Blocking one of the top five Wing Spikers in the nation.. just thinking about it is exhilarating!
The coach continued, "The Miya Twins have a very high level of chemistry. Be careful of their switching tactics, everyone must also watch out for the Quick Attack and deep cross-court shots."
The other Middle Blocker, who was also the Ace, Somei, encouraged everyone: "Don't be nervous! If we win this match, we'll secure our spot in the Nationals!"
Everyone gathered in a circle and shouted at the top of their lungs, "Minetai! Victory!!"
Let's go!
As the rotation of both sides was being confirmed, the coach from Seito High School clearly had a momentary grimace on his face.
Where are the Miya Twins? Why is their Captain the one taking the court?
Higashi, the setter from Mineyama, serves.
"Nice serve!" loud cheers erupted from the court, but they were completely drowned out by the music coming from the Inarizaki side.
The atmosphere on the court was heated, but there was a faint scent of gunpowder in the air.
The Higashi player spun the ball in his hands before slapping it against the ground.
In the second to last second of the time limit, he raised his hand and tossed the ball into the air.
Behind him was the team flag of Minetai, adorned with decorations that looked like flowers.
—Life blooms this very day.
With a loud bang, the volleyball struck the back row of Inarizaki with heavy spin, tracing a beautiful arc through the air.
Targeted by the serve, Aran tried to reach out to catch it, but the spin on the ball was quite strong; he couldn't control it in time and let the ball fly right past him.
The volleyball slammed against the second-floor railing, making a heavy thud.
"Yes!" Higashi clenched his fist.
Azuma! Great serve! One more!
Watching Inarizaki lose a point right from the start, Hinata felt a bit nervous: "That's amazing."
He immediately asked, "Coach, is this a side spin?"
Coach Kurosu nodded, "Yes, it's a very special kind of serve that curves in mid-air, making it quite difficult to judge where it will land."
Currently, we don't have anyone on our team practicing this, Aran isn't very familiar with it either. But it's fine, our players have very strong adaptability.
Just as Coach Kurosu had said, the opponent's second ball was steadily sent near the attacking line by Kita after he stepped back to receive it.
“What a great receive!” Miya Atsumu quickly moved into position.
Considering that Kita Team's current state was not suitable for a spike, he used the cover of the middle blocker to coordinate Ginjima to play a flat open at Position 2.
Because the target was obvious, Miura's follow-up speed was equally fast.
He slightly crouched, timed it perfectly, jumped directly, positioning his entire body in a C-shape to block the ball's path.
With a loud bang, the ball was blocked back by him alone, while the spiker on the other side, Taishima, hadn't even jumped yet.
But Akagi's reaction speed was superior, he lunged forward instantly to save the ball.
"Great save!" Miya Atsumu rushed over, preparing to set.
"Give me the ball!" Ginjima raised his hand, calling for the ball.
That last play was so embarrassing, getting blocked on the very first ball..
After quickly analyzing the situation, Miya Atsumu feigned a set to Ginjima, but instead sent the ball to Aran, who had jumped from the back row.
The block, drawn away by Ginjima, failed to keep up entirely, Aran's powerful spike slammed into the corner of the Minetai court, letting out a heavy thud.
“Nice kill, Aran!!”
Inarizaki quickly reclaimed a point.
Somei's expression twisted: "To be able to use a fake move on a ball like that, Miya Atsumu is simply not human.."
After shouting from below the court, Hinata watched the opposing block and suddenly remembered the match he had played against Bōwàng and Kai.
Under normal circumstances, a Quick Attack can indeed shake off a block, but prioritizing speed by using only one foot does indeed mean passively sacrificing some height.
If his maximum contact point with a two-footed jump is around 3.36 meters, then due to the influence of his dominant foot, a one-footed jump might fluctuate down to 3.3 meters or even below 3.2 meters.
Although a Quick Attack uses lateral movement to tear through the block and find an opening, many times it doesn't require competing in terms of height.
But.. there really are two-meter-tall opponents like Hakuma Mebuki, it's just that at this current stage, there's a high possibility of being blocked mid-air by the opponent.
So he turned to ask Coach Kurosu, "Coach, if I want to pursue the height of a Quick Attack, is there a way?"
Coach Kurosu was taken aback for a moment upon hearing that, then he rubbed his chin. After a moment of rapid thought, he shook his head directly. "Jumping ability can indeed be improved, but at this stage, I won't have you training it."
This time, it was Hinata's turn to be stunned: "Eh? Why?"
If there's a way to get stronger, why won't he let him use it? His high jump is a good thing for the team as well, isn't it?
Coach Kurosu waved his hand, soothing Hinata: "You're still growing; training too hard will hurt your knees, it would end up being more harm than good."
Hinata nodded, but Kurosu still noticed the hint of unwillingness in his eyes.
After a brief chuckle, Coach Kurosu rested his hands on his knees and said in a softened voice, "Just like I told you to wear your knee pads."
“First, your foundation isn't as solid as Akagi's or the Kita Team's, you aren't like Atsumu, who doesn't need to receive the ball as frequently; at the same time, you have no way to control yourself from touching the ground during the receiving process.”
Second, your knees are your most powerful weapon; you must protect them at all times.
Coach Kurosu turned his head to look at the youth, whose eyes held a hint of confusion, said with a very solemn expression, "If you want to go further, you must always remember to protect yourself."
Standing on the court until the very end isn't just about one or two matches; it's a much longer, much more enduring project.
Hinata looked thoughtful.
Although he didn't understand the principles behind it, he could understand one thing—he had to protect himself if he wanted to stand on the court until the very end.
Indeed, being forced off the court due to injury is always a great regret.
He nodded heavily. "I understand. I'll take care of my body."
Coach Kurosu nodded in satisfaction, then changed the subject: "However, I've heard that the track and field team uses explosive kneeling presses to train single-leg jumping ability. Once the preliminaries are over, I'll go find some coaches from strong track and field schools to ask about it."
Hinata's eyes lit up bit by bit: "Long live Coach! Coach is the best!"
Coach Kurosu, in a fantastic mood, burst into laughter.
Watching Hinata cheering in the coaching box next to them, along with the coach being praised to the heavens, the members of Inarizaki on the court were all a bit bewildered.
What is going on?
On the sidelines, Akagi and Suna swapped positions, while Hinata, after handing Akagi a towel and water, turned his head back to look at Coach Kurosu: "But the track and field powerhouse the coach mentioned was.."
As far as he knew, the Inarizaki track and field team didn't seem to have achieved much, with only the throwing events being decent.
In fact, Coach Kurosu, who hadn't thought about this question at all, only then began to rack his brains.
Track and field has many sub-disciplines, such as long-distance running, sprinting, throwing events, long jump, high jump. Every school has its own specialties. What he needs is someone specializing in high jump, it can't be pole vaulting..
“Itachiyama..” After subconsciously bringing up Itachiyama, which was strong in every event, Coach Kurosu suddenly remembered a proposal from Miya Atsumu last month.
Suddenly remembering that Miyagi also had an old powerhouse for track and field, he looked up at Hinata. "Shoyo, do you want to go back to your hometown this summer vacation?"
Hinata, who was asked the question, froze, then recalled the arrangements his father had mentioned before: "I should probably go back once to see my maternal grandparents, but if it conflicts with training, I can go back later."
“Perfect, then we're going to Miyagi,” Coach Kurosu decided on the spot.
Although he really didn't want to go, he still needed to contact that eccentric Coach Washijo.
But this is for the sake of the students..
He gave it his all!
Hinata made a throwing confetti gesture: "Coach is the strongest! I love you the most, Coach!"
Coach Kurosu was even happier: "Hahahaha—"
Coach Omimi could no longer bear to look at him, could only cover his face with his hands under Akagi's helpless gaze.
Author's Note:
Coach Kurosu: I can already imagine the scene of taking Hinata to Shiratorizawa and having Coach Washijo roll his eyes.
Coach Kurosu (picking up a watering can) (watering and fertilizing little Shoyo): Grow up quickly, little Shoyo. Next time, you'll have to make that cranky coach from Shiratorizawa's jaw drop.
Chapter 29: The Twenty-Third Fox
Glancing sideways at the Inarizaki coaching bench, Miura frowned slightly.
To be honest, this feeling of being exhausted while the opponent still has the leisure to think about other things..
It could only be described as absolutely terrible.
Aran!
On the opposite side, the Setter's voice rang out again, calling for the Ace.
Miura stepped forward countless times, preparing to jump for a block.
This was his duty, also his only chance to suppress these geniuses on the volleyball court.
Touch!
Landing on the ground, Miya Atsumu let out a slightly irritated click of his tongue.
The next second, a gaze from the Kita Team landed on him, Miya Atsumu quickly composed himself and calmed down.
Suna had already been subbed out, when there are no Quick Attack options to choose from.. it really does feel a bit restrictive to play.
Whether it's Osamu or Shoyo, at least give him something to work with!
On the sidelines, Suna gave a sharp assessment: "Atsumu is definitely thinking about how he's not playing to his full potential or something like that."
Coach Kurosu laughed heartily. "It's fine. It will definitely be a lot of fun to shock our old rivals when we reach the Nationals."
And..
With a heavy thud, the serve from Minetai was received by Kita and sent toward the attacking line: "Atsumu!"
With the level of the opponent's serve.. the Miya Twins can't quite suppress it yet.