"This kind of chaotic lineup swap is actually pretty fun!"
Coach Hibarida watched from the sidelines, grinning with amusement.
Coach Kobayashi also nodded in agreement. "I have to say, the players in this generation are exceptionally talented. Even after switching positions, they all still seem capable of playing at a high level."
The current score stood at [Team A: 13 – Team B: 16].
Front row—Outside Hitter Kageyama Tobio, Outside Hitter Katayama Akira, Middle Blocker Nakamoto Shigeru.
Back row—Middle Blocker Kawakami Tomota (Libero: Kaedehara Taichi), Outside Hitter Matsumoto Dai and Setter Sakusa Kiyoomi.
Front row—Middle Blocker Hirao Jin, Outside Hitter Komori Motoya, Outside Hitter Chigaya Eikichi
Back row—Middle Blocker Mochida Riei (Libero: Miya Atsumu), Setter Hoshiumi Kōrai and Outside Hitter Kondō Masato.
At the moment, the two players struggling the most were Kaedehara Taichi and Miya Atsumu.
Not because of the pressure of receiving, but because, as liberos, they couldn't serve, attack, or block at the net—leaving them both itching to take action but with nowhere to release their energy.
Kawakami Tomota stepped up to the service line.
Since Taichi was playing libero this round, he could only watch from the bench.
Kawakami launched a powerful jump serve over the net. Miya Atsumu stepped forward aggressively to receive it.
The ball arced smoothly in the air, landing perfectly in Hoshiumi Kōrai's hands.
Taichi clenched his jaw—he had to admit, a setter understands best what kind of ball a setter wants.
Hoshiumi shouted as he set the ball high towards the middle.
Komori Motoya took his approach and leapt—he hadn't had such a clear view of the court in a long time.
Kageyama Tobio, Katayama Akira, and Nakamoto Shigeru all jumped together.
Komori had expected it, but seeing the massive block completely engulfing him still stung a little.
After all, once upon a time, he too had dreamed of becoming the strongest ace.
The ball took an unpredictable trajectory, dropping right toward Team A's backline.
Sakusa Kiyoomi dived laterally, perfectly digging the ball. Almost the instant he hit the ground, he was already springing back up.
The ball soared toward the left side.
Kageyama took a single step and launched into his approach.
Hirao Jin jumped to block, but the height difference was merciless.
Kageyama spiked over the block and scored.
[Team A 14 – 16 Team B]
"Damn it, I wanna be on the court so bad!!!"
Kawakami Tomota still had the serve, meaning Taichi had to stay on the bench for another rotation.
Only when he was benched did Taichi truly feel how much he craved being on the court.
He was no longer the rookie who could just stand on the sidelines and quietly watch the game. Besides, anything he wanted to analyze—he could just watch in the match footage later.
Kawakami sent another powerful serve across the net.
This time, Hoshiumi stepped up and perfectly cushioned the ball, sending it directly to the middle.
Katayama reacted instantly, rushing to close the block.
But at the last moment, Komori didn't swing—he set the ball to the right side!
Chigaya jumped and spiked.
Nakamoto Shigeru jumped to block, but Chigaya used his left hand, adjusting the angle just enough to avoid the single block and send the ball deep into Team A's back row.
Sakusa dug the ball once again.
Chigaya's left-handed spin seemed to have no effect on him.
Sakusa's dig was a little short, but Kageyama instantly stepped in, setting up a perfect high ball in the middle.
Katayama spiked through the block and scored.
[Team A 15 – 16 Team B]
"What the hell is this…?"
Taichi sat on the bench, fuming on behalf of Team B.
Wasn't this just Sakusa passing as an outside hitter and Kageyama setting like usual?!
This was basically cheating!
Kageyama, on the other hand, was completely certain of one thing—
He still liked setting the most.
The match wasn't as intense as the first day's, but with the positions shuffled, it brought a refreshing change. For players aiming for the pinnacle of volleyball, aside from the libero, everyone would eventually need to master all positions.
The score stood at [Team A 23 – 24 Team B].
Team B had the serve. Kondo Masato launched a powerful jump serve, but Kaedehara Taichi handled it with ease.
As Sakusa Kiyoomi ran into position, he was briefly blocked by Taichi, who was still standing in place after receiving the serve.
Startled, Taichi quickly realized his mistake.
Right—if he were a libero, once he received the ball, the attack had nothing to do with him anymore.
Watching the opposing hitters' movements and clearing a path for his teammates were fundamental responsibilities.
The ball was set to the left wing, and Matsumoto Dai leapt for the spike.
Chigaya Eikichi and Mochida Riei jumped up to form a block.
The ball struck Chigaya's hand and deflected toward Team B's backcourt.
Miya Atsumu was already sprinting to the sidelines. Despite being the libero, he skillfully used a setter's overhand technique to send the ball back toward the net.
A cross-court set spanning the entire half of the court—executed with absolute precision!
Hoshiumi Kōrai was already airborne at the right wing. The set was so perfectly placed that it reignited his long-restrained urge to attack.
Seeing the look in Hoshiumi's eyes, Kageyama immediately sensed his intent.
Kageyama leaped to block just as Kawakami Tomota responded, aligning with him to form a solid wall.
Hoshiumi's sharp eyes quickly scanned the court and locked onto an open space in A Team's backcourt.
Then—suddenly—Kaedehara Taichi moved into that very spot. Their gazes met in midair.
Hoshiumi switched gears and sent the ball toward the left wing instead.
I doubt he can receive that ball…but my role right now is as a setter.
Taichi tracked the ball's trajectory. In the back row, his vision was clearer than ever. Without the need to think about attacking, he had more time to adjust his positioning in advance.
His left-handed spikes were lethal—capable of both sharp cross-court and straight-line shots. With A Team's front-row blockers already drawn away by Hoshiumi's fake attack, only one blocker remained.
That wasn't enough to apply real pressure!
At that moment, Kaedehara Taichi finally understood what it felt like to be a libero. He could foresee the 'future' but lacked the ability to intervene directly.
"You sure have it tough, Watari-senpai!" Taichi silently offered his respects.
"Don't come here! Cover the cross-court!"
Sakusa's sharp command yanked Taichi back to reality.
In an instant, the situation shifted. Even if the block couldn't stop Chigaya, there was still a chance to defend against him—
Seeing Sakusa stationed directly in front of him, Chigaya hesitated. He had already been shut down by him five times this match.
Matsumoto Dai's block took away part of the cross-court angle, but Chigaya still powered through with a straight-line spike.
A deliberately left-open lane—Taichi instantly stepped in to cover it.
Sakusa's eyelid twitched. This guy…his defense is so sneaky…
After receiving the ball, Taichi immediately retreated to the right, clearing space for Sakusa's approach.
That action made Sakusa take a second look at him. I did say that earlier, but for someone to actually understand, process it, and execute it in real time…
This guy is growing every second.
Sakusa took a long stride to the right, steadied his stance, and cleanly set the ball to the right wing.
Kageyama took two steps back before charging forward.
A hint of frustration flickered across Kageyama's face. Miya Atsumu was one thing—he was a fellow setter—but even Sakusa, Komori Motoya, and Hoshiumi had all delivered sets that left him impressed.
I have to get stronger if I want to see an even higher level of play.
Kageyama drove the ball downward with a devastating spike.
Out of nowhere, a pair of hands emerged to block the ball. The reaction time was so fast that Kageyama barely had time to process it.
The ball dropped back onto A Team's side.
[Team A 23 – 25 Team B]
"As an attacker, you still have time to daydream? You're underestimating blockers too much!" Hoshiumi scolded without hesitation.
The whistle blew—the match was over.
"Sakusa, that's two wins against you now!" Hoshiumi shouted toward the back row.
"Boring." Sakusa had no interest in this kind of chaotic victory.
"Hey, Tobio, that's two losses against me, too~" Miya Atsumu teased with a grin.
"I'll win it back!" Kageyama gritted his teeth, still frustrated at himself for losing focus. How could I let myself make such a careless mistake?
"Let's go again!" Kaedehara Taichi's eyes burned with determination. He had only just started to grasp some new insights—there was no way he'd let this end now!
Since they no longer needed time to adjust to new positions, playing more matches should be possible.
Watching the eager players, Fuki Hibarida smiled approvingly. "Of course, you can play a few more rounds—but before that, I have a surprise for you all."
"A surprise?" The players had heard about this yesterday but hadn't expected it to be revealed so soon.
Hibashiri continued, "Some of you might already know that in another facility within this training centre, the official Japan U-19 National Team is currently in the middle of a training camp. However, their focus is on team chemistry rather than selection, so they'll be returning to their respective teams the day after tomorrow."
The players had already started piecing things together. Seeing their expressions, Hibarida grinned.
"So, here's your surprise—we'll be organizing a practice match against them tomorrow. I hope you all give it your best."
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