For Shiratorizawa's players, seeing Ushijima Wakatoshi's first spike of the game being successfully received by Karasuno—a team they had never faced before—was surprising enough.
When did Miyagi Prefecture produce a libero this capable?
However, what was even more shocking was how a clearly off-target pass, flying dangerously toward the sidelines, could still be salvaged into an attack.
Not just salvaged—two players simultaneously readied for a quick attack!
It was evident that Kageyama Tobio had unwavering confidence in his setting skills, and the game thus far justified that confidence. His precision, even as a first-year, was on par with, if not more stable than, third-year setters like Oikawa Tōru.
As for the tiny player, Hinata Shōyō, his speed and jumping ability were indeed impressive. But lacking both power and reach, it was no wonder Tendō Satori blocked him so effortlessly.
With the serve rotating, Tendō Satori stepped onto the service line.
"Wakatoshi said we're going to take down Aoba Johsai together, so let's clear the way by taking care of this little crow first," Tendō declared with mischievous energy. Today, his condition was—perfect!
Tendō leapt for a jump serve, firing the ball with considerable power. However, the trajectory was straightforward, allowing Nishinoya Yū to receive it cleanly.
Being blocked wasn't new for Hinata, and Karasuno didn't panic. To them, this level of skill was only expected from a former champion like Shiratorizawa.
Once again, Hinata leapt from the front row.
Tendō had rotated to the back row, leaving Kawanishi Taichi to focus on shadowing Karasuno's #10 in the front.
Kawanishi jumped, positioning himself in front of Hinata mid-air.
But the ball soared toward the left wing, where Tanaka Ryūnosuke had already launched into a sharp run-up.
Ushijima Wakatoshi and Ōhira Reon jumped together to form a wall in front of Tanaka.
It was rare to see Ushijima taking such an active role in defence at the start of a game.
Ever since losing to Aoba Johsai in the prefectural finals, Ushijima realized he could contribute more in various facets of the game.
Tanaka unleashed a fierce cross-court spike, but the ball landed just outside the boundary line.
[Karasuno 0 – 2 Shiratorizawa]
"Ah—damn it!" Tanaka clutched his head in frustration.
"Don't worry about it! On to the next one!"
While the others encouraged Tanaka, Kageyama's gaze lingered on the spot where the ball had landed. Internally, he mused: Tanaka-senpai's condition seems sharp today…
Tendō prepared for his second serve, targeting the gap between Kageyama and Nishinoya.
"I got it!" Nishinoya shouted immediately, stepping in to make the receive.
As Karasuno's defensive linchpin, he couldn't afford to let a stray pass disrupt their offence, especially when Kageyama's sets were their greatest weapon.
The ball rebounded off Nishinoya's arms, flying high but slightly off-centre.
For Kageyama, however, it was more than adequate.
Always ready to attack, Hinata made an abrupt move to the far right side of the court.
Kawanishi Taichi, wary from his recent experience facing Taichi Kaedehara, followed Hinata closely.
But Kawanishi quickly realized something shocking—this guy was even faster than that Taichi!
Hinata leapt at the rightmost edge of the court, and though Kawanishi barely managed to keep pace and jump in front of him, his height advantage allowed him to form a block.
Regardless of whether it was a decoy or not, Kawanishi resolved to create a wall.
The ball flew to Hinata, seemingly hanging in the air right in front of him.
With effortless precision, Hinata evaded the block and slammed the ball down.
A clean and decisive point.
[Karasuno 1 – 2 Shiratorizawa]
Kawanishi Taichi frowned. Though both involved ultra-fast attacks, the first-year duo from Karasuno gave off a completely different vibe. Still, it required more time to fully understand.
"Sorry!" Kawanishi called out.
"Don't worry about it! Focus on the next ball!"
Tendō Satori was also lost in thought. If this attack had been similar to the one he blocked earlier, Kawanishi's block should have at least mitigated the spike's momentum.
Yet this attack completely bypassed the block—clean and decisive.
Could this level of speed in a quick attack still leave room for last-second adjustments?
That was something even Oikawa Tōru and Kaedehara Taichi couldn't do.
For now, Tendō mentally elevated the threat level of Hinata Shōyō by one grade.
Karasuno's Daichi Sawamura stepped up for the serve. His serve was ordinary, easy for Shiratorizawa's Yamagata Hayato to receive with precision, setting up the perfect first touch.
Shirabu Kenjirō glanced at Ushijima Wakatoshi and sent the ball soaring to the left wing, high and steady.
Will Ushijima-senpai ever be stopped? Impossible.
For Shirabu, Ushijima wasn't just a senior—he was the player Shirabu admired most. And as someone who idolized Ushijima, he was also the one who pushed him the hardest.
Ushijima's brow furrowed slightly as he made a powerful approach along the sideline. Leaping at the net, he met Karasuno's triple block head-on.
A spike over the block!
The three Karasuno blockers might as well have been nonexistent.
This one play made it painfully clear to Karasuno just how overwhelming Shiratorizawa's strength was.
The ball slammed into the court, bouncing high into the air.
This was the power of a top-three ace in the nation.
[Karasuno 1 – 3 Shiratorizawa]
Before this, the most ace-like player Karasuno had faced was Kaedehara Taichi. During their practice match in the summer, they realized he had grown into a true ace.
But even Kaedehara didn't exude this kind of indescribable dominance.
As Miyagi's top ace, Kaedehara felt like a predator toying with its prey. He seemed to understand everything about his opponents, effortlessly outplaying blockers, liberos, and spikers alike.
Over the course of a match, he would chip away at his opponents' resolve, leaving them anxious and eventually hopeless.
Ushijima, however, brought something entirely different to the court—raw, unrelenting pressure. His power, a combination of height and brute force, left Karasuno's players feeling physically stiff and suffocated just by standing on the same court.
Ushijima stepped onto the service line.
With no blockers in the way, Karasuno now had to face his serve directly.
Nishinoya Yū exhaled deeply, lowering his stance and fixing his gaze on Ushijima.
After facing serves from Oikawa and Kaedehara, Nishinoya had honed his reception skills. Successfully receiving Ushijima's first serve earlier was proof of his hard work.
But as he watched Ushijima on the service line, radiating an almost oppressive aura, Nishinoya couldn't shake the feeling that it wouldn't be so simple this time.
Ushijima tossed the ball high, his massive frame exuding raw power even during his approach. As he neared the ball, his final step hit the floor with a force that seemed to make the ground tremble.
In mid-air, Ushijima's body formed a streamlined arc, his left arm drawn back like an arrow ready to release, brimming with explosive energy.
As the ball descended to the ideal strike point, Ushijima's arm whipped forward with devastating speed. His wrist snapped like a coiled spring, and the moment his hand connected with the ball, the air itself seemed to crack with a deep, resounding boom.
The ball shot across the court like a missile, spinning furiously as it hurtled toward Karasuno's back row.
Nishinoya had braced himself, but the ball veered sharply between Azumane Asahi and Daichi Sawamura.
The deafening sound of the ball hitting the ground stunned Azumane, who stood frozen. This was what a power-focused ace was capable of.
[Karasuno 1 – 4 Shiratorizawa]
Karasuno called for a timeout.
Ukai Keishin gritted his teeth. The tide of the game was shifting rapidly, and he couldn't afford to let Shiratorizawa widen the gap so early.
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