[37] Grade 11: IH National Tournament
The third game was even more closely contested than the second.
The Jingtashan attackers, who got better and better in the second game, continued their fierce firepower in this game.
However, Heming Hall's defense and counter-attacks were not easy to deal with. The Heming Hall team steadily countered Jingtashan by pressing their captain's serve to gain a point advantage.
Until the third game progressed to the middle and later stages.
Itayama was unable to break Imadegawa's serve again after Imadegawa had gained a point advantage.
Compared to the previous game where they were able to go back and forth with Hemingguan, in this game Jingtashan was consistently kept under pressure by the small difference in points from the serve.
However, the setter from Hemingguan scored significantly fewer points from serves in this set than in the previous set.
Izuna takes a deep breath.
Coach Itayama's words from yesterday's pre-match analysis gathering still ring in my ears.
"As long as the setter from Heming Hall is on the field, we must speed up their game pace."
"The stamina of the setter at Heming Hall is his fatal flaw. If we can wear him down, Heming Hall will be easier to deal with."
However, the actual combat did not go as they expected.
Itayama wanted to speed up the pace of the game, but the violent and fast attacks launched by the starting lineup were steadily countered by Tsurumeikan, forcing Itayama into a stalemate.
In other words, the overall pace of the game in these two sets was slowed down by Tsurumeikan's defense.
Although Tsurumeikan lacks strong offensive capabilities, it also lacks defensive weaknesses.
Their defense was like a spider web intricately woven from spider silk, seemingly soft yet incredibly resilient, completely neutralizing wave after wave of attacks from Jingtashan.
The game was a nail-biting back-and-forth battle, with each offensive and defensive transition leaving the audience holding their breath.
The pink-haired libero made a diving save from a seemingly sure-kill spike, and the golden-eyed setter lifted the ball at the last second. The Heming Hall attackers jumped repeatedly without fatigue.
Their defensive counter-attacks are like the never-ending tides, one wave receding and another rising.
Short, intermittent "ah" sounds echoed from the audience seats in Heming Hall and Jingtashan.
That was a faint cheer when Hemingguan/Jitashan launched their attack after receiving the spike from the other side again.
Hemingguan, whose core tactic is defense and counter-attack, is already used to this long tug-of-war.
However, the prolonged back-and-forth battles brought about by multiple long balls wore down the morale of Jingtashan's starting lineup.
Iizuna keenly sensed that the attackers of Itayama were gradually becoming uneasy and anxious.
If you can't dunk, it means you can't score.
The setter from Heming Hall would occasionally pull off a "sudden stop and ball tip" to provoke the tense nerves of the Jingtashan front row blockers.
After Heming Hall's "instant stop and ball control" spiking successfully scored, it wasn't just the front row blockers from Jingtashan who were moved; the libero and attackers in the back row also showed signs of excitement.
...They're too difficult to deal with.
Izuna slowly exhaled a deep breath.
......
Supervisor Jingtashan took another deep breath.
...Heming Pavilion is indeed difficult to deal with.
If the score remains deadlocked like this, unless there are unexpected events such as Hemingguan's libero and setter suddenly spraining their ankles or the entire Hemingguan team suffering from stomach upsets after eating the wrong food before the match, the score difference will remain until Hemingguan wins this set and the final.
Despite repeated analysis and tactical breakdowns, along with reassurances after timeouts, the starting lineup from Jingtashan failed to receive much positive feedback.
Crane Cry Pavilion unilaterally used their tactics to firmly restrain Jingta Mountain.
The school's volleyball team brought a rare tactic to high school boys' volleyball: perfecting backcourt defense and then using other methods to win the game.
The volleyball system of Heming Hall is not uncommon. For many weak volleyball schools that do not have strong outside hitters or even middle blockers and blockers, there are indeed tactics that focus on receiving the ball.
After all, there's a universally accepted saying in the volleyball world: as long as the volleyball doesn't touch the ground, the match is never a loss.
However, the volleyball court is neither too big nor too small. There are always areas that a team of six people cannot cover in a nine-square-meter half of the court.
It's possible that two players will collide while frantically receiving the ball, or the angle of the reception might be incorrect, making it impossible to hold the ball properly, or the opposing attacker's powerful spike might be too much for the first pass to handle...
A volleyball system that relies solely on receiving the ball as a tactical approach has too many limitations.
Therefore, the fact that they were able to bring such a limited tactical system to the finals of the national tournament is what they find rare.
This tactic can completely counter Jingtashan – something the Jingtashan starters simply cannot understand.
Coach Jinshan, who had watched many Heming Hall matches from the stands, had a clearer understanding of the game than Jingtashan inside the arena.
The defensive system of Heming Hall is absolutely top-notch in the entire high school volleyball world.
Most volleyball teams that use this tactic do so because they lack strong attackers and have to shift their focus to receiving the ball.
However, due to insufficient firepower, they had to switch to offense and defense, but the Crane Pavilion did not look so cramped.
This is perhaps because the defense of the Crane Pavilion is watertight.
However, it cannot be said that Heming Hall is a school that relies entirely on its back-row defensive tactics as its basic strategy.
Heming Hall is actually a school that integrates a blocking and defense tactical system with back row defense as the core and blocking as an auxiliary.
It was precisely because of the exceptionally well-developed blocking and defense system of Heming Hall, coupled with the setter's keen sense of the game, that the members of the Heming Hall Men's Volleyball Team propelled Heming Hall into the finals.
—A solid blocking and defense system means that this team is very difficult to break through, coupled with Imadegawa's ultimate control over the rhythm of the game and the opponent's mentality.
...The high school volleyball world, dominated by powerful attacks, has met its match with an opponent that is the best counter to powerful attacks.
With the national tournament over, many coaches from top schools will probably be working overnight to readjust their tactics.
Jinshan Supervisor thought with a hint of pity.
——————
On the court, Iizuna, standing at the net, spoke to Imadegawa, who was only separated from him by the net—
"I don't understand..."
Now, we're leaving Sichuan to shift our focus.
The golden eyes of the setter from Heming Hall and the golden eyes of the setter from Jingtashan intersect at the same level.
The two locked eyes.
Iizuna frowned and asked Imadegawa, "Why do your players at Tsurumeikan trust your command so completely?"
As a first-year student, Iizuna could hardly truly grasp the trust between the setters, passers, and attackers at Tsurumeikan.
After all, he had only been in Jingtashan for a short semester, and had only worked together with his fellow volleyball players and senior volleyball players from the second and third years for three months.
Therefore, he was very puzzled as to why a first-year setter could achieve such perfect teamwork with an unfamiliar team within three months.
This kind of cooperation requires not only the setter's trust in the first passer and the attacker, but also the first passer and the attacker's trust in the setter.
Why would they trust each other to this extent?
Izakatsu is confused.
The chubby little bird, perched on the marker poles beside the two setters, silently answered the puzzled setter Jingtashan in its mind.
—Because Imadegawa is the anchor point for everyone in Tsurumeikan, and even the little chubby bird, to exist in this world.
Therefore, they would do everything in their power to get close to Imadegawa, try to feel his emotions, and become the sharpest blade in his hands at all costs.
The golden-eyed setter, who was directly questioned by the opposing team's setter, remained calm and composed.
Now, Chu Chuan calmly thought about it.
Because he knew everything about the members of the Heming Hall volleyball team—
Imadegawa knew that number 9 of Tsurumeikan had a deep love for dance. After completing his daily training in the volleyball club, he would go to the dance club alone to practice until late at night.
Imadegawa knew that number 8 at Tsurumeikan wasn't actually that passionate about volleyball; he had already planned for the future. Although he meticulously completed all the training exercises, he was secretly preparing for the entrance exams for business school.
Imadegawa also knew that the backup setter at Tsurumeikan wanted to study in an ancient country across the ocean after graduation. This unremarkable setter on the court would always rush to a private Chinese language school outside the school after each training session. His locker was filled with Chinese textbooks, and his notebooks were filled with dense notes of Chinese character strokes.
Imaichi Kawakami also knows this...
They are not merely "character cards" drawn from the gacha pool by Imadegawa, but also individuals with independent thoughts.
The prerequisite for them to achieve their ideal future is to leave Sichuan now.
Therefore, they must rely on Imadegawa without reservation, trust Imadegawa, and dedicate everything to Imadegawa.
Besides the connection between the two sides, the training of the Hemingguan volleyball team is almost terrifying.
For the sake of the IH national team, Imadegawa led the men's volleyball team members in various teamwork practices day and night for the past three months without sleep.
Yes, for the past three months, the members of the men's volleyball team at Heming Hall have not had any academic classes. Their daily routine consists of twelve hours of volleyball training.
After completing twelve hours of training, they have free time to allocate as they wish.
However, Heming Hall, which was only recently established, could not offer many academic classes.
The expenses for the volleyball team members' activities other than training are subsidized by additional funds allocated by Principal Little Chubby.
Through long-term basic training and teamwork drills, the bond between the members of the Heming Hall Men's Volleyball Team has become deeper and more unbreakable.
This is the origin of the extraordinary teamwork of the Heming Hall Men's Volleyball Team.
—But these are things that can't be told to outsiders.
"Perhaps it's because of my personal charm?"
Jin Chuchuan slightly bent his index finger and smiled as he touched his cheek.
Izuna: ...
It was brushed off.
Imaichi Kawa used the back of his hand to wipe away the sweat that had trickled down his chin.
The golden-eyed setter shifted his gaze from Izuna and lightly swept across the opposite half of the court.
Although they lacked an exceptional backhand powerhouse like Wakatoshi Ushijima, the Itayama Volleyball Club's attacking power, which continuously supplied members to the national team, was undeniably strong.
Unfortunately, the tactical style of high school volleyball at this stage was uniformly the same: strong attack and breakthrough.
The more prestigious a volleyball school is, the more emphasis it places on developing its attackers, aiming to make them the team's offensive weapons.
Over-investing training resources in developing attackers' offensive skills has led to a decline in their first pass accuracy and an imbalance in their offensive and defensive capabilities.
—Especially members of the volleyball team who are in the middle blocker position.
High school middle blockers at this stage have already exhausted their energy on focusing on blocking and quick attacks, making it difficult for them to fill in the gaps in receiving and first pass.
Therefore, most top volleyball schools will also train a relatively outstanding libero to make up for the deficiencies in the defensive system.
—Jingtashan is no exception.
Imadekawa bent his eyes.
...So what if your defensive limits are exposed?
As long as he wins before his limit,
Doesn't that mean the limit no longer exists?
————————
What a wonderful weekend!!! Running around happily—(Let me nibble on the little ones' paws) (one bite) (two bites) (three bites)...
The next chapter will probably cover the championship victory, followed by a post-victory wrap-up, and then the story will end with the player going to the national youth team.
[The following is a very, very long rambling, you can ignore it if you're a little one.]
This chapter briefly introduces a few SR cards. The settings for them were actually added later when the idea suddenly came to me. I feel like it wasn't my own creation of these settings, but rather they themselves that inspired me to write this section. Perhaps it's their own thoughts? (Thinking wildly)
Previously, many readers asked why I didn't name the SR cards and why I didn't develop the SR team members enough. After reading so many of these questions, I was actually quite uneasy, but in the end, I stuck to my ideas and continued writing.
Little Crane's journey is still long, and these SR characters can't accompany her forever. If I were to develop them too much, it would actually be a disservice to them. In the tier system of Little Crane's teammate gacha pool, only those with the talent to become professional volleyball players and a deep love for the sport can be included in the SSR tier.
Two new characters will be introduced in the spring semester of my first year of high school. Subsequent descriptions will only focus on Kotsuru and the upcoming SSR characters. All the character cards Kotsuru drew in the Crane Pavilion that I haven't described in detail will have their own lives, and they'll all have their own preferred names. I won't name them for now. Perhaps one day they'll transmit their signals into my brain and tell me these are their names, and then I can add them later. lol
Finally, a little whisper from my heart: I always feel that naming a child means taking on a heavy responsibility (like for Xiaoqian and Xiaoxu), and I don't feel I have that much ability yet. Maybe I'll become stronger after writing more ww So please, these little ones, go and walk your own path in this world. (I'll mention their future much later ww)
(I'm really being diagnosed with being a chatterbox, so I've decided to add a word count warning to the author's notes in the description. I just love rambling on and on.) (Lying down)
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