The volleyball hit Shoyo's arms and then bounced off the flat surface formed by his arms.
Miya Atsumu shouted again, "Nice receive!"
This time, Hinata controlled his movements very well, not letting the ball hit his nose.
Kuroo, watching from the stands, widened his eyes. "His progress is incredibly rapid."
During the National Sports Festival, Hinata still couldn't use this technique of using his palms to receive a ball to the face, which resulted in his nose being broken and bleeding.
To think that he can actually control the ball so steadily now; he is practically a different person compared to before.
"As expected of Shoyo," Shiratori said, clapping his hands.
Aran, who had once again gained control of the ball on the court, delivered a powerful back-row spike, this time Yaku was unable to successfully control the ball.
Kuroo, standing by the sidelines, roared toward the court, "Lev! Stop making those victory gestures!"
He desperately demonstrated the correct blocking posture for Lev: "Like this! Like this!"
Although Lev's blocking has improved quite a bit since summer, problems still arise because he lacks proficiency; once he encounters someone like Aran who performs frequent spikes, things go wrong.
One time or another is fine, but if it's like this every single time, it'll be the death of Yaku.
After glaring at Lev, Yaku tried to reassure Kuroo: "It's fine, it's fine, I can still handle it."
Why is this guy's mood starting to get restless as well?
As expected, was this overly passive long rally too suffocating..
Watching the Inarizaki members cheer, Oikawa Tooru frowned. "Yaku's physical condition is looking a bit grim."
Inarizaki began to frequently use back-row attacks, targeting the gap in Lev's poor blocking ability to execute direct, powerful attacks.
Back-row spikes with even greater penetration and power will be just as difficult to receive after they break through the block.
The physical exhaustion of a Libero moving around to receive balls during frequent long rallies is also an issue.
Another issue is that such impacts can cause bruising or swelling on the arms; whether it's painful or not aside, the effect on ball control can be significant.
The core of Nekoma is the setter, who acts as the brain.
But no matter what, the Libero, who is responsible for most of the receiving duties, is the lifeline of the team.
Inarizaki's dual-pronged approach, using both simultaneous and alternating pressure, had already severely disrupted Nekoma's overall offense.
"Nekoma's defensive level is indeed very strong, but they aren't equipped with corresponding spikers," Oikawa Tooru sighed softly.
In this regard, Aobajohsai was the same before, but in the exact opposite way.
Aobajsai's overall offensive strength is definitely sufficient; what they lack is defense.
But now that Kawarai has completely transitioned to the receiving position, Iwaizumi Hajime's ability with technical balls has also kept pace, unexpectedly achieving a sense of balance.
Rubbing his chin, Oikawa forced a smile. "However, Nekoma provided us with an excellent model."
The good news was that Aobajohsai's overall strength was more balanced at this stage, but the bad news was.. their next match this morning wouldn't be easy to play either.
Glancing at the score, which was already past the halfway mark, Iwaizumi Hajime turned his head toward Oikawa Tooru. "Let's go, time to warm up."
The upcoming matches would have nothing to do with them; what they had to do was secure the victory that belonged to them.
That's all.
Kenma looked up at Haiba Lev: "Lev, jump a little higher."
This was the only advantage Lev had in this match; it was already this late in the game, so there was no need to squeeze any more out of him.
You've seen Shoyo's jump many times.
The gaze from the setter was so intense that it made a thin layer of sweat break out across Haiba Lev's entire back.
Quickly recalling how the seniors had repeatedly mentioned his jumping motion while watching the video earlier, Lev stood at attention. "I understand!"
Kenma withdrew his gaze and looked back at Hinata, who was communicating with someone on the other side of the net.
Although he didn't want to admit it, they were indeed at the end of their strength now.
A large part of his own stamina had already been exhausted yesterday, today he was once again being frequently targeted by Hinata and Suna.
Additionally, because his first receives were also starting to fail, his running volume was even greater than it had been at the start of this set.
His legs were aching, his lungs felt a painful sensation, as if he were about to hyperventilate.
But he couldn't stop yet, at least.. not before this match was over.
The notification sound rang in his ears for the umpteenth time, making Kenma sharpen his focus once again.
On the other side of the net, Rishia Heisuke took over from Oori Ren at the service position, preparing to serve.
Kenma took a deep breath, recalling the parts featuring Rishia from the video.
He has a long approach, jumps very high, has a powerful arm swing during his serve, which naturally results in a very fast ball speed.
However.. most of the time, the ball's trajectory is quite direct, without much variation.
Before the referee blew the whistle, Kenma's hands quickly made a gesture behind his back, briefly signaling the subsequent defensive and offensive plays.
Yaku nodded, then placed his arms at his sides, ready to receive the ball at any moment.
With the sound of the whistle, the volleyball rapidly rose in height within his field of vision.
After the loud sound, the volleyball flashed past over his head in an instant, smashing toward the back row.
"Kenma!" Yaku called out to Kenma.
Looking up at the shadow of the volleyball in his field of vision, Kenma quickly turned his head to glance at the other side of the net.
The moment Suna approached the center of the net, Kenma used one hand to tip the ball, sending it directly over the net.
The Inarizaki members rushed toward the ball from all directions, but in the end, they were still just a step too late.
The whistle blew, Nekoma scored.
Rishia Heisuke clenched his fists and turned to head off the court for a substitution.
Kenma kept his head tilted back, letting the sweat trickle down his cheeks and drip onto the floor.
In his peripheral vision, Hinata dragged Miya Atsumu up from the ground, looking at him with a very wary gaze.
Kenma also turned his head at this moment, flashing a smile toward Hinata on the other side of the net.
Hinata inconspicuously retreated half a step toward Miya Atsumu, his slightly arched back only relaxing slightly under the comfort of a hand.
He hadn't even reacted at all just now; his attention was entirely on Lev, who had suddenly jumped so high on the other side.
Indeed, although Kenma doesn't use the Second Attack very frequently, he basically scores every time he uses it.
When it comes to timing the Second Ball.. Kenma's ability is terrifyingly strong.
Miya Atsumu placed his hand on Hinata's back, his eyes filled with vigilance and shock as he watched Kenma.
The Nekoma members were well aware of the Nekoma setter's stamina issues.
Moreover, judging by the amount of sweat, the opponent's physical stamina has clearly been mostly exhausted.
Under these circumstances, can they still provide a second ball in such an extremely rational state?
Kenma turned away from the net and took the ball Kuroo threw from the sidelines, preparing to serve.
Words like perseverance and willpower were the things Kenma hated most.
The only reason he was still standing here was for one single reason.
—His MP hasn't been exhausted yet.
The true meaning of constantly attempting to conquer high-difficulty stages lies in exploring how to play one's maximum role under limited conditions, so he cannot surrender yet.
I've got it!
Great first receive! Aran!
The volleyball fell and then soared upward again, flying back over the net once more.
Nice receive!
Kenma! I'm counting on you!
Stamina was draining away bit by bit, but his brain was still operating at high speed.
Shaking off the opponent's block, carving out a path for the spiker..
“I've got it!”
Akagi shouted, stepping back as he reached up to send the ball up.
"Beautiful," Miya Atsumu said softly.
To be honest, he was already feeling a bit too exhausted to keep shouting.
Scanning the people on the other side of the net, Miya Atsumu passed the ball to Hinata.
This spike was not hidden in the slightest, nor was Hinata given much cover, so it drew the attention of the Nekoma members almost instantly.
This doesn't suit Miya Atsumu's personality; it must be a feint.
Although the trajectory of this ball did indeed pass through Hinata's hitting point, it was very likely a Second Attack coordinated by Hinata.
Thinking this, Kenma stepped to the side, preparing to chase the ball's landing point.
Meanwhile, Lev and Yamamoto rushed in front of Hinata, preparing to block.
Hinata leaped up in the center, near Position 4.
Lev jumped almost at the same time as Hinata, reaching out with the intention to spike.
But just then, Hinata suddenly pulled back his strength, letting his whole body fall with the momentum.
He landed lightly on the ground, then jumped again the very moment he touched down.
Across the net, Kenma's pupils contracted.
—A one-person time difference.
But Lev had already jumped; it was too late to catch up to the situation..
Before Kenma could even process the situation on the court, Lev had already pulled back his strength.
Relying on his absolute height advantage, Lev jumped once again the moment his feet touched the ground.