The Nationals Preliminary Finals were held on Monday.
Naturally, the excitement surrounding the preliminary tournament could not compare to the actual Nationals. However, within the local area, the preliminaries were still highly popular. To allow students and office workers who could not attend in person due to scheduling conflicts to watch the finals, the championship match was broadcast live throughout Miyagi Prefecture.
The match between Aoba Johsai and Shiratorizawa took place on Monday afternoon. By the time the second set had ended, most middle school students had already finished classes for the day.
Karasuno High School was one of them.
Since Karasuno had been eliminated early by Aoba Johsai during the regular tournament, the members of the Karasuno Volleyball Club had been feeling down for quite some time.
Even so, after school, they gathered in the club room to watch the final between Aoba Johsai and Shiratorizawa together.
“Something feels strange. Aoba Johsai doesn’t seem to have much desire to attack in this set. Could it be that, like Shiratorizawa, they’ve decided to give up on the fourth set?” Sawamura Daichi stood to the right of the television, stroking his chin as he spoke.
“No.”
Sitting directly in front of the TV with a cigarette between his fingers, Keishin Ukai shook his head.
“To be precise, it’s the exact opposite. Not only has Aoba Johsai not given up on the fourth set, but they’re also using it to pave a smooth road toward the decisive fifth set.”
“Have any of you noticed what’s different about this set compared to the earlier ones?”
The Karasuno players looked at one another, but nobody answered.
Ukai slapped his forehead.
“Right, I almost forgot. You guys didn’t watch the first two sets, so I’ll explain. The fourth set between Aoba Johsai and Shiratorizawa has lasted much longer than any of the previous three sets. That’s true both in terms of total time and the number of rallies played.”
“Also, throughout this set, most of Shiratorizawa’s attacks have gone through Ushijima Wakatoshi. Meanwhile, Aoba Johsai’s two key players, Asuto and Oikawa, haven’t been making many moves.”
“In fact, Oikawa has even handed setting duties off to other players several times…”
A sharp light flashed through Kageyama’s eyes.
“Aoba Johsai is trying to drain Ushijima-senpai’s stamina.”
Ukai glanced at him and nodded.
“That’s right.”
“In a sense, Aoba Johsai really has given up on the fourth set. The difference is that unlike Shiratorizawa, who abandoned the third set, Aoba Johsai is willing to sacrifice the entire fourth set in exchange for wearing down Ushijima Wakatoshi’s physical condition.”
“If my guess is correct, Aoba Johsai will continue increasing the number of rallies from here on. They’ll also make frequent substitutions. If necessary, even Asuto and Oikawa might be taken off the court…”
Beeeep…
As if the Aoba Johsai players on television had heard Ukai’s words, only moments after he finished speaking, the team signaled for a substitution, and the player being replaced was none other than Aoba Johsai’s core setter, Oikawa.
The substitute entering the match was Number 13… Akira Kunimi.
“Tch. That’s a gutsy substitution.”
Ukai couldn’t help clicking his tongue.
Although he had guessed Aoba Johsai’s plan, knowing what should be done and actually doing it were two completely different things. Even if he were Aoba Johsai’s head coach, and even if he knew this decision would benefit the team, he wasn’t sure he would have the courage to make that call.
After all, substituting out the team’s core setter was an incredibly risky move.
Not to mention that the player coming in was a first-year wing spiker. Whether in terms of experience, technique, or position, the two had almost nothing in common.
“They probably don’t want their blocking strength to drop too much, right?”
After watching Kunimi Akira replace Oikawa, Kageyama thought for a moment before cautiously offering his opinion.
Ukai nodded.
“Exactly. For the current Aoba Johsai, having an excellent setter on the court isn’t particularly important. Right now, they don’t need overwhelming offensive power.”
“Aoba Johsai is continuously using touch blocks to weaken Ushijima Wakatoshi’s attacks and increase the length of rallies. In that regard, the difference between Oikawa and Akira Kunimi isn’t all that significant. So rather than keeping Oikawa on the court, it’s better to let him rest and recover his stamina.”
“I have a question.”
As soon as Ukai finished speaking, a hand shot up from the crowd.
The others stepped aside, revealing that the speaker was none other than Hinata.
“If Aoba Johsai can make substitutions, why doesn’t Shiratorizawa do the same?”
The group exchanged glances.
By now, they were more or less accustomed to Hinata’s lack of basic volleyball knowledge. With a helpless sigh, Kōshi Sugawara answered:
“Hinata, Shiratorizawa can’t really afford to substitute right now. They’re the team that’s behind. Unlike Aoba Johsai, they can’t take a gamble.”
“If that gamble fails, Shiratorizawa will lose their chance to qualify for the Nationals altogether.”
“Besides, if they take Ushijima Wakatoshi off the court right now, the rest of Shiratorizawa’s players will have a very hard time breaking through Aoba Johsai’s blocks.”
“From what I know, Shiratorizawa has never used a strategy that involves giving up an entire set before. It looks like Aoba Johsai has really pushed them to the edge this time,” Keishin Ukai added with a shake of his head.
“It’s obvious that, from a tactical standpoint, Aoba Johsai has completely outmaneuvered Shiratorizawa. Oikawa… he’s truly a terrifying player.”
At that moment, the television broadcast happened to focus on Oikawa in the resting area. Wearing a gentle smile, Oikawa casually waved at the camera.
“Yeah. But even with someone like Oikawa, Aoba Johsai has never managed to defeat Shiratorizawa in the past. It’s hard to imagine just how strong Ushijima Wakatoshi really is as one of the ‘Top Three Great Aces in Japan,’” Takeda Ittetsu suddenly remarked, seemingly lost in thought.
His comment caught everyone off guard, and they all turned to look at him, startling Takeda.
“Eh? Eh? Did I say something wrong?”
“No, not at all,” Ukai quickly shook his head. “It’s just that I didn’t expect Coach Takeda to know so much about volleyball.”
Takeda scratched the back of his head with an embarrassed laugh.
“Hahaha… I’ve only learned a little while watching you all practice. Besides, Ushijima Wakatoshi from Shiratorizawa is already quite famous, so gathering information about him isn’t difficult.”
“That’s true,” Ukai replied.
“To be honest, I also looked into Ushijima Wakatoshi a while ago, and the conclusions I reached were pretty frightening.”
“Since junior high school, Oikawa and Ushijima Wakatoshi have been longtime rivals. Any team that had Oikawa on it was nearly flawless when it came to tactics, experience, technique, and teamwork. But even so, Ushijima Wakatoshi was still able to crush Oikawa’s teams through sheer individual strength alone, winning by overwhelming margins every single time.”
“Honestly, even back in our day, a player like that simply didn’t exist.”
“So even though Aoba Johsai currently holds a considerable advantage, nobody can say for certain how this match will end…”
Beeeeep…
A long whistle echoed through the arena.
As the referee signaled the end of the set, not only did the players on the court breathe sighs of relief, but even the spectators seated on the second floor seemed to relax.
The set had gone on for an incredibly long time.
The previous sets had each lasted around twenty minutes, but the fourth set alone had stretched beyond forty minutes, which is already more than double the duration of any of the earlier sets.
Yet when the audience looked at the scoreboard, they were shocked to see the final score:
18–25.
Honestly, if they hadn’t witnessed it with their own eyes, it would have been hard to believe that a set decided by such a large point difference could have lasted so long.
When the players left the court, every one of them was drenched in sweat and breathing heavily.
The Shiratorizawa players looked especially exhausted. Their uniforms were nearly soaked through, and as soon as they returned to the bench area, many of them bent over, gasping for air, their faces noticeably pale.
Seeing the state of the team, Shiratorizawa’s assistant coach felt his heart sink.
Even though Shiratorizawa’s players were accustomed to Coach Washijō Tanji’s Spartan-style training methods, no one could say for sure how much strength they would still be able to display after expending so much stamina.
More importantly, while Shiratorizawa’s players were visibly exhausted, Aoba Johsai’s two key players, Oikawa and Asuto, had preserved their energy remarkably well.
“Coach Washijō, should we—”
“It doesn’t matter.”
The assistant coach had barely opened his mouth before Washijō Tanji cut him off sharply.
“A little cleverness like this means nothing to us. As long as they cannot stop our offense, victory will still belong to Shiratorizawa.”
“For the final set, everyone listen carefully. We have no special tactics.”
“Get the ball to Ushijima. That is your only task. Understood?”
“Yes!” The entire team responded in unison.
Washijō’s instructions sounded simple, but this had always been Shiratorizawa’s strongest strategy.
The coach had never truly focused on developing a team.
More accurately, he specialized in training genuine stars, and the purpose of a star player was to step forward during crucial moments and secure victory for the team.
Therefore, even though Ushijima Wakatoshi himself felt the exhaustion weighing heavily on his body, he offered no objection after hearing Washijō’s orders.
…
On the other side, Irihata Nobuteru’s reaction was actually very similar to Washijō Tanji’s.
Or rather, Irihata was even less involved than Washijō.
After all, Washijō had at least said a few words to his players, but before the start of the deciding fifth set, Irihata Nobuteru didn’t say a single thing.
Because Oikawa had already said everything that needed to be said.
Ushijima Wakatoshi was undoubtedly the team’s superstar.
But Oikawa was the team’s soul.
As the whistle echoed through the arena once again, the final deciding set between Aoba Johsai and Shiratorizawa officially began.
The fifth set in volleyball differs from the previous four. Instead of being played to twenty-five points, it is played to fifteen. Whichever team reaches fifteen points first while maintaining at least a two-point lead earns the right to advance to the Nationals.
Before the fifth set, a coin toss was held again to determine serving rights.
In the end, Shiratorizawa won the toss and chose to serve first.
The opening server was none other than Ushijima Wakatoshi.
Holding the ball, Ushijima stepped beyond the baseline at Position 1.
His stamina had been severely depleted. Under the arena lights, his face and limbs seemed to glisten faintly, it was the reflection of sweat covering his body.
Taking a long breath and forcing his racing heartbeat under control, Ushijima slowly tossed the ball into the air…
BOOM!
A thunderous impact rang out.
The volleyball shot across the court like a cannonball, clearing the net in an instant, blowing past Aoba Johsai’s defense, and smashing directly onto the back boundary line.
Tweet!
The referee immediately raised the flag and signaled the point for Shiratorizawa.
1–0.
The Aoba Johsai players were startled.
Even Oikawa froze for a moment before a fierce grin gradually spread across his face.
“Damn you… Even at this point, you can still serve like that?”
Looking at the heavily breathing Ushijima across the net, Oikawa couldn’t help feeling a sense of admiration.
He had to admit it. The title of Ace truly belonged to Ushijima Wakatoshi.
“But… the final victory will still be ours.”
BOOM!
Moments later, Ushijima’s second serve arrived.
The combination of incredible speed and his signature left-handed spin made the ball’s trajectory extremely difficult to read. Even libero Watari Shinji struggled to track it.
At that critical moment, however, Oikawa suddenly rushed forward.
Instead of receiving the ball with his hands, he threw his entire body into its path and forcefully bumped it back into the air.
“Trying to build a lead through your serves won’t be that easy! Iwaizumi-chan!” Oikawa shouted at the top of his lungs.
“I know! You don’t need to tell me!” Hajime Iwaizumi immediately sprinted forward and sent the descending ball toward the net.
There, a tall figure had already completed his approach and was preparing to jump.
“You’re not getting through!”
On Shiratorizawa’s front line, Goshiki Tsutomu, Tendō Satori, and Shirabu Kenjirō leaped simultaneously, forming a triple block.
Yet the instant Asuto launched himself into the air, the expressions of all three blockers changed dramatically.
So high!
The three of them were stunned.
In only a split second, they watched helplessly as Asuto’s chin rose above their heads.
Then, with an utterly unreasonable display of athleticism, he swung his arm down from a point well above their fingertips.
For a brief moment, the three blockers almost felt as though they were hallucinating.
It was as if the player before them wasn’t Asuto at all… but Ushijima Wakatoshi.
BOOM!
The volleyball exploded off his hand like a fired shell.
It pierced straight through the triple block.
Just as the ball was about to hit the floor, however, a figure suddenly darted into its path and reached out to receive it.
It was Ushijima Wakatoshi.
Smack!
The ball struck Ushijima’s forearm.
But in the very next instant, it ricocheted high out of bounds before crashing onto the floor outside the court.
Thud… thud… thud…
The sound echoed throughout the arena.
Aoba Johsai tied the score, 1–1.
(End of Chapter)