Inoue against Hayashi in stellar clash this weekend in Japan

The upcoming weekend will offer a full set of seven double headers, or as many as 14 matches, presenting exciting clashes at all levels of the table in the women’s Daido Life SV.League of Japan. Seven matches will be played on Saturday, November 16, and another seven on Sunday. Two top-calibre Japanese internationals and high scorers – Arisa Inoue and Kotona Hayashi – will go against one another in what is already a mouth-watering clash between two stellar squads, situated near the top of the current standings on a 6-2 win-loss record each, Victorina Himeji and Osaka Marvelous. It will also offer a head-to-head sibling encounter between the Miyabe sisters.

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Victorina Himeji, with the likes of outside hitter Arisa Inoue, middle blocker Airi Miyabe or Thai star Chatchu-On Moksri on the squad, occupy fourth place on 15 points, while Osaka Marvelous, featuring striker Kotona Hayashi, Belgian opposite Lise Van Hecke and Airi Miyabe’s younger sister Ameze, are second on 18. The two teams will meet at the Kakogawa Municipal Gymnasium on Saturday at 13:05 local time (04:05 UTC) and on Sunday at 14:05 (05:05). The all-time head-to-head record is heavily in favour of Marvelous. They have won eight of the previous nine encounters with Victorina. However, the club from Himeji celebrated a four-set victory the last time they met, in February.

The potential even scuffle between Himeji and Osaka might present an opportunity for Saitama Ageo Medics to jump ahead of both teams in the table. Before the start of the competition weekend, Ageo are between Himeji and Osaka in the standings, in third place, also on a 6-2 win-loss record, and 17 points. They will travel to Aranmare Yamagata, who are placed third from the bottom, in 12^th place on 2-8 and 8. The two matches will be played at the Yamagata Prefectural Sports Park Arena on Saturday at 15:05 (06:05) and on Sunday at 13:05 (04:05).

Denso Airybees Koriyama, convincing table leaders on 9-1 and 27, who suffered their first loss of the season last weekend at home at the hands of Himeji, will now travel to Astemo Rivale Ibaraki, placed fifth on 5-3 and 14, for another high-level double header this weekend. Both matches at the CNA Arena Akita will start at 13:05 (04:05).

A big clash in the middle of the standings, between the sixth and the eighth, is also coming up this weekend. Starting at 14:05 (05:05) on Saturday and 13:05 (04:05) on Sunday, defending champions and participants in the upcoming FIVB Volleyball Club World Championship NEC Red Rockets Kawasaki, eighth on 4-4 and 14, will welcome PFU BlueCats Ishikawa Kahoku, sixth on 6-4 and 17, to the Culttz Kawasaki.

Just a tad lower in the table, a duel between seventh-placed Saga Hisamitsu Springs and ninth-placed Okayama Seagulls will spark excitement at the Saga Arena on Saturday and Sunday at 14:05 (05:05). Saga stand on 5-5 and 15, while Okayama are also balanced, but on 3-3 and 11.

Gunma Green Wings, the only remaining winless team in the league, trailing bottom on 0-6 and 0, will try to earn their first points as they visit Toray Arrows Shiga, standing 10^th on 4-6 and 12. The games will be held at the Proceed Arena Hikone on Saturday and Sunday at 14:05 (05:05).

There will be a big clash near the lower end of the standings as well. Also starting at 14:05 (05:05) on both competition days, 11^th-placed Queenseis Kariya (3-5, 9) will entertain 13^th-placed Kurobe Aqua Fairies (1-9, 3) at the Kariya City Gymnasium.

Women’s SV.League 2024-2025 6th leg:
Nov 16, 13:05 local (04:05 UTC): Astemo Rivale Ibaraki v Denso Airybees Koriyama
Nov 16, 13:05 local (04:05 UTC): Victorina Himeji v Osaka Marvelous
Nov 16, 14:05 local (05:05 UTC): NEC Red Rockets Kawasaki v PFU BlueCats Ishikawa Kahoku
Nov 16, 14:05 local (05:05 UTC): Queenseis Kariya v Kurobe Aqua Fairies
Nov 16, 14:05 local (05:05 UTC): Toray Arrows Shiga v Gunma Green Wings
Nov 16, 14:05 local (05:05 UTC): Saga Hisamitsu Springs v Okayama Seagulls
Nov 16, 15:05 local (06:05 UTC): Aranmare Yamagata v Saitama Ageo Medics
Nov 17, 13:05 local (04:05 UTC): Astemo Rivale Ibaraki v Denso Airybees Koriyama
Nov 17, 13:05 local (04:05 UTC): NEC Red Rockets Kawasaki v PFU BlueCats Ishikawa Kahoku
Nov 17, 13:05 local (04:05 UTC): Aranmare Yamagata v Saitama Ageo Medics
Nov 17, 14:05 local (05:05 UTC): Victorina Himeji v Osaka Marvelous
Nov 17, 14:05 local (05:05 UTC): Queenseis Kariya v Kurobe Aqua Fairies
Nov 17, 14:05 local (05:05 UTC): Toray Arrows Shiga v Gunma Green Wings
Nov 17, 14:05 local (05:05 UTC): Saga Hisamitsu Springs v Okayama Seagulls

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