Facing Inarizaki's onslaught head-on this court, he understood the problems this match was about to face more clearly than anyone else.
Previously, their assessment of Inarizaki's Quick Attack was that only the Miya Twins could coordinate it, but now there was an additional number 17.
This doesn't just mean that Inarizaki might have a third person capable of performing a Quick Attack; it also means that Inarizaki can use this to directly organize Double Quick or front-cross tactics.
This kind of offensive speed.. they simply can't keep up.
While things were in chaos over at Shonan, Miya Atsumu had already walked to the service area, preparing to serve his second ball.
Atsumu serves a great one!
Atsumu's sharp serve once again disrupted the opponent's initial positioning, indirectly causing their subsequent organized attacks to be exceptionally monotonous.
In this situation, having Suna and Miya Osamu rush up to block was enough, while Hinata stayed behind to defend against the counter-spike.
But the opponent's spike wasn't aimed at Hinata; instead, it was directed toward Aran on the other side.
Even the fastest Quick Attack can be saved through coordination from the back row, but sometimes an elite Ace's spike is truly impossible to receive.
"Atsumu!" Aran quickly bumped the ball, sending it toward the attacking line.
"Nice receive!" Miya Atsumu stepped forward at the same time, preparing to organize the attack.
At the same time, Umezawa on the opposing side was also scanning the entire court with his gaze, attempting to analyze the situation.
Double Quick, they had to consider the option of a Double Quick.
On Inarizaki's side, it wasn't just number 17 making a run; number 11 had also rushed to the net. In this situation, it was possible for Miya Atsumu to set the ball to anyone.
As Shonan's Middle Blocker, Umezawa's focus was tightened like a single thread, remaining constantly vigilant against even the slightest movement.
The volleyball reached the Setter's hands, then faced the inward wrist tilt of the Setter over at Position 2..
A standard forward set, number 17.
The moment he made his judgment, Umezawa directly led the wing spikers on both sides to charge toward Hinata and jump for a block.
But was that set a little too high? Could this little guy jump that high? It's impossible.
Miya Atsumu, having sent the ball out, lowered his gaze, the expressions of the blockers on the opposite side already reflected in his pupils.
—He could jump, but there was no need.
Hinata, who had already begun a slight jump in front of the net, descended mid-air, then, the moment he touched the ground.. he jumped again.
A one-second time difference.
The wall of hands slowly descended, but Hinata Shoyo, who had not managed to create the maximum time difference, could not guarantee that he would be able to clear it completely.
But in other words, he had never intended to completely clear it from the very beginning.
Hinata's gaze locked onto Umezawa's fingertips.
He swung his hand to spike the ball, in the next second, the volleyball hit Umezawa's fingertips with unerring precision.
With a loud bang, the ball bounced high into the air, landing on the other side of the railing more than ten meters away.
In this situation, where the opponent's Libero is watching, a direct spike will very likely be dug with a diving save, but using Tooling the block can take advantage of the ball's high trajectory to ensure the opponent has no chance to save it.
—If there is no opportunity, create one.
Komori realized that he was dead wrong.
Inarizaki wasn't trying to conserve the other players' stamina to make a comeback; instead, they wanted to give Hinata Shoyo a debut bright enough to catch everyone's eye.
Nothing is more amazing than a small player breaking through a 1.9m wall.
If there were.. it would be the complete destruction of an old powerhouse known for its defense.
The volleyball rolled to the sideline, Hinata landed steadily on the ground.
He turned and rushed toward Miya Atsumu behind him, without giving the people from Shonan a single extra glance.
Atsumu-senpai! Nice spike!
Nice spike, Shoyo!
With a loud slap, the two of them high-fived heavily.
Standing by the sidelines, Hoshiumi's eyes were filled with sincere admiration and an even more fierce fighting spirit: "Brilliant! But if it were me, I would have spiked it straight into the stands to end the match completely."
The Inarizaki supporters, who had not yet reacted, were jolted awake. One of the older men among them raised his hand to take off his hat and wipe the sweat from his forehead.
I've cheered for Inarizaki so many times, where did this little guy come from? His speed and jumping ability are just too ridiculous!
Me too, I thought Kurosu had become arrogant after taking second place and just swapped in some rookie.
An unknown player steps onto the court and immediately plays at a national level, is this terrifying.. This kind of thing shouldn't be happening!
If you have something precious, you should bring it out and share it with everyone in advance!
We're all Inarizaki here! There's no need to keep anything to yourself!
Number 17—Nice kill!
So cool! Little Carrot!
On the other side, in the middle of the match, Kiryu looked up at the boiling stands with a dazed expression.
Meanwhile, in front of the tablet, Bokuto bit his upper lip, standing up in excitement as he listened to the commentary.
[After that incredible Quick Attack, Hinata has once again demonstrated his control in the air!]
[A beautiful feint! Incredible hang time! Precise tooling the block! A powerful point snatched from beneath the 1.9m iron wall!]
[It's just like—]
Little Giant!
Chapter 79: The Seventy-Ninth Fox
Hinata didn't know what was happening.
It was just that, after a certain point in time, he suddenly felt the cheers of the entire crowd grow even louder than before, surging toward him like a tide.
Was it him? He wasn't sure.
Perhaps it was because some spectacular play had occurred on the adjacent court; amidst the shouts of those cheering uncles from Inarizaki, he vaguely heard someone yelling something about the "Little Giant."
Hinata turned his head toward Suna, who was closest to him: "Is Hoshiumi-senpai's match this one? I thought I remembered it being in the afternoon?"
Suna pointed toward the sidelines. "He's over there watching your match."
Upon hearing this, Hinata froze for a moment before turning to look toward the spot Suna had pointed out. Sure enough, he saw Hoshiumi standing there with his hands on his hips, saying something to Hirugami beside him.
As if sensing his gaze, Hoshiumi made eye contact with Hinata from afar and raised his hand to give him a thumbs-up.
Hinata instinctively took a step back, then a whistle immediately rang in his ears.
The signal to serve had already been given; he could not move anymore.
Glared at by the head referee, Hinata didn't dare move an inch, forced to remain at the net in that slightly contorted stance he had taken after retreating just now.
Fortunately, Hinata's serve coverage was not very effective, so it didn't affect Miya Atsumu's serve.
Although Miya Atsumu's serve this time was also aimed at the transition area between the back row and the front row, Kamiya, who had gradually adapted, did not make a serious error; instead, he judged the trajectory well and rushed forward to pop the ball up.
“Captain!”
Tachikawa, the Setter, rushed out and leaped lightly on the offensive line, precisely delivering the ball into the hands of Umekawa, the front-row Middle Blocker.
Inarizaki's own blocking formation is a very standard 2+1, when Hinata is in the front row, it is Hinata and Suna at the 2.5 position, Suna at the 3.5 position.
If Hinata doesn't follow up on the block, Suna and Miya Osamu would need to close in on the center at the same time, similarly, if this movement isn't fast enough.. it would leave space for the opponent to spike.
Umekawa, jumping from Position 3 to coordinate with the Quick Attack, reacted swiftly, decisively spiking the ball into the space between Miya Osamu and Suna.
Akagi took a step forward and steadily received the Quick Attack: "Atsumu!"
"Nice receive!" Miya Atsumu also moved forward quickly to take his position.
Umezawa stood tensely at the net, preparing to block.
As long as the receive is accurate, Miya Atsumu can guarantee the quality of the subsequent attack, the variety of Inarizaki's offensive patterns.. is at a level that can be called the pinnacle of the entire high school scene.
His gaze swept over Hinata, who had already moved toward the center, while simultaneously noticing Miya Osamu starting to make a move on the other side.
It should be a front cross..
In his field of vision, Aran had already circled half the court to Position 3, preparing for a short diagonal approach.
No, it wasn't a front cross; it was a staggered attack by the back-row Ace under the cover of a front cross.
The moment he set the ball, Miya Atsumu noticed that the opposing Middle Blocker was already watching Aran and moving toward Position 4.
As fast as ever, it's truly annoying.
As expected, Shonan performs better against a Quick Attack than in standard plays.
BANG!!
A touch!
"What a touch!" After the block touched the ball, the Libero successfully sent it to the Setter.
Hinata stared intently at Tachikawa's movements.
According to Inarizaki's arrangement, the only thing he needed to follow was the spikes from the back-row attacks; for the various attacks from the front row, his job was to retreat and receive the ball.
The Ace in the back row of the opposing team hadn't moved at this moment, so the possibility of him attacking could basically be ruled out. At this time..
Hinata took a step back and looked up toward the top of the net.
Umezawa got the ball again and prepared to spike, while Suna and Miya Osamu followed him at the same time.
The spike hit the net and bounced out of bounds.
Balls outside the court are the responsibility of the Libero to handle; Hinata doesn't need to move, he only needs to consider the subsequent attack.
Standing by the sidelines, Hoshiumi couldn't help but nod. "I have to say, Shonan's setter delivers the ball quite cleanly and efficiently."
To put it nicely, it's a great deal of confidence in one's individual technique, being both decisive and skillful.
To put it bluntly, it means their observational skills are mediocre. Many times, they fail to consider the opponent's positioning and defensive layout as a whole, placing the entire burden on the Spiker.