Bang!
Oikawa Tōru's serve was straightforward yet effective—precise control combined with impressive power.
In every match against Shiratorizawa, Oikawa's serves consistently earned crucial points for Aoba Johsai.
Smack!
Shirabu Kenjirō barely managed to receive the ball. After nearly half an hour of intense gaplay, the players had gradually adapted to the ball's velocity.
However, without their setter to organize the offence, Goshiki Tsutomu scrambled to keep the ball in play, leaving Ōhira Reon with no choice but to send it over as a free ball.
Watari Shinji delivered a perfect pass, setting up both Kaedehara Taichi on the left and Kyōtani Kentarō on the right for simultaneous attacks at the net.
Oikawa's movents were steady and composed, giving nothing away. Shiratorizawa couldn't discern his next move.
—Whoosh!
Oikawa set the ball to the right side again. Kyōtani Kentarō began his approach from the edge of the net, his first step into the court explosive.
As he leapt, his body extended fully, creating a reverse arc in midair. His right arm tensed, muscles taut as he spiked the ball with ferocious power!
"Double block!"
Ushijima Wakatoshi and Ōhira Reon jumped to form a solid wall.
Tendō Satori, staying in position to guard against Kaedehara Taichi on the left, couldn't make it over in ti. However, even against Ushijima and Ōhira, the pressure on the attacker was imnse.
While Shiratorizawa considered the undersized, sharp-featured Kyōtani to be overly reckless, Aoba Johsai believed the opposite—Shiratorizawa had gravely underestimated their Mad Dog.
Bang!—
It was hard to imagine such power coming from that lean fra. The peculiar flexibility in his arm left Shiratorizawa stunned.
In focusing too much on Kaedehara Taichi's brilliance, they had overlooked the relentless ferocity of Kyōtani.
A cross-shot spike!
The ball sliced between the blockers' outstretched arms and the net, landing sharply inside Shiratorizawa's three-ter line.
[Aoba Johsai 19 – 17 Shiratorizawa]
Aoba Johsai's Mad Dog, silenced for so long under the pressure of Ushijima and Kaedehara's dominance, had finally bared his fangs again today.
-----
While Shirabu had recovered his composure, it wasn't enough to close the gap.
Offensively, Shiratorizawa could rely on Ushijima to score consistently, but defensively, they struggled to stop Aoba Johsai's relentless attacks.
The score now stood at [Aoba Johsai 23 – 21 Shiratorizawa].
It was Aoba Johsai's serve, and Kindaichi Yūtarō stepped up.
Even in the final monts of the set, Kindaichi, who had conserved his energy earlier, remained vigorous and full of life. However, his serve was just average. Ōhira Reon received it with ease.
Ushijima had already spiked nearly 30 balls in the first set. Though this number wasn't unusual given his usual training load, delivering that many spikes in a single set was unprecedented.
Shirabu's most logical decision at that mont was to send the ball to Goshiki on the left.
Aoba Johsai's blockers, predictably, focused most of their attention on Ushijima.
Goshiki's straight shot from the left wing easily bypassed the block and scored.
[Aoba Johsai 23 – 22 Shiratorizawa]
Not enough! Kindaichi silently blad himself for allowing the point.
Even if he couldn't be like Kaedehara Taichi, Kindaichi refused to let himself lag behind the other first-years.
"Don't sweat it! Next ball!"
Exchanging positions with libero Watari Shinji, Kindaichi felt a reassuring pat on his shoulder.
The team held imnse fondness for this earnest, dependable, and driven boy—no less than they did for Taichi.
The serve switched sides, and Goshiki stepped onto the service line.
I must secure consecutive points! Goshiki understood the stakes perfectly.
He hadn't grown enough. Not yet. Only now did he realize he still couldn't truly stand shoulder-to-shoulder with Ushijima-senpai.
It was also in this mont that he beca painfully aware: today might be his final chance to fight alongside Ushijima-senpai in high school volleyball.
We have to win!
Goshiki executed a flawless approach, jump, and serve.
Thwack!
The sound rang crisp and sharp.
Another short serve aid at the front court!
Goshiki was like a model student in a volleyball academy—his form textbook-perfect, his skills well-rounded.
If Taichi hadn't witnessed Goshiki's serves against Karasuno yesterday, he might not have anticipated this tactic.
Smack!
Taichi lunged forward in a diving save, keeping the ball in play.
The ball soared into the air, where Kyōtani leapt on the left side. Oikawa jumped alongside to deliver the set.
Taichi quickly got to his feet, but it was too late to join the attack.
Tendō swiftly assessed the situation and positioned himself directly in front of Kyōtani.
Bang!
"Huh?!"
A powerful sound echoed from the opposite side.
179.3 cm tall figure of Iwaizumi Haji descended from the net, his timing flawless.
The perfect combination—Oikawa Tōru and Iwaizumi Haji!
Aoba Johsai reached set point first!
[Aoba Johsai 24 – 22 Shiratorizawa]
"You didn't forget about , did you?" Aoba Johsai's forr ace fixed his piercing gaze on the Shiratorizawa players.
"Damn it…" Tendō Satori muttered, frustrated by his subpar performance today. Despite Iwaizumi being Oikawa's go-to attacker in the past, they had sohow underestimated his threat this ti.
"After all, as long as us third-years haven't retired, we can't just dump all the pressure on the underclassn." Iwaizumi exuded the aura of a leader as he stepped up to serve.
If he could end the set with a single serve, that would be ideal. However, he knew better than to take unnecessary risks now.
Boom!
Iwaizumi's powerful jump serve targeted Shiratorizawa's back row, aiming directly at Goshiki Tsutomu.
"I've got it!" Yamagata Hayato stepped in to receive the ball.
"Goshiki!"
"Yes!"
Goshiki sprinted toward the net, maintaining maximum offensive aggression.
Goshiki leapt from the back row, but the ball was sent to the right wing instead.
In that pivotal mont, the set didn't revolve around him. A flicker of disappointnt crossed Goshiki's face, but deep down, he too longed to see that figure's attack.
Hanamaki Takahiro and Kyōtani Kentarō were briefly distracted by Goshiki's feint, but the high toss gave them enough ti to react.
The figure of Ushijima Wakatoshi reached its peak.
—Bang!—
Even with a solid double block, Aoba Johsai couldn't stop Ushijima's overwhelming spike. The ball smashed into the three-ter line on Aoba Johsai's side.
[Aoba Johsai 24 – 23 Shiratorizawa]
"That's fine. Our goal isn't to block Ushijima; it's to defeat Shiratorizawa."
Shiratorizawa took their serve. Shirabu Kenjirō sent a precise jump float across the net.
Kaedehara Taichi moved quickly, smoothly receiving the ball with an overhead pass.
Oikawa positioned himself perfectly for the set. In the front row were Hanamaki Takahiro and Kyōtani Kentarō, while in the back row were Kaedehara Taichi and Iwaizumi Haji.
It was an all-out final assault from Aoba Johsai!
—Whiz!
The ball flew to the left wing, straight into Kaedehara Taichi's waiting hands.
"I guessed right!" Tendō Satori had read the play perfectly. The final ball always seed to find its way to Kaedehara.
Tendō's block was lightning fast, his hands forming an imposing wall right in front of Kaedehara's eyes.
Despite being a solo block, Tendō's presence exerted imnse pressure on the attacker.
"But you've never stopped Taichi before," Oikawa murmured, his gaze fixed on the figure soaring above the net.
Taichi's vision was crystal clear. Having anticipated the block, he remained calm, his left arm snapping like a whip from behind his back.
—Bang!—
A scorching straight shot grazed Shiratorizawa's left boundary, sealing the first set.
[Aoba Johsai 25 – 23 Shiratorizawa]
The whistle blew sharply.
First Set Winner: Aoba Johsai.
Ushijima Wakatoshi had scored an astounding 18 points in the first set alone, yet it wasn't enough to secure victory for Shiratorizawa.
_________
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