2023-24 V.LEAGUE DIVISION1 MEN Regular Round Match 32

The 2023-24 V.LEAGUE DIVISION1 MEN Match 32 was held on Sunday, March 3, at Panasonic Arena (Hirakata City, Osaka Prefecture), where the Panasonic Panthers (hereinafter referred to as the Panthers) faced the Suntory Sunbirds.

[Set 1]
As Jeschke, who played yesterday, had not yet recovered his condition, Nakamoto was selected to start, and Nishiyama started as opposite for the fifth consecutive match. In the early stages, the team built a rhythm by scoring with Yamauchi's quick attacks, while the wings kept the opponent off balance with stable attacks. Reaching the technical timeout at 11-12, service aces from Nishiyama and Nakamoto helped the team seize momentum and take a 14-12 lead. Afterward, they remained tenacious in defense, launched attacks centered on Nishiyama and Otsuka, and without losing focus until the end, captured the first set 25-18.

[Set 2]
From the beginning, both teams attacked with their serves, but the Panthers managed to secure side-outs from stable serve receives. After the technical timeout at 10-12, they fell behind by three points, but Otsuka stayed calm and landed spikes in the opponent's court to keep them in the game. Shimizu and Shin were brought in as a double substitution in an attempt to change the flow, but they could not catch up and entered the final stages still trailing by three points, ultimately allowing the opponent to pull away and losing the set 20-25.

[Set 3]
Nakamoto scored early on to establish the team's rhythm, and with Evade-Dan and Nishiyama making blocks, the match continued to be a back-and-forth battle, just like the second set. Reaching the technical timeout at 11-12, the team continued to score by effectively using the opponent's high blocks, but they were caught midway through and conceded consecutive points, falling behind 15-20. Desperate to catch up, the Panthers defended against the opponent's powerful spikes and connected them into attacks multiple times, closing the gap to three points at 18-21. They continued to apply pressure with their serves, but the opponent managed to score, and the Panthers lost the set 21-25.

[Set 4]
Nishikawa was brought in to start as middle blocker in place of Yamauchi. The team scored well early on in a heated contest, but errors at crucial moments led to a 9-12 deficit at the technical timeout. Afterward, the team continued to build attacks around Nishiyama while utilizing quicks, and narrowed the gap with points including an Evade-Dan block. A double substitution of Shimizu and Arata brought the score to a one-point difference at 18-19. Desperate for one more point, the Panthers gained momentum when Otsuka scored, and Nishikawa hit a sharp serve for an ace to tie the game at 21-21. From there, they attacked aggressively with their serves, connecting defense to offense to create opportunities, and won the seesaw battle 27-29, forcing a full set for the second consecutive day.

[Set 5]
The team got off to a good start with two consecutive points, and with Nakamoto and Nishiyama scoring reliably, they reached the halfway point trailing 7-8. They seized momentum through blocking and defense, with Otsuka scoring to take a 9-8 lead. However, the opponent also used tenacious defense to gather balls for their ace, scoring to regain the lead and turning it into an 11-12 seesaw battle. Facing a 12-14 deficit, the team caught up to tie the score after a dig by libero Yamamoto led to an Otsuka point, and then successfully turned the game around to 14-13 with a block! From there, it became a fierce battle with neither side giving an inch, extending well past 20 points. In the end, the team allowed consecutive points to the opponent and lost 20-22.

The Panthers have a record of 28 wins and 4 losses, a winning percentage of 0.88, and a total of 85 points.
Next week on Saturday, 3/9, they will play an away game against Voreas Hokkaido at the Asahikawa Realtor Yumeringo Gymnasium.

Comments from Coach Tillie after the match

Comments from Fukatsu after the match