This playstyle itself possesses international-level foresight; Shiratorizawa adopted it, but they didn't put much effort into refining the coordination, focusing instead more on the players' individual abilities.
A lineup that hasn't been properly integrated leads to vulnerabilities in both offense and defense many times, making them quite easy to target.
This system itself should be equipped with a setter with a sufficiently strong ability to coordinate and a clear mind; otherwise, it is very likely to become a monotonous tactic of rigid formulas, just like Shiratorizawa.
But Inarizaki's setter is Miya Atsumu, he has the confidence to master this system perfectly; he will squeeze every bit of value out of every single spiker.
"Shoyo can protect himself, even go beyond just the scope of self-protection." Miya Atsumu's tone was very stern.
But..
That's no excuse for you and Unabara to act spoiled just because you're favored.
At this point, a shadow crept over Miya Atsumu's expression: "If you can't play well, then get lost early. There are plenty of others waiting to take the starting lineup."
Ginjima stood to the side with his arms crossed, not saying a word in Rishia Heisuke's defense.
After all, he was also one of the people Miya Atsumu blamed, even Suna was too.
Because the setter's skill level is high and the spikers' adaptability is strong, they were a bit reckless; this was a mistake they all made collectively.
However.. Rishia and Unabara Uta are indeed lagging behind a bit.
Ginjima sighed, "It's such a shame Unabara isn't here."
Arima Shuji spoke up for Unabara Uta in silence: "He's already had a hard enough life."
Unabara Uta nodded in agreement.
After working hard to adapt to his new identity as a setter, Unabara Uta felt a cold sweat break out on his forehead from the anxiety of his repeated mistakes.
Setting up the ball was indeed an important training item for his trip, but.. beach volleyball setting is just a bit too difficult.
Adding even a little bit of spin turns it into a combination, holding the touch for just a moment longer turns it into a carry. Moreover, the ball itself is covered in sand, making it even harder to control.
After many rounds, he sent many extremely ugly balls over.
And Bokuto also underwent a change from the very beginning, when he was full of ambition and would chase down every ball to spike it dead.
After all, many of Unabara Uta's sets were not good; the height and position of every ball was different, making it impossible to time the attacks.
And Shimizu-senpai's blocking level is extremely terrifying; attempting a spike under such unfavorable conditions would be a poor tactical choice.
Effortfully adapting to the setter's different sets is itself an important task for an ace; he must make adjustments on his own.
In this situation, the best option is to play with various types of ball paths.
Although the beach volleyball court is smaller than an indoor court, it isn't much smaller, Hinata's height and long legs are a disadvantage in his own right.
As long as he avoids the block and spikes toward the edges, he can easily tip the ball over Hinata's reach.
Watching Bokuto-senpai spike an incredibly brilliant Short Diagonal, Shiratori in the stands provided plenty of emotional support: "Nice spike, Bokuto-senpai!!"
Hinata bared his teeth, his face contorted in a distressed and conflicted expression: "Damn it, I want to be with Bokuto-senpai too—"
So cool, absolutely so cool!
Is this the showdown between a top-tier spiker and a top-tier blocker? It's absolutely brilliant!
However, if he were to partner with Bokuto, he wouldn't be able to receive and spike as frequently..
Mm, this is quite good as it is.
Coach Sanjo nodded continuously by the sidelines, appearing extremely satisfied with the match on the court.
Although there were many technical flaws for beach volleyball, they played quite well.
Taking a look at Unabara, who was frowning with a serious expression, Shimizu reached out and pulled Hinata over.
He said softly, "The opposing block is catching up bit by bit."
"Yeah, Unabara has gradually adapted," Hinata nodded.
Blocking isn't actually a regular training item for Unabara Uta, so he was quite unaccustomed to it. However, Unabara's height is decent enough, so once he found his rhythm, he would still be quite difficult to deal with.
Shimizu curled the corners of her lips and said softly, "Then I'll teach you something new, something similar to a dump."
In beach volleyball, if a dump is executed poorly, it's easily called a lift, so generally, it isn't taught to beginners like Hinata, but there are similar techniques that can be used.
And now that Unabara Uta is gradually finding her rhythm.. it is the perfect opportunity to learn.
Chapter 311: The Three Hundred and Eleventh Fox
Hinata nudged close to Shimizu's side and asked in a low voice, "Something new? What is it? A super special move?"
His face was full of curiosity and an intense longing for a "special move," which made Shimizu smile.
Patting Hinata's head, Shimizu spoke softly, "There are only two people in beach volleyball, so theoretically, there are still many gaps in the defense."
So, to reduce the difficulty for the defending side, beach volleyball rules state that you cannot use your fingertips to perform a 'dump'.
Hinata's eyes widened. "Eh? You can't use your fingertips?"
As he spoke, he used his fingers to simulate the hand shape he typically used when performing a dump.
Shimizu nodded. "Mm, so you have to use another part of your body to hit the ball."
Hinata cleared his head for a moment and suddenly came up with an answer: "Use my head to push it over? Like how seals push balls?"
Hearing this answer, Shimizu-senpai raised a finger and wagged it. "One possible solution."
As Hinata was preparing to try using his head to bump the ball, Shimizu immediately added, "However, the standard technique is to hit the ball with your knuckles, like this.."
He held the volleyball in his left hand and used his right hand to demonstrate the fingertip and bent-knuckle hitting methods to Hinata respectively.
Hinata nodded. "I think I understand."
In any case.. try using my head first?
Shimizu-senpai almost guessed what he was planning to do immediately and hurriedly raised her hand to stop him: "There's no need to try that."
He wasn't confident he could pull off a light set. One moment of inattention could result in a bumped head, there was also the possibility of sand falling from the ball into his eyes.
At this, Hinata felt a tiny bit disappointed: "Oh."
Bokuto-senpai looked so cool using his chest to bump the ball; if he used his head, it would be quite scary and surprising!
And Unabara Uta had already successfully mastered the feeling of running, jumping, serving on the sand, successfully executing a quite good serve.
Shimizu slightly raised her eyes.
The power and rotation of this serve were both excellent; it didn't even seem like something a Libero would serve.
With that kind of ability in his serve.. theoretically, his spiking shouldn't be much different either.
But you couldn't say that for certain; the situations involving a serve and a spike are completely different.
For people who haven't played much competitive volleyball, adapting to blocks and stepping forward to adjust based on the setter's movement is a difficult task in itself.
Shimizu-senpai!
After receiving the ball, Hinata quickly got up and strode forward to the net, lowering his center of gravity before leaping up with the ball.
Knowing that Hinata wanted to try something new, Shimizu didn't make the pass too fast; instead, she made it very light, giving Hinata enough time to make any necessary adjustments.
Although their movements were very obvious to professional beach volleyball players, to Bokuto and Unabara..
Seeing the ball fly toward him, Bokuto leapt from where he stood to perform a block, attempting to shut down Hinata's shot.
Whether it was because of the setter, I don't know, but Hinata didn't jump very high this time, he could be completely covered by him.
No problem, it can be blocked.
A point from the block! He's here!!
But just a second after Bokuto-senpai, full of confidence, stared at Hinata, a crisp sound rang out beside his ear,
Hinata pressed his index and middle fingers together, forming a flat surface that pressed against the volleyball, lightly tipping it over Bokuto's head.
Unabara Uta, who had gone an entire set without facing a dump, was startled, but it was already too late by the time he lunged forward.
The sand didn't provide him with enough reactionary force like a hard floor would, nor could he use a smooth surface to slide a certain distance, which significantly reduced the distance he could reach with a diving save.
In the end, he was not even close to the ball and could only watch helplessly as it hit the ground.
After landing, Hinata raised his hands and cheered, "Success!"
Shiratori continued to shout dutifully, "Nice play!"
Hearing his voice, Hinata turned around and waved his arms vigorously at him.
After responding with a smile, Shiratori narrowed his eyes and leaned back against the chair again.
Theoretically, Bokuto-senpai should have turned to save that last ball during the block, but both of these people thought Hinata wouldn't use a dump in beach volleyball and had no awareness of defense; it was a real shame to lose the point like that.
But this also highlighted another problem.
—Shoyo's learning and adaptability are truly terrifying; his progress is much faster than Unabara Uta, who is still struggling with the sand.
Hinata wiped the sweat from his face with the back of his hand, feeling satisfied, being careful not to rub his eyes.
He had sand on his hands and sunscreen on his face; either would be incredibly uncomfortable if it got into his eyes.
Although the feeling of sand was unfamiliar, the sensation of rushing between defense and offense, requiring both his brain and body to operate at high speed.. it was simply too exhilarating.
His previous thought was indeed correct; two-on-two was definitely a great way to practice both defense and offense.
Hinata couldn't help but laugh. "Playing volleyball really is a wonderful thing!"
He felt as if the road ahead was endless; whether fast or slow, he was ultimately striving to move forward toward the distance.
And this feeling of actually gaining something.. it was incredibly interesting.
Shimizu nodded in agreement. "Yeah, that's right."
So, it's just wonderful that they are all still playing volleyball.
Coach Sanjo stood by the side of the court again.
Seeing the score gap between the two sides widen, he called a halt to the match: "Alright, stop for a moment and listen to what I have to say."
The four of them walked toward the coach at the side of the court and stood in place, waiting for him to give them instructions.
Coach Sanjo's gaze swept over the people in front of him, he spoke softly, "Unabara Uta and Bokuto-senpai, you two should rotate your responsibilities slightly. If the block isn't effective enough, don't let one person defend the entire court."