—This is also one of the important techniques in aerial combat.
Hinata knew clearly that he couldn't break through a block with raw power like Aran-senpai and the others, so a high contact point was the best method he could choose.
To play his part in the air more reliably, he also had to extend his hang time as much as possible.
As for exactly what to do..
Recalling Hoshiumi Hikari's movements in his mind, Hinata raised his hand to call for the ball: "Atsumu-senpai! Left Wing!"
Hearing this voice, Kageyama looked over immediately from the other side of the net.
The so-called Left Wing is the side of Position 4, it is also a team's strongest offensive position for breaking through defenses.
When one hears the term "Left Wing," it basically means the Ace is going to perform an extremely high-intensity spike to kill the rally.
And now, that very term was being spoken by the unremarkable Hinata.
It was as if he were declaring it to the entire world—watch him.
Miya Atsumu froze for half a second, his gaze fixed on Hinata, unable to look away.
Like dazzling sunlight, even though it was scorching and blinding, it was something one would gladly endure.
He knew what he wanted to do.
I knew from the moment I first heard that voice.
With a light chuckle, he raised his hand and sent the ball high toward the area near the Position 4 marker.
Because of concerns regarding stamina, he would only set a ball of that height to Aran during game point.
But now.. he chose to set this kind of ball to Hinata.
A height of nearly 3.4m was a realm that even a 1.9m Wing Spiker could hardly reach.
It was over a meter higher than the net, at the same time, it was closer to the sky than even the tall blockers.
A thud rang out in everyone's ears.
Like a predator moving through the desert at night, it leaped nimbly and bit down on the bird's wing—tearing it away.
Kageyama and Sawamura quickly closed in on Hinata, jumping with all their might half a step behind him.
Karasuno had once nurtured the Little Giant, so they naturally understood the key points of blocking.
Combined with nearly an entire set of observation, they already had an impression of Hinata's jump timing and the angle of his spike.
This time, there were no smoke screens; they would definitely be able to block it.
What played on a loop in Hinata's mind was Hoshiumi's spike; he had lost count of how many times he had watched the jump footage he used as a reference.
Aside from the most important step..
The point Coach Kosano had emphasized when he had him practicing single-leg rows the day before yesterday flashed through Hinata's mind.
[In Basketball-Volleyball, these three sports use the same set of jumping movements for dunks and spikes; it is a process of tightening the posterior chain after takeoff, then tightening the anterior chain.}
And the tightening of this posterior chain, in volleyball terms, is..
Arm extension.
Miya Atsumu slowly descended to the ground, his eyes reflecting the image of Hinata in mid-air, his whole body arched into a C-shape with his arms extended.
It was as standard as a textbook, yet incredibly beautiful at the same time.
Coach Fire of the Junior National Team once told them that they believed training was a process of carving away at an original piece of unpolished jade.
Through systematic training, redundant movements are stripped away, leaving only the standard movements of the so-called "textbook" or "Academic Style," and then, on this foundation, one explores the next limits of the body.
After all, the so-called textbook movements are also correct answers summarized through the explorations of countless predecessors.
With the same amount of effort, the closer one gets to the correct answer, the more obvious the returns become.
And Miya Atsumu felt that.. the scene before his eyes was the result of relentless refinement.
—It was truly a sight to behold.
At the same time, Kageyama, who was already falling, widened his eyes.
This guy..
Why is he still at the peak?!
BANG!!
The volleyball flew over the entire block and slammed into the floor behind the three-meter line with a dull thud.
Hinata landed on the floor, skidding to a halt, preventing himself from crashing into the other side of the net.
He let out a long breath.
Great, it was a successful attempt.
"Shoyo, nice kill!" Coach Omimi was the first to get excited by the sidelines.
"Shoyo-kun." Miya Atsumu reached out his hand toward Hinata.
Hinata raised his hand and slapped it hard: "Atsumu-senpai, that set was amazing!"
"You too, great job." Miya Atsumu stared into Hinata's eyes.
Before he could even react, Hinata had grown to this level..
This was no longer just about catching up; one careless moment and he might be overtaken entirely.
Like seedlings in parched soil suddenly receiving ample nutrients, they grew rapidly at a speed that left everyone dumbfounded.
This is.. his Spiker.
In the first set, Inarizaki secured victory with a margin of over ten points, the result of the second set was much the same, with the margin even becoming larger because Karasuno was still making minor tactical adjustments.
With Karasuno still struggling with defensive gaps and trial-and-error in their offensive coordination, Inarizaki's victory was nothing short of a landslide.
However, for Inarizaki, the goal of this match was not victory itself.
The ventilation in Karasuno Gymnasium was mediocre, the sunlight approaching noon streamed in, making the air inside the gym even more scorching.
Seeing that everyone was feeling a bit suffocated, the coaches from both sides also announced a brief dismissal for a rest.
Sitting at the entrance of the Karasuno Gymnasium to get some fresh air, Miya Atsumu rested his chin in his hand. "As expected, this feels terrible."
He watched a line of ants carrying half a piece of candy pass by not far away, his expression sour.
Aran expressed shock: "What are you so upset about?"
He felt that Miya Atsumu was in incredible form today; not only had he pushed the other setter to the point of social withdrawal, but he had also stolen the spotlight.
The battle of the Setter was won completely; what was there to be unhappy about?
Miya Atsumu spoke honestly: "Karasuno is completely out of form; I feel like they're just going through the motions."
“Huh? Slacking? Who?” Aran was even more confused.
How could he remember that the Libero was almost exhausted after only two sets? Normally, it shouldn't have been that bad, but his movement frequency during that last save was too high, his stamina was severely depleted.
They were already struggling to hold out and were calling for a timeout, yet Miya Atsumu actually felt like he was being brushed off?
Miya Atsumu reached out, snatched the half-piece of candy from the ant's hands, shook off the bits of leaf stuck to it. "The blockers can't keep up at all; there's no sense of accomplishment whatsoever."
The most exhilarating part of a Quick Attack is watching the opponent's block being torn apart and seeing those big oafs scrambling one after another to catch up.
As it turned out, Karasuno's block couldn't keep up at all, shifting all the pressure onto the back-row Libero and the Wing Spiker; there wasn't even a hint of a passionate, high-stakes battle.
Did they give up that easily..
Compared to Aobajohsai, they are indeed far behind. How boring.
Aran looked at Miya Atsumu, his gaze as if he were looking at some piece of trash: "Can you have some respect for nature? The ants are going to cry."
Miya Atsumu looked up and asked with a look of utmost seriousness, "Aran, do you want some?"
Aran reached out a hand in front of Atsumu to signal his refusal, then turned his head away, no longer looking at him. "That's enough! I've already exceeded my quota of complaining for today!"
From now on, I absolutely won't make a single sarcastic comment about you guys ever again!
He pushed the door and walked back into the Karasuno Gymnasium.
Meanwhile, in the gymnasium, after searching all around without finding Miya Atsumu, Hinata finally worked up the courage to call out to Kageyama: "Hey! King!"
Can you toss me a ball? I have something I want to try out. Atsumu-senpai and Osamu-senpai are both out.
Kageyama nodded: "Sure.."
However, in exchange, there is also something I want to try.
But before Kageyama could finish his sentence, Aran's voice rang out from the side: "Shoyo, don't go harassing other people's setters!"
If you go around provoking people after winning just two matches, you're going to get jumped!
In less than a second, he heard Aran's somewhat broken complaining coming from inside the door, a question mark popped up over Miya Atsumu's head.
Having suddenly snapped out of it, he stood up with a sudden movement and rushed into the gymnasium at the speed of a hundred-meter sprint.
He had only stepped out for a moment to get some fresh air, so how was someone already eyeing his little one?
Watching Miya Atsumu stomp in aggressively, Kageyama's face was written with confusion, even though he hadn't done anything.
After the break, Coach Kurosu also called everyone over for a meeting.
In fact, judging by their performance this morning, they had already exceeded their goals.
Coach Kurosu nodded repeatedly.
Even with knowledge he had only learned two days ago, Hinata was able to turn it into actual action during a match..
In terms of growth speed, Hinata is even more terrifying than they imagined.
Meanwhile, on the other side, Ukai Keishin suddenly realized that he had been taking things for granted.
Karasuno certainly needed experience facing strong opponents, but Inarizaki was a bit too much for them to handle.
The result of such all-around crushing was a doubled blow; if Miya Atsumu hadn't intentionally tried to provoke Kageyama because of Hinata, the final result might have been that they walked away with nothing..
Everyone stood around the coaching bench, the atmosphere quite serious, no one spoke.
Tetsuya Takeda, feeling an inexplicable sense of oppression, frowned. Just as he was about to say something, the Ace, Azumane Asahi, spoke up.
Coach, after today's match is over.. I think I should strengthen my serve training.