The V.LEAGUE DIVISION1 Regular Round Match 2 was held on Sunday, October 17, at the Panthers' home arena, Panasonic Arena (Hirakata City, Osaka Prefecture), where the Panasonic Panthers (hereinafter referred to as the Panthers) faced off against the Wolfdogs Nagoya.

From the beginning of the first set, the team attacked aggressively to score consecutive points, and in the middle of the set, they shook the opponent's defense with their serves, inducing errors. Nakamoto, who started the match, maintained stable reception, and Kubiak led the team to take the set. The second set saw a back-and-forth battle from the start. In the middle of the set, the Panthers fought tenaciously with Kubiak, Nakamoto, and Nagano at the center of their receiving, and managed to break through the defensive battle with Fukatsu's skillful setting, eventually taking the set with consecutive points. In the third set, although they allowed the opponent to take the lead, they kept consecutive points conceded to a minimum and looked for a chance to turn the game around. They began to find their rhythm with a block by Nakamoto and a spike by Otake, but they allowed consecutive points late in the set and lost it. Looking to reset their mindset, the Panthers saw Nakamoto score repeatedly early in the fourth set to inspire the team, and they maintained their focus until the very end to secure their first win of the season.

The Panthers are now 1-1 and in 3rd place (4 points total).
Next week, they will continue with two home games in Hirakata (Panasonic Arena) against the VC Nagano Tridents.

Comments from Nakamoto after the match

Comments from Laurent Tillie Head Coach after the match