Osaka and Saga trade wins in big double header in Japan this weekend

In the biggest double header clash of the 12^th leg in the women’s Daido Life SV.League, Osaka Marvelous and Saga Hisamitsu Springs traded wins, among the many interesting results produced this weekend in Japan.

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Defending champions Osaka Marvelous took a 3-1 (21-25, 25-21, 25-21, 25-15) home win over Saga Hisamitsu Springs on Saturday. Their Belgian opposite Lise Van Hecke was above all with four kill blocks and an ace towards a match-high 27 points. On Sunday, the visitors from Saga retaliated with a 3-2 (24-26, 18-25, 25-20, 25-11, 15-9) reverse sweep, inspired by a match-high 30 points from American opposite Stephanie Samedy, including two aces and a block. The two sides kept their positions in the current standings. Saga are running in second place on a 17-5 win-loss ratio and 46 points, while Osaka are third on 16-8 and 50.

In one of the weekend openers on Saturday, Queenseis Kariya surprised their hosts Gunma Green Wings with a convincing 3-0 (25-11, 25-20, 25-19) shutout on the wings of a match-high 19 points, including two blocks, by Russian outside hitter Sofya Kuznetsova. Kariya won the next two sets against Gunma on Sunday before the home team finally started their comeback to claim a 3-2 (18-25, 23-25, 25-21, 27-25, 15-10) turnaround victory, highlighted by a 31-point contribution from Polish opposite Olivia Rozanski, the best scorer of the match, and five kill blocks each by Gunma’s Bulgarian middle blocker Nasya Dimitrova and Queenseis’ American opposite Danielle Cuttino. Gunma moved down from fourth to fifth in the standings on 15-9 and 44. Kariya also lost ground and descended from eighth to ninth place on 12-12 and 41.

Kurobe Aqua Fairies and Denso Airybees Koriyama also traded wins in their double header this weekend. In the first game, Kurobe achieved a 3-1 (25-17, 25-19, 13-25, 25-22) home victory, led by Dutch opposite Iris Scholten with 23 points. Denso’s Brazilian opposite Rosamaria Montibeller was the best scorer of the match with 29 points. Rosamaria led the way to Denso’s 3-1 (21-25, 25-14, 25-13, 25-18) revenge on Sunday with a match-high 22 points. Denso remained in 10^th place, now on 10-12 and 30, while Kurobe dropped one position to eighth place on 12-10 and 33.

Victorina Himeji were the team that overtook Gunma in the table and climbed to fourth place on 16-8 and 46 after two straight-set victories at Astemo Rivale Ibaraki, who stayed in 11^th place on 8-14 and 25. Bulgarian middle Mira Todorova led the way to Saturday’s 3-0 (25-18, 25-21, 25-16) sweep with a team-high 14 points, including three kill blocks, while American outside Mackenzie May scored a match-high 15 for Astemo. Todorova shined with another five kill blocks on Sunday, while outside hitters Rui Nonaka and Kaya Watanabe led Himeji to a 3-0 (25-21, 25-15, 25-21) win with 16 points apiece. This time, their counterpart and captain Miwako Osanai was the best scorer of the game with 17 points for the home team.

Saitama Ageo Medics, on the other hand, were the team that surpassed both Kurobe and Kariya in the standings and ascended from ninth to seventh place on 12-10 and 34 after two home wins over Aranmare Yamagata, who trail bottom in 14^th place on 1-21 and 4. Ageo’s Fuyumihaui Okumuoba topped the chart in Saturday’s 3-0 (25-21, 25-20, 27-25) sweep with 14 points, all in swings. American-Polish opposite Izabella Rapacz steered Ageo to Sunday’s 3-1 (25-21, 25-14, 26-28, 25-16) victory with a match-high 18 points, including two blocks.

NEC Red Rockets Kawasaki consolidated in first place on 20-2 and 56 after bringing home the full six points from their visit to Toray Arrows Shiga. The first match went 3-1 (25-15, 25-18, 24-26, 25-23) NEC’s way with a match-high 22 points from opposite Yukiko Wada. The second produced an emphatic 3-0 (25-14, 25-15, 25-17) shutout with a match-high 21 points from American outside Giovanna Day. Now on 3-19 and 9, Toray Arrows are still second from the bottom, in 13^th place.

Okayama Seagulls are still just above them, in 12^th place on 3-19 and 12, after suffering two home losses to PFU BlueCats Ishikawa Kahoku this weekend – 3-0 (25-18, 25-22, 25-22) with a match-high 17 points from PFU’s opposite Melissa Valdes, and 3-0 (25-17, 25-17, 25-15) with a match-high 14 points from PFU’s substitute player Reina Kawasaki. The team from Kahoku is running in sixth place on 13-9 and 44.

A full set of seven double headers will be played next weekend, January 17 and 18.

Women’s SV.League 2025-2026 13th leg:
Jan 17, 13:05 local (04:05 UTC): Denso Airybees Koriyama v Gunma Green Wings
Jan 17, 14:05 local (05:05 UTC): NEC Red Rockets Kawasaki v Kurobe Aqua Fairies
Jan 17, 14:05 local (05:05 UTC): Astemo Rivale Ibaraki v Saitama Ageo Medics
Jan 17, 14:05 local (05:05 UTC): Victorina Himeji v PFU BlueCats Ishikawa Kahoku
Jan 17, 15:05 local (06:05 UTC): Toray Arrows Shiga v Aranmare Yamagata
Jan 17, 17:05 local (08:05 UTC): Osaka Marvelous v Okayama Seagulls
Jan 17, 18:05 local (09:05 UTC): Queenseis Kariya v Saga Hisamitsu Springs
Jan 18, 13:05 local (04:05 UTC): Denso Airybees Koriyama v Gunma Green Wings
Jan 18, 13:05 local (04:05 UTC): NEC Red Rockets Kawasaki v Kurobe Aqua Fairies
Jan 18, 14:05 local (05:05 UTC): Astemo Rivale Ibaraki v Saitama Ageo Medics
Jan 18, 14:05 local (05:05 UTC): Victorina Himeji v PFU BlueCats Ishikawa Kahoku
Jan 18, 14:05 local (05:05 UTC): Queenseis Kariya v Saga Hisamitsu Springs
Jan 18, 15:05 local (06:05 UTC): Toray Arrows Shiga v Aranmare Yamagata
Jan 18, 17:05 local (08:05 UTC): Osaka Marvelous v Okayama Seagulls

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