Osaka Marvelous took advantage of the exchange of victories between table toppers Denso Airybees Koriyama and Saitama Ageo Medics and emerged as the new leader in the women’s Daido Life SV.League current standings, as the seven double headers of the eighth leg unfolded in Japan this weekend.
SV-Women 2024-2025
Osaka Marvelous emerge on top after Ageo and Denso exchange victories
Recap of women’s SV.League eighth-leg matches
Published 11:28, 01 Dec 2024
Osaka’s Ameze Miyabe in attack
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Osaka Marvelous claimed two three-point victories at home against Okayama Seagulls and collected an 11-3 win-loss ratio and 33 points to top the table, one point clear of previous leaders Saitama Ageo Medics, who are now second on the same win-loss ratio. On Saturday, Osaka mastered a 3-0 (25-18, 25-17, 25-20) shutout of Okayama. Outside hitter Ameze Miyabe and Belgian opposite Lise Van Hecke led the way with 19 points apiece. On Sunday, the visitors managed to take the first set, but the three points still went to the home team after a 3-1 (20-25, 25-16, 25-15, 25-20) comeback. Van Hecke spearheaded the winners with a match-high 23 points, while outside Kotona Hayashi added another 20 towards the victory. Okayama are now down to 12th place on 3-9 and 11.
The weekend’s big match-up started with Denso Airybees Koriyama delivering a 3-0 (25-15, 26-24, 25-16) shutout of their hosts Ageo. The winners’ Brazilian opposite Rosamaria Montibeller contributed a match-high 20 points, including three kill blocks and two aces. On the following day, the home side got back at their visitors with a 3-1 (25-20, 25-22, 21-25, 25-22) victory. Captain Yuka Sato led Ageo with 20 points, while Rosamaria was once again the top scorer of the match, with 21. After these results, Denso also dropped a spot down the table, to third place on 12-4 and 36.
Second-from-the-bottom Aranmare Yamagata managed to push their hosts NEC Red Rockets Kawasaki to overtime in a couple of sets during their double header this weekend, but the defending champions still celebrated two straight-set victories – Saturday’s 3-0 (25-17, 25-23, 26-24) with 19 points from Yoshino Sato and Sunday’s 3-0 (27-25, 25-14, 25-17) with another 17 points from the 23-year-old outside. NEC, who will represent Asia at the FIVB Volleyball Women’s Club World Championship later this month, climbed to fourth place in Japan on 10-4 and 32, while Aranmare are still in 13th place, on 2-14 and 8.
Victorina Himeji dropped from fourth to fifth place, on 10-4 and 26, after surprisingly losing one of their home games against PFU BlueCats Ishikawa Kahoku. Despite a 24-point match high from Himeji’s Thai star Chatchu-On Moksri on Saturday, PFU achieved a 3-1 (25-21, 21-25, 25-20, 25-18) victory, powered by opposite Melissa Valdes with 18 points. On Sunday, however, the hosts left no doubt over their superiority and got back at PFU with a 3-0 (25-20, 25-18, 25-22) sweep. This time, outside hitter Arisa Inoue topped the charts with 20 points for Himeji. PFU stayed in ninth place, on 7-9 and 20.
Toray Arrows Shiga climbed a spot up to sixth place, on 10-6 and 28, after two wins on the road at Queenseis Kariya, who stayed 10th on 5-9 and 17. Italian opposite Sylvia Nwakalor was on fire again, with a 27-point match high towards Saturday’s 3-1 (19-25, 29-27, 25-23, 25-22) victory, and another 27 points towards Sunday’s 3-2 (18-25, 25-23, 17-25, 25-19, 15-13) nail-biter, when her Belgian counterpart Kaja Grobelna topped the charts with 32 points. Notably, Nwakalor was not among Toray Arrows’ starters for either of the two matches.
Saga Hisamitsu Springs and Astemo Rivale Ibaraki exchanged victories in their double header, which caused Astemo a fall from sixth to seventh place, on 8-6 and 21, while Saga stayed in eighth on 8-8 and 26. On Saturday, Hisamitsu Springs produced a 3-1 (20-25, 25-19, 25-22, 25-13) comeback, with a 22-point match high, including five kill blocks, from American opposite Stephanie Samedy. On Sunday, the visitors took partial revenge in a nerve-wracking 3-2 (21-25, 25-21, 28-26, 23-25, 20-18) saga. Samedy was once again the top scorer, with 34 points, while her compatriot, middle blocker Brionne Butler impressed with seven kill blocks towards a 27-point tally for the winners. Astemo’s other middle Reika Sato also raised a remarkable seven stuffs during the match.
Gunma Green Wings once again failed to score their first win of the season and remained stuck in 14th place on 0-12 and 1, while their opponents Kurobe Aqua Fairies ascended one spot to 11th place, on 5-11 and 15. In the first encounter, Kurobe hammered out a 3-0 (25-20, 25-17, 25-17) shutout as German outside Lena Stigrot led the way with 21 points, including four blocks. The second lasted four sets, but once again the three points went Kurobe’s way, 3-1 (25-22, 25-18, 17-25, 25-22), this time with Dutch striker Iris Scholten delivering a match-high 22 points.
A full set of seven double headers will be played again next weekend, when the ninth leg takes place on Saturday, December 7, and Sunday, December 8.
Women’s SV.League 2024-2025 9th leg:
Dec 07, 13:05 local (04:05 UTC): Denso Airybees Koriyama v Toray Arrows Shiga
Dec 07, 13:05 local (04:05 UTC): Astemo Rivale Ibaraki v PFU BlueCats Ishikawa Kahoku
Dec 07, 13:05 local (04:05 UTC): Saitama Ageo Medics v Queenseis Kariya
Dec 07, 13:05 local (04:05 UTC): Kurobe Aqua Fairies v NEC Red Rockets Kawasaki
Dec 07, 13:05 local (04:05 UTC): Okayama Seagulls v Victorina Himeji
Dec 07, 13:07 local (04:07 UTC): Aranmare Yamagata v Saga Hisamitsu Springs
Dec 07, 14:05 local (05:05 UTC): Gunma Green Wings v Osaka Marvelous
Dec 08, 13:05 local (04:05 UTC): Denso Airybees Koriyama v Toray Arrows Shiga
Dec 08, 13:05 local (04:05 UTC): Astemo Rivale Ibaraki v PFU BlueCats Ishikawa Kahok
Dec 08, 13:05 local (04:05 UTC): Saitama Ageo Medics v Queenseis Kariya
Dec 08, 13:05 local (04:05 UTC): Kurobe Aqua Fairies v NEC Red Rockets Kawasaki
Dec 08, 13:05 local (04:05 UTC): Okayama Seagulls v Victorina Himeji
Dec 08, 13:05 local (04:05 UTC): Aranmare Yamagata v Saga Hisamitsu Springs
Dec 08, 14:05 local (05:05 UTC): Gunma Green Wings v Osaka Marvelous
