Hinata froze for a moment, then nodded seriously: "I understand, we'll talk about that later."
Indeed, although Inarizaki had already secured the victory, the signal to end the match had not yet been given, so it was indeed somewhat premature of him to say such things.
Miya Atsumu watched him return and reached out to rub his head. "Great job. He was bullying you while he was warming up."
Hinata thought back seriously: "He.. didn't bully me?"
Now it feels like Aone-senpai might have just been declaring war? It only looked a bit like a provocation because he looks so fierce.
On the sidelines, Coach Kurosu was already covering his face with both hands, leaning forward and letting out one sigh after another.
He knew it, Hinata had been completely corrupted by Miya Atsumu!
Provoking opponents in the middle of a match.. even Hinata has started doing that too!
—Even though Hinata himself probably doesn't think it's a provocation.
Niokuchi pulled Aone back and rubbed his chin aggressively. "That Little One.. is so infuriating!"
After the match is over, we're going to bury him!
Seeing the Captain so furious, Koganezawa was a bit bewildered: "Did I miss something?"
Niokuchi pointed at Hinata: "It's nothing. Just block that little flea with everything you've got in a bit, I'll believe it when I see it."
Koganezawa stood at attention and responded, "I'll do my best."
After two sets, they hadn't been able to block Hinata more than a few times. Was it really going to be okay?
But then again, it was already the very last moment, so he would just charge forward with everything he had.
Hinata shouted, "Osamu-senpai, give them a great serve!"
Glancing at the scoreboard, which already showed the match point, Miya Osamu spun the ball in his hands and tossed it up at the very last second of the service time.
It was still an incredibly stable jump serve, aimed directly at the back row of Nokanawa.
Although Date Tech's Libero's mobility was somewhat struggling to keep up, his skill in performing a diving save was still quite good.
Adhering to the philosophy of ending the match in the shortest time possible, Sakunami Kosuke definitely couldn't be the choice.
They still have three tough battles ahead of them, so they naturally want to conserve as much energy as possible.
Harukawa sighed by the sidelines, "So cautious even at the very end.."
Aoba Haruka crossed her arms and nodded repeatedly in agreement, "Exactly, exactly. Unlike someone, who starts getting careless toward the end of the match."
Aoba Kureha, who was still eating a hot dog in the stands, couldn't help but sneeze, startling the Vice-Captain beside her.
You haven't caught a cold, have you! Hurry up and put on more layers.
Kureha shook his head repeatedly. "That's impossible, it must be my brother scolding me."
The ball flew high into the air, landing near the net.
Even though the ball almost brushed the net, Koganezawa still shouted, "Great first receive!"
He reached out with one hand to scoop up the ball, forcefully sending it high into the air, far away from the net.
"Nice play!" Niokuchi praised, then quickly stepped forward, preparing to spike.
On the sidelines, Hoshiumi shook his head secretly: "It's over."
Date Tech's setter, although he can be quite unpredictable at times, is unexpectedly cautious in such a critical situation..
That last ball could have actually been a direct Second Attack spike, which would have definitely caught Inarizaki off guard.
Moreover, Koganezawa was just in the front row, so it was a great opportunity.
But how should I put it.. It really comes down to that one thing after all.
—In the most critical moments, a Setter will subconsciously pass the ball to the person they trust most.
Seeing Inarizaki's block accurately predict their tactical rhythm and join forces to stand in his way, Niokuchi, in a moment of urgency, lightly tapped the ball, sending it in a dump over the net.
Rishia, who was responsible for the front row receiving, quickly moved to follow the ball and sent it up steadily.
Hoshiumi shook his head again.
Not choosing to spike the ball down in this situation.. it already shows a half-step drop in morale.
Moreover, Inarizaki's back-row defense after a block is very tight, leaving no opportunity to score from a dump; instead, it provides Inarizaki with the chance to launch a counterattack.
Given that the person receiving the spike provided a perfect response, Inarizaki's offensive intensity was bound to be incredibly terrifying.
Watching the members of Date Tech on the court, Hoshiumi's movements suddenly faltered for a moment.
No..
Should it be said that Date Tech was actually waiting for Inarizaki to launch a full-scale offense?
Hinata's figure soared across the net, jumping off one foot near Position 4.
At that same moment, Miya Atsumu was also preparing a set.
The moment the ball left his hands, Koganezawa and the others, who had been watching Hinata intently, suddenly leaped up, joining forces to form a block in front of Hinata.
In the very end.. I just can't help but feel unsatisfied if I don't block at least one ball!
But in the very next second, Hinata, who possessed exceptional airtime, suddenly dropped the moment he reached his peak height.
And an even heavier figure appeared in their field of vision.
The Spiker at Position 4 swung his arm down, hitting the volleyball with precision.
With a heavy spike, Rishia smashed the ball into the court, where it slammed heavily onto the ground.
A long whistle blew, signaling the end of the match.
Harukawa, standing by the sidelines, clapped: "A perfect sequence."
Hirugami also applauded: "A perfect decoy."
Chapter 320: The Three Hundred and Twentieth Fox
"It's over, then." In the stands, Komori rested his face in his hands, looking somewhat unsatisfied.
Sakusa nodded. "It's over."
To be honest, it really did feel like it ended a bit too quickly.
Of course, I'm not saying there was anything wrong with the score or the point gap; rather, Date Tech's blocking was quite good, which forced Inarizaki into their rhythm, resulting in many incredibly beautiful attacks later on.
For the seeded teams, there is actually very little reference material available, but Date Tech forced a significant amount out of Inarizaki, which is a good thing for them.
But because of that, they felt they still hadn't seen enough.
If it had been a best-of-five series, Date Tech would have had more time to adapt to Inarizaki's offense, Inarizaki would have been forced to reveal even more of their capabilities.
Aoba Haruka, standing by the sidelines, couldn't help but sigh with emotion, "But for Date Tech to run into Inarizaki without any preparation.. that must have been quite difficult."
Harukawa laughed, "It's a good thing for us; at least we won't be caught without any preparation."
Lowering his eyes slightly, he turned around first to prepare to leave: "Coach should have the full recording by now. Let's go; let's go back and study it."
Aoba Haruka quickly followed, "Oh, they're here."
Based on the overall schedule for this IH, their match against Inarizaki will be the first one in the afternoon.
There are still two rounds of matches this morning, the other match involving Inarizaki has not yet finished, so the time they have left for preparation is only these few short hours.
Aoba Haruka rubbed his chin. "Why does this feel like cramming right before final exams?"
Harukawa couldn't help but laugh. "That's exactly what it is."
Besides, there were only a few hours left; even if one were to cram for final exams, it wouldn't be done like this.
But there was no way around it; this was the natural advantage of a powerhouse team.
And.. they shouldn't have been this flustered, but unfortunately, there were so many changes in Inarizaki's lineup compared to the qualifiers that they had to re-evaluate Inarizaki's tactics.
Especially since Inarizaki's First Receive, which was previously a clear weakness, has strengthened significantly, making the tactics that were previously unable to be executed due to the ball's state now viable.
They still weren't quite sure where the upper limit of Inarizaki's defense lay, so they couldn't operate according to their previously preset, relatively conservative strategy.
Aoba Haruka patted his chest: "Just leave it to me, I will crush their defense."
No matter what kind of offense it is, if the defensive player cannot provide a pass, there is no follow-up. This is Inarizaki's most obvious weakness at this moment!
But trying to break through isn't easy either..
Komori spoke softly, while slightly turning his head to look at Sakusa beside him.
Noticing Komori's gaze, Sakusa also glanced at him, but offered no comment on the matter.
He admitted that Inarizaki's defense had indeed become stronger, but as long as their overall blocking height and intensity couldn't match their previous state.. there would still be plenty of gaps to exploit.
One unfortunate thing for Inarizaki is.. he is best at breaking through the block.
Alright, let's get ready to warm up," Inamura Gen said, standing up first. "Set aside the Inarizaki matter for now; our top priority is to play our first match well.
Getting knocked out in the first round.. nobody wants that, right?
Although their opponents were an obscure little team, being able to reach the top sixteen already proved their excellent level, it wouldn't be good if they were to accidentally slip up.
On the court, Inarizaki and Date Tech had already lined up on opposite sides under the referee's signal, bowing to each other in respect.
Thank you for the game!!
Thank you for the game—
Hinata stepped up beside Suna and approached the members of Date Tech on the other side of the net to shake hands.
Koganezawa's eyes were red, although he was doing his best to suppress his emotions, Hinata could still see that he was on the verge of tears.
He reached out and grabbed Hinata's hand, clutching it tightly, "Next time.. I will definitely win!"
Hinata looked up at him, his eyes gentle and firm: "Then, let's meet at Haruko!"
Koganezawa nodded vigorously: "Yeah! See you at Haruko!"
In the remaining months, he will definitely become stronger, defeating Shiratorizawa, defeating Aobajohsai, defeating Karasuno, once again stepping onto the national stage.
When that time comes.. let's settle it once and for all!