024-2025 5th leg:
Nov 9, 13:05 local (04:05 UTC): Denso Airybees Koriyama v Victorina Himeji
Nov 9, 13:05 local (04:05 UTC): Kurobe Aqua Fairies v Aranmare Yamagata
Nov 9, 13:05 local (04:05 UTC): PFU BlueCats Ishikawa Kahoku v Gunma Green Wings
Nov 9, 13:05 local (04:05 UTC): Osaka Marvelous v Astemo Rivale Ibaraki
Nov 9, 14:05 local (05:05 UTC): Toray Arrows Shiga v Queenseis Kariya
Nov 9, 14:05 local (05:05 UTC): Saga Hisamitsu Springs v Saitama Ageo Medics
Nov 10, 13:05 local (04:05 UTC): Denso Airybees Koriyama v Victorina Himeji
Nov 10, 13:05 local (04:05 UTC): Kurobe Aqua Fairies v Aranmare Yamagata
Nov 10, 13:05 local (04:05 UTC): PFU BlueCats Ishikawa Kahoku v Gunma Green Wings
Nov 10, 13:05 local (04:05 UTC): Osaka Marvelous v Astemo Rivale Ibaraki
Nov 10, 13:05 local (04:05 UTC): Toray Arrows Shiga v Queenseis Kariya
Nov 10, 14:05 local (05:05 UTC): Saga Hisamitsu Springs v Saitama Ageo Medics

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