Favorites recover from Saturday’s shocking defeats in Japan

Saturday’s program in the women’s Daido Life SV.League in Japan offered some shocking results, in which the favorites suffered unexpected setbacks, highlighted by NEC Red Rockets Kawasaki’s first loss of the season. Sunday’s results, however, restored the order.

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In the most surprising result of the league’s sixth weekend, PFU BlueCats Ishikawa Kahoku produced a 3-1 (25-18, 17-25, 25-21, 25-17) away victory over NEC Red Rockets Kawasaki, handing the opponents their first defeat since the start of the season. Opposite Melissa Valdes was instrumental in the visitors’ success, contributing a match-high 24 points, all in swings at a 52% success rate. NEC got back at PFU on Sunday with a 3-0 (25-17, 25-19, 25-20) shutout. Outside hitter Yoshino Sato led the winners with 17 points, including three kill blocks, while Valdes was once again the best scorer of the match, with 19 points in attack at a 63% success rate. At the end of the weekend, the squad from Kawasaki continues to lead the current standings, on an 11-1 win-loss ratio and 30 points. PFU kept their eighth place, now on 6-6 and 21.

Defending champions Osaka Marvelous were also stunned at home on Saturday, as Queenseis Kariya beat them in four sets in the weekend opener. The visitors celebrated a 3-1 (15-25, 25-22, 26-24, 25-21) victory, spearheaded by American opposite Danielle Cuttino with a match-high 32 points under her belt. Her tally featured two aces and two kill blocks. On Sunday, Osaka also took their revenge and defeated Kariya by 3-1 (25-17, 25-21, 18-25, 25-21). Two Osaka players shared the top scorer honors in this match with 20 points each –outside hitter and captain Mizuki Tanaka (three kill blocks) and Belgian opposite Lise Van Hecke (one block). The two teams stand on a 7-5 win-loss ratio each. Osaka stayed sixth on 24 points, just above seventh-placed Kariya on 21.

Fourth-placed Kurobe Aqua Fairies were also upset in the first match, but on the road, at Toray Arrows Shiga. The home side took Saturday’s game in four sets, 3-1 (26-28, 25-22, 25-16, 25-21). French opposite Lucille Gicquel fueled the victory with 18 spike kills and two stuffs, while Kurobe’s German outside Lena Stigrot topped the charts with 21 points in attack. The visitors got back on the winning track with an emphatic 3-0 (25-18, 25-17, 25-19) win on Sunday with a match-high 18 points from Stigrot, including a block. On 8-4 and 20, Kurobe stayed in fourth place. Toray Arrows are third from the bottom, in 12^th place on 3-9 and 8.

Denso Airybees Koriyama are another team that suffered at home on Saturday, but bounced back with a win on Sunday. Saitama Ageo Medics put together a hard-fought comeback from two sets down to beat Denso by 3-2 (23-25, 15-25, 26-24, 25-20, 15-12) in the first match of their double header. Ageo’s opposite Fuyumihaui Okumuoba was the best scorer of the game with 22 points, including a block. In Sunday’s encounter, Denso took out their visitors in straight sets, 3-0 (25-17, 25-19, 26-24), with a match-high 20 points from Brazilian opposite Rosamaria Montibeller, including two blocks. On 6-4 and 17, and with two games in hand, Ageo remained in fifth place, while Denso stayed 10^th on 5-7 and 16.

Victorina Himeji and Saga Hisamitsu Springs took advantage of the opportunity to narrow the gap to leaders NEC and mastered two straight-set wins each. Second-placed Himeji improved to 9-3 and 28 after Saturday’s 3-0 (25-23, 25-14, 25-12) shutout of their hosts Okayama Seagulls with a match-high 21 points, including two aces, from Italian striker Camilla Mingardi, and Sunday’s 3-0 (25-17, 25-19, 25-19) sweep with another 24 points, all in swings, by top scorer Mingardi. Okayama remain second from the bottom, in 13^th place on 1-11 and 4.

Third-placed Saga Hisamitsu Springs mastered two home victories over Astemo Rivale Ibaraki and improved to 9-3 and 28. In the first match, American opposite Stephanie Samedy led the way to a 3-0 (25-23, 25-22, 25-16) win with 15 points, including two aces. In the second, she contributed a match-high 17 points, all in offense, towards a 3-0 (25-23, 25-22, 25-18) win.

Gunma Green Wings brought home the full six points from their visit to Aranmare Yamagata after two straight-set wins. In Saturday’s 3-0 (33-31, 25-23, 25-19) shutout, Polish outside Olivia Rozanski led the way with 23 points, including two blocks and an ace. On Sunday, opposite Momoko Niida contributed a team-high 14 points, including three blocks, towards Gunma’s 3-0 (25-22, 25-18, 25-20) sweep. With three kill blocks and 14 spike kills, Aranmare’s Thai star Ajcharaporn Kongyot was the best scorer of that game. Gunma improved to 6-6 and 19 to stay in ninth place. Aranmare are still stuck at the bottom, in 14^th place on 1-11 and 3.

Another full set of seven double headers will be played next weekend as the seventh leg unfolds from Friday, November 21, to Sunday, November 23.

Women’s SV.League 2025-2026 seventh leg:
Nov 21, 19:05 local (10:05 UTC): Saga Hisamitsu Springs v Toray Arrows Shiga
Nov 22, 13:05 local (04:05 UTC): Saitama Ageo Medics v Osaka Marvelous
Nov 22, 13:05 local (04:05 UTC): PFU BlueCats Ishikawa Kahoku v Astemo Rivale Ibaraki
Nov 22, 14:05 local (05:05 UTC): Aranmare Yamagata v Denso Airybees Koriyama
Nov 22, 14:05 local (05:05 UTC): NEC Red Rockets Kawasaki v Queenseis Kariya
Nov 22, 14:05 local (05:05 UTC): Victorina Himeji v Kurobe Aqua Fairies
Nov 22, 14:05 local (05:05 UTC): Okayama Seagulls v Gunma Green Wings
Nov 22, 15:05 local (06:05 UTC): Saga Hisamitsu Springs v Toray Arrows Shiga
Nov 23, 12:05 local (03:05 UTC): Saitama Ageo Medics v Osaka Marvelous
Nov 23, 13:05 local (04:05 UTC): PFU BlueCats Ishikawa Kahoku v Astemo Rivale Ibaraki
Nov 23, 13:05 local (04:05 UTC): Aranmare Yamagata v Denso Airybees Koriyama
Nov 23, 13:05 local (04:05 UTC): NEC Red Rockets Kawasaki v Queenseis Kariya
Nov 23, 14:05 local (05:05 UTC): Victorina Himeji v Kurobe Aqua Fairies
Nov 23, 14:05 local (05:05 UTC): Okayama Seagulls v Gunma Green Wings

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