2022-23 V.LEAGUE DIVISION1 MEN Regular Round Match 31
March 11 (Sat) 13:00
away game
ENTRIO (Toyoda Gosei Memorial Gymnasium)
| Panasonic Panthers |
team | Wolfdogs Nagoya |
|---|---|---|
|
3 
|
|
0 
|
Match Details
The 2022-23 V.LEAGUE DIVISION1 Regular Round Match 31 was held on Saturday, March 11 at ENTRIO (Inazawa City, Aichi Prefecture), where the Panasonic Panthers (hereinafter referred to as the Panthers) faced off against the Wolfdogs Nagoya.
[Set 1]
In the early stages, the team effectively utilized quick attacks from Evade-Dan and Yamauchi to consistently convert side-outs into points. The match remained neck-and-neck, reaching the technical timeout at 11-12. Afterward, Kubiak scored off the defense to seize momentum, and spikes from players like Otsuka, following tenacious blocking, extended the lead to 17-13, forcing the opponent to call a timeout. From there, the team scored consecutive points through a service ace by Kubiak and block points from Evade-Dan and Otsuka. Although they allowed consecutive points late in the set after being caught by the opponent's block, Shimizu scored to break the bad momentum, and they took the set 25-19.
[Set 2]
Maintaining focus from the start, the team played with functional blocking and defense, with blocks from Fukatsu and Evade-Dan helping to build a significant 10-4 lead. They reached the technical timeout at 12-7 and continued to demonstrate stable defense. Centered around Shimizu, Otsuka, and Kubiak, the team piled on points to disrupt the opponent's rhythm, further extending the lead to 18-11. They never relinquished control for the remainder of the set, taking it 25-16 to win consecutive sets.
[Set 3]
By applying pressure on the opponent with serves and blocks, the team succeeded in inducing errors through tenacious defense. Even after the 12-6 technical timeout, which featured two service aces from Fukatsu and a block from Evade-Dan, the team's blocking and defense remained sharp, leading to consecutive points. Without ever giving the rhythm to the opponent, they took the set 25-14 to secure a straight-sets victory.
The Panthers have a record of 20 wins and 11 losses (64 total points, 4th in the league)
Tomorrow, Sunday, March 12, they will play against the Wolfdogs Nagoya away (at Entrio).
Comments from Best Panther (VOM) player Kubiak
To all the fans in Japan and Poland, thank you for your support. I am truly happy that we secured an important victory today.
I will stay focused and approach tomorrow's match with the same mindset.
- *VOM stands for "V.leaguer of The Match," an individual award given to the player who contributed to the victory in each match.
Comments from Coach Tillie after the match
Thank you for your support. Against an opponent with high offensive power, our blocking and defense functioned well, and we were able to grab a truly important victory.
Since there is another match tomorrow, I will do my best to win that one as well!
Comments from Shimizu after the match
I think today was a big match, and since the opponent is currently at the top of the league, we approached it as challengers. If we play passively, we end up unable to play the volleyball we want, like in our match the other day (3/5 vs. VC Nagano Tridents), so we applied that lesson to put pressure on the opponent. We were able to play aggressively from the start, and our blocking and defense were excellent. I think we were able to constantly apply pressure by transitioning from defense to offense. I don't think tomorrow will go as easily as today, so all the players and staff want to show our fighting spirit.
Thank you for your support.
