He would not be afraid!
A mere low Jump Float Serve—after thinking calmly, he judged that its power wasn't as great as a Jump Float Serve. He had already memorized the arc and height of this type of serve; this time.. he definitely wouldn't let it drop!
Hayami withdrew her gaze from the back of Kageyama and Hinata's heads, focusing her attention instead on the first receive defense in the opponent's back row.
In short.. let's score first.
Kanzaki's eyes burned with intensity, staring fixedly at Hayami's movements.
Hayami's lips curled slightly into a faint smile; this time, she waited with great patience until the very last second of the serve before calmly performing her serve.
A skill like reading the countdown isn't something only the server needs to master with precision; as a Libero, he can do it just as well, if not even better.
—If you ask me, it's because I've been hit by it so many times that I simply can't help it.
The moment he heard the sound of the hit, Kanzaki instantly shifted his center of gravity upward.
The sound was still a Jump Float Serve, so there was no need to keep on guard against a more powerful Ceiling Serve.
The ball flew in along its previous trajectory, still wobbling significantly from side to side, making its exact path difficult to predict.
This time, Kanzaki did not stand in place waiting for the volleyball to come to him, because the later he touched the ball, the more severe the deviation in its trajectory would be.
Therefore, the best, yet equally riskiest, way to handle this kind of ball is..
Jump to block the ball at a higher point.
It was obvious that Hayami had not practiced her serve for a very long time; although she had chosen to learn more tricky serving techniques, she had not pursued variety in the ball's trajectory much because she simply didn't get to use them in her daily play.
In essence, these three serves are all more or less the same, with almost identical trajectories.
In that case..
In that instant, Kanzaki's hand made contact with the volleyball.
That's it! Right there!
The ball was bumped up by Kanzaki, landing at the position of the front row attack line.
The Setter, finally relieved, shouted, "Great first receive!"
Hinata felt a small surge of excitement as well.
Damn, that kind of ball.. he wants to try receiving it too!!
However, Hayami's physical condition hasn't fully returned to its peak yet, so she shouldn't engage in any extra physical exertion after regular training is over.
Once Hayami's condition has completely returned to its peak, he'll find an opportunity to ask if she can let him experience it.
Miya Atsumu turned his head toward Coach Unabara: "To be honest, right now, this kind of match training probably isn't as beneficial for Hayami as physical training would be."
Coach Unabara shook his head. "He has been sidelined for a year, so match experience is also very important."
Rather, it would be more accurate to say.. Hayami's physical training was merely to further his rehabilitation and regain his form; real match experience was the best way to help him find his touch.
Atsumu seemed to think about it for a moment, then smiled at Coach Unabara. "In that case, Coach, I have a proposal."
"What?" Coach Unabara asked back.
As for the ideas regarding the team's strongest setter, as a coach, he was willing to listen.
“Why can't physical training and physical training be handled at the same time? The Volleyball Association has more professional equipment and coaches, so physical training can be carried out much more effectively.”
Miya Atsumu had a smile all over his face, looking very reliable.
Coach Unabara was stunned.
Although the Volleyball Association's physical trainer is currently overseas for training camp with the adult team, he could easily borrow a physical trainer from the Women's Volleyball team, or even snatch a trainer from a neighboring sport.
He remembered.. Kosano should also still be over in Yokohama lately.
However, there was still one more problem.
“Then we're just one person short..” Before Coach Unabara could even finish his sentence, he met Miya Atsumu's incredibly bright eyes.
In that posture, for a fleeting moment, he saw Hinata, who looked like he was about to ask him for something.
So, even these little habits and personalities are contagious between teammates..
Coach Unabara felt a bit of a headache coming on.
That kid Miya Atsumu is waiting for him right here!
But he had to admit that Miya Atsumu's proposal was indeed worth considering.
The testing center hasn't been used for a while, so all the physical training could be arranged there, allowing Hayami's condition to be monitored at all times.
Moreover, even if the fitness coach doesn't come today, it wouldn't be impossible to have the other coaches on this side guide them.
Moreover, considering the current generation of players in the Youth Training, Miya Atsumu could be considered a highly experienced and extremely capable senior, so having him act as a sparring partner wouldn't be out of the question.
Coach Unabara was shaken.
It seems.. it really is a great proposal.
Miya Atsumu's lips curled into a triumphant smile, but in the next second, Coach Unabara's voice rang out immediately after.
I'll contact the strength and conditioning coach later. The schedule for this morning is already finished; the rest will be discussed later.
Miya Atsumu stopped smiling.
On the court, Hayami raised her hand to scratch the back of her head, feeling a sudden chill creeping up from behind her.
Why do I have this vague sense of foreboding?
After playing two rallies, Hinata, who had no prior experience with a four-two formation other than participating as a spiker, had already gone blank.
It could be said that he instinctively raised his hand for the ball, forgetting that he was the setter in a four-two formation.
No, this isn't right.
He raised his hand and made a stopping gesture toward Kageyama: "No! You have to follow my lead!"
Hayami, the setter, smiled.
Hinata instinctively stepped back just now, leaving the space for the setter open, so he passed the ball to Kageyama.
Hinata and Kageyama's coordination was indeed flawless. As an exceptionally talented Setter, Kageyama's handling of Hinata basically referenced Inarizaki's original style, allowing Hinata to play very smoothly.
Feeling a bit lost, Hinata instinctively turned his head toward Miya Atsumu by the sidelines, only to find him arguing about something with the coach.
To be honest, regardless of that kind of playstyle, given the level of coordination and the players' skill on their side, they wouldn't lose.
But.. if he didn't make some challenging attempts at a time like this, he would feel unsatisfied with himself.
Four-two..
First, set aside the Karasuno playstyle system that Kageyama mentioned, think carefully about the people and situations he is familiar with.
Most of Inarizaki's four-two formation was played last year; since they switched to a core Opposite this year, they have rarely been in a state where they swap out the Opposite to ensure three attackers in the front row.
However, because Miya Atsumu's own offensive level isn't actually that outstanding, his offensive power is slightly inferior compared to even Miya Osamu, Kumagai, or Hinata.
The Setter's transition play is mostly used as a temporary measure to handle situations that standard tactics cannot break through.
As for this style of play, the one Hinata is most familiar with is the style of coordination used by the Twins back when he played on the Right Wing and Miya Osamu played as the Opposite.
Even now, in situations where Miya Atsumu is being targeted, many times it is Miya Osamu who steps up to act as the setter.
Think carefully now.. what would Osamu-senpai do in a situation like this?
Hinata's peripheral vision swept past Kageyama on the other side, silently discarding his previous thoughts from his mind.
No, he is the starting setter now; what he should be referencing is Miya Atsumu's playstyle.
No one disturbed Hinata, allowing him to think for himself.
As they were preparing to serve the next ball, Hinata made a hand signal before the referee blew the whistle.
The effectiveness of a four-two is built upon the situation of a three-man attack in the front row.
His own setting ability was only passable, often only able to mobilize two attackers.
And before this, he hadn't even had the thought of wanting to further improve his abilities in this area, after all, he still had many fundamental issues that needed further refinement.
But thinking about it now..
Would adopting the perspective of a primary playmaker on the court allow him to play more effectively, enabling him to more quickly discern the opponent's intentions and better conceal his own team's offensive strategies?
When Shiratori-senpai was talking to him before, he mentioned a proverb. He can't remember the exact wording anymore, but he remembers the general meaning was..
Only by understanding your enemies and your teammates well enough can you win.
Miya Atsumu, who had won the argument against Coach Unabara, swept his gaze across the court and instantly saw the tactical hand signal Hinata was giving.
He fell silent for two seconds, having almost seen the future.
Hmm.. quite bold, Shoyo.
The whistle blew shortly after, the referee signaled that Hinata had committed a violation while holding the ball.
The ball hit the floor, over there, Hanae wasn't prepared to spike it.
It was nothing else but the fact that the ball was set too high; he simply couldn't keep up with it, it was clearly a mistake caused by Hinata.
Hinata knelt on the ground, unable to get up: "I.. I can't do anything.."
Damn it!
He already had an idea! However, the opposing block didn't move according to his preset plan, causing him to subconsciously try to think about more things.
This hesitation resulted in a hold.
Miya Atsumu laughed on the sidelines, in a very good mood: "Shoyo, you still have a long way to go."
Hinata heard him and looked over. "I haven't been taught that yet."
Because Inarizaki isn't needed at the moment and other projects have higher priority, neither Miya Atsumu nor Inubata taught him.
Although he could figure it out on his own, there was a shortcut available at this stage, of course, he would choose to take the shortcut!
Miya Atsumu said decisively, "I'll teach you. I'll go back.. no, I'll teach you in a moment."
It's not useless; if you can learn it, you'll be able to use it.
It's not a problem to master many techniques; the more all-around a player is, the more tricks they can choose to use on the court!
Kageyama expressed that he also wanted to attend this masterclass on being the nation's number one setter.