On the sidelines, Kita Shinsuke frowned.
Using a Jump Float Serve against Itachiyama would have been a better choice, it would have also provided a better effect when interspersed with power serves.
To force a power serve in a situation like this.. it's obvious that Atsumu is getting a bit too hot-headed.
Feeling the gaze locked onto him once again, Amatori no longer knew what to say.
Help me..
So many things to complain about..
Chapter 105: The One Hundredth Fox
At the very last second of the service time limit, Miya Atsumu raised his hand and tossed the ball up.
His preparation was not hidden in the slightest, Amatori, having been targeted, fully adopted the same state he had when facing Ushijima's serve, preparing to meet the impact head-on.
Miya Atsumu's achievement as the best server in the Interhigh was primarily due to the unique nature of his Dual Wield, specifically his success with the Jump Float Serve, but this powerful serve was completely unexpected for him.
If Miya Atsumu could maintain that ball speed.. he would truly need some time to adapt.
Of course, that was assuming Miya Atsumu could control the accuracy of the ball so that it wouldn't hit Komori.
Against this kind of powerful serve, Komori basically received every single one accurately.
But with Miya Atsumu's improvisation, it should be difficult to maintain this level of quality.. right?
The next second, the volleyball accurately smashed down in front of Amatori once again, still landing right in front of the Iizuna front row.
As Amatori stepped forward to prepare for the receive, he couldn't help but feel a tingling sensation on his scalp.
If Miya Atsumu can really maintain this kind of serve throughout the entire match.. they are going to be in a very difficult position.
The volleyball flew out of control after hitting Amatori's arm, landing very close to the net.
"Iizuna! Save the ball!" Amatori yelled for Iizuna Sho.
Iizuna Sho rushed forward, weighing the options in his mind for a split second, before ultimately choosing to attempt to dig the ball with his hands.
This angle was extreme; it wasn't just a matter of causing the spiker to hit the net afterward, but rather that he himself might accidentally crash into the net.
Fortunately, his solid fundamentals supported him through all the movements, delivering the ball steadily into Sakusa's hands.
Sakusa had no particular requirements for the set itself; as long as the ball could stay in the air long enough at its peak, he could spike it.
Hinata and Suna rushed toward it at the same time, while on the other side, Miya Osamu also moved up to provide support for the block.
Sakusa immediately locked his gaze onto the top of Hinata's head, whose jump was clearly not early enough, resulting in a height significantly lower than the other two.
This position.. the overhand spike was too easy.
"Nice one!" Anticipating the move, Akagi lowered his center of gravity, his heels digging firmly into the ground as he kicked his legs to send the ball up.
At most, Sakusa's power is on par with Hoshiumi's; what makes it difficult is the spin.
But Iizuna's serve wasn't particularly good; even Sakusa couldn't manage to put much spin on it in such a short amount of time.
—This is the importance of the serve.
"Nice receive!" Miya Atsumu quickly stepped forward, preparing to set the ball.
Before setting the ball, he glanced at Hinata's position, then lowered his center of gravity and sent a flat set toward Position 2.
Hinata and Miya Osamu had already completed their cross-rotation in front of Miya Atsumu, jumping at almost the same time on both sides of the net to perform a Double Quick.
The volleyball passed through Suna's hitting point, Suna pulled back his hand without spiking.
Inamura, who jumped along with Suna, clicked his tongue, but he already didn't have time to move to the other side to support Agatsuma Soushi.
Remembering Coach's instructions, Agatsuma Soushi tried to overcome his instincts, preparing to give up on a kill block in favor of a touch.
But Hinata's reaction was also extremely fast; after rotating his wrist, he used a backhand to hook the ball into a short diagonal.
On the other side, Komori, in a state of urgency, lunged from near the baseline, stretching with all his might to reach for the ball.
With a loud bang, the volleyball flew into the air, landing in front of the center of the net.
Great save!! Inamura!
Iizuna called out to Inamura Gen in the front row, but he exchanged a glance with Sakusa on the other side and took a step back.
Sakusa rushed over and knelt on the ground, slamming his hand directly under the volleyball.
The sudden ball caught everyone on the Inarizaki side off guard. Carrying an eerie topspin, the volleyball traced a strange arc and ultimately landed near the baseline; neither Aran nor Akagi could save it.
A string of question marks appeared above his head as Miya Atsumu looked at Sakusa with a face full of shock: "Is this some new invention, a Position 3 semi-low ball?"
Akagi, who had just scrambled up, twitched at the corner of his mouth. "What on earth are you even talking about.."
Generally, there are only high balls and semi-high balls; where on earth did this semi-low ball come from?
Iizuna patted Sakusa on the back: "Well played."
Interrupting Miya Atsumu's serve also interrupted Inarizaki's overall momentum, taking the initiative back into his own hands.
However.. it was indeed a bit terrifying.
Coach Utsunomiya nodded: "Just as expected, Inarizaki still intends to stick to their previous playstyle."
Even if Hinata's strength in terms of quick attack technique has improved, it ultimately cannot change the fact that he is being restricted.
As long as Agatsuma can correct his bad habits in time, they still have a chance to win.
Hinata's expression was somewhat uncertain, he immediately turned back to look at Miya Atsumu: "Atsumu-senpai, the opponent's defensive depth has dropped."
But this was not a good thing; on the contrary, Agatsuma Soushi's defensive play was not conducive to them continuing to stall like this.
Miya Atsumu only thought about it briefly in his head, then made a downward pressing gesture, signaling Hinata to stay calm.
They had plenty of time to think about how to solve the problem, after all, the opposing side had already rotated to Agatsuma Soushi's serve.
However.. it doesn't have to be that troublesome; this was something they had already anticipated.
—Just time the speed changes perfectly.
Koldorf cannot perform a back-row attack; it's only manageable when Miya Osamu is the only one in the front row. Once Miya Atsumu starts utilizing his Dual Wield, he loses track of the other Miya Osamu on the other side.
Miya Osamu's heavy spike is difficult to receive if it doesn't touch the block, especially since Komori is not on the court right now. Amatori Toru failed to control it, making Itachiyama's serve rotation fleeting.
Amatori went crazy: "This Double Quick.. is just too annoying!"
It's impossible to control! Once attention is split between both sides, Suna has a chance to land a spike right over the net.
And that special spike from Suna—how is it any different from playing fetch with a dog and running past the back-row receivers!
Having returned, Komori spoke up to calm everyone's slightly anxious emotions: "It's fine, it's fine, just leave it to me."
Hinata serves.
The whistle blew, in the relatively quiet environment, Hinata spun the volleyball in his hands, his movements looking as if they had been carved from the exact same mold as Miya Atsumu's.
Watching the familiar tossing motion and approach, Shiratori, standing by the sidelines, suddenly realized, "His serve was taught by Miya Atsumu?"
He wondered why Hinata's serve gave him such a strong sense of déjà vu; after Miya Atsumu had delivered two consecutive powerful serves.. it was simply too obvious.
With guidance from the nation's best server, this jump serve should also be quite powerful.
The moment he jumped, Hinata's gaze instinctively swept toward Agatsuma Soushi, who was sitting on the Itachiyama Coach's bench.
He certainly knew that he needed to adjust the speed, he even proactively asked Miya Atsumu for the initiative. But as for how to determine the exact timing, he could only rely on his own intuition..
The moment his palm made contact with the volleyball, Hinata instinctively spiked the ball toward the point he had been observing.
And what he was looking at.. was the Itachiyama Coach's bench.
With a loud bang, the volleyball flew over the net and slammed down near Coach Utsunomiya.
Cursing inwardly, Utsunomiya and Coach Himegomiya on the other side both threw themselves onto the ground at the same time, fleeing the targeted Coach's bench.
A heavy thud echoed as the volleyball slammed onto the bench, then tumbled toward an expensive camera by the sidelines.
Hinata was scared senseless, but fortunately, Kuroo reacted extremely quickly, simply raising his hand to send the ball back.
Coach Utsunomiya, who had nearly been murdered, scrambled up and looked at Hinata with lingering fear.
This little guy.. he isn't trying to get revenge for that injury he sustained during the Itachiyama test, is he!
Seeing that the head referee was about to raise his hand to give Hinata a card, Coach Kurosu and Coach Utsunomiya from the other side stood up simultaneously, doing their utmost to appease the head referee.
Utsunomiya desperately defended him, "It's fine, I'm really fine. Hinata just made a mistake, it wasn't intentional!"
Kurosu quickly agreed, "Right, right, right, it was just a mistake!"
The head referee silently withdrew the card he was about to pull out.
This time, even the Inarizaki supporters, who had always been so indulgent of him, couldn't come up with an excuse.
Upholding the fine tradition of devilish cheering, the middle-aged man and the Inarizaki students beside him gave Hinata a somewhat small amount of boos, sounding deeply pained.
What kind of serve was that!
If you aren't going to play properly.. then just go home!
Having caused trouble, Hinata didn't dare say a word.
Miya Atsumu turned his head and gave Hinata a thumbs-up: "You almost pulled off the feat of assassinating the opposing coach right on the national stage. Nice one, Shoyo."
Hinata was on the verge of tears: "Atsumu-senpai!"
Stop repeatedly emphasizing the fact that he caused trouble!
Suna whispered to Miya Osamu beside him, "See? I told you."
You're acting just like a mischievous senior, Atsumu.
Hoshiumi, who had snuck into the back row of the stands, clapped silently. Excellent; not only had he gained a new meme of Miya Atsumu's expression yesterday, but today he would be able to return as a Hinata.
—It felt like a lot of the frustration from yesterday's loss had vanished.
During Suna's service, Coach Kurosu substituted Rishia Heisuke in to serve.
Although the score is currently tied, both sides are in urgent need of a change in the status quo.
Unfortunately, Rishia Heisuke's serve failed to score for Inarizaki. Itachiyama, playing much more conservatively and cautiously in their receive, quickly rotated to perfectly neutralize the serve that Rishia Heisuke had aimed at the junction of the back row.