Coach Irihata turned to the team, his expression serious. "Our blocking today isn't sticky enough. You need to be more aggressive in disrupting Ushiwaka's spikes."
One of Wakatoshi Ushijima's defining characteristics as a spiker was his sheer power—a force capable of breaking through blocks.
Right now, Kaedehara Taichi and Kunimi Akira were completely unable to stop it.
Even Kindaichi, Iwaizumi, and Matsukawa, who had the strength to block him, often hesitated at the net.
Ushijima's overwhelming presence on the court was enough to shake their confidence, causing a split-second delay that he exploited.
Several of today's points had been lost for exactly that reason.
"The second issue," Coach Irihata continued, his tone uncharacteristically sharp, "is receiving Ushiwaka's spikes. Right now, only Oikawa and Watari can handle them. Does that mean the rest of you have nothing to do with it?"
Another hallmark of Ushijima's spikes was the left-handed spin. The unusual rotation often led to reception errors even when his spikes lacked full power.
"I'll explain the overall situation first, and then we'll discuss our approach." Coach Irihata gestured for Manager-Coach Mizoguchi to hand over the analysis sheet for the day's match.
"In the first set we won, Taichi scored 9 points, Oikawa 5, and Iwaizumi 3. For Shiratorizawa, Ushijima scored 11 points, Tendou 3, and Kawanishi 2."
"Our offense wasn't weaker than Shiratorizawa's."
Taichi, surprised by his own performance, nodded eagerly as he listened.
"But in the second set, Taichi scored 6 points, Oikawa 4, and Iwaizumi 4. Together, the three of you barely matched Ushiwaka's points alone."
The members of Aoba Johsai fell silent, their faces tense. When laid out , the terrifying dominance of Wakatoshi Ushijima became even more apparent.
"As for the third set," Irihata's tone grew heavier, "it was a complete breakdown. There's no point in analyzing it further."
His gaze swept across the room, stern yet encouraging. "We at Aoba Johsai are strong in every area, which is why we can defeat most teams. But we're not the best in any single area, which is why we can't beat Shiratorizawa."
"This is the time to seek change. Taichi is one of our new weapons, but it's not enough. If we want to reach nationals, we need more." His eyes shifted to Oikawa Tōru and Iwaizumi Hajime. "You two are the captain and vice-captain. I need an answer from you tomorrow."
With that, Coach Irihata turned and walked out of the gym with Manager Mizoguchi.
"Thank you, Coach!" The players called out in unison, their voices echoing in the gym as they bowed to send him off.
Outside the gym, Sadayuki Mizoguchi broke the silence. "Coach, you probably already have a plan in mind. Why not just tell them outright?"
"Sadayuki," Irihata began, his voice softer now, "I've taken a team to nationals before…"
"I know. You mention it every time you drink." Mizoguchi cut him off with a deadpan.
"Do I? Haha..." Coach Irihata chuckled before turning to look at Mizoguchi seriously. "What do you think it takes to make it to nationals?"
"A strong ace? Unmatched skill?" Mizoguchi ventured, uncertain.
"Of course, those are essentials," Irihata admitted with a laugh, "but I think there's something else. Every player on the team must know their role and be willing to make sacrifices when necessary."
Sadayuki Mizoguchi hesitated, unsure how to respond. Irihata didn't leave him guessing for long.
"Seijoh has been too stable for too long," he continued. "As I said earlier, that kind of stability won't win against Shiratorizawa."
"If we had lost the Inter-High preliminaries," Coach Irihata said, "I was already planning to call Kyōtani Kentarō back. Aoba Johsai needs a change."
"But Taichi's arrival gave me hope. His progress has been so rapid that even I've had to accelerate the pace of our team's transformation."
"However," Irihata's tone softened, "this change cannot come from me alone. They need to realize it themselves."
Mizoguchi pondered the coach's words for a while before asking, "And the 'sacrifice' you mentioned?"
Coach Irihata fell silent for a moment, then spoke, his voice steady. "It could be like Karasuno's setter, who stepped back to make way for another. Or their quiet, unassuming captain. But most of all, it's like what we saw in Shiratorizawa today. Any one of their players could be the ace on an average team, but on Shiratorizawa, they devote everything to clearing the path for their ace—for the team's victory."
"Of course," he added with a small smile, "Aoba Johsai isn't like that. Oikawa brings everyone together as a unit. But even then, we need someone who can stand at the forefront."
Back in the gym, the atmosphere was tense. After a long silence, Iwaizumi Hajime finally broke it.
"Coach Irihata's message was pretty clear," he said firmly. "Oikawa needs support as the setter. The first touch can't fall entirely on Shinji."
"I'll focus more on reception practice moving forward," Iwaizumi added with a grin. "You guys will have to handle the offence."
"Ah, Iwa-chan…" Oikawa began, but before he could continue, Hanamaki Takahiro cut in.
"I'll do it," Hanamaki said suddenly. "Iwaizumi and Oikawa's synergy needs to become even sharper. Today's scores make that obvious."
"Why are the seniors suddenly talking about this?" Kindaichi whispered to Kunimi, his confusion apparent. "Isn't reception something we're all supposed to practice?"
Kunimi, used to Kindaichi's endless questions, replied in a low voice, "We're short on time. It's faster for the main spikers, who already handle the first touch, to practice reception. It also means sacrificing some of their own offensive opportunities."
"But you're a spiker too. Why aren't you practising with them?" Kindaichi asked bluntly.
Kunimi rolled his eyes. "Because I'd get blown away by those spikes."
"You should practice with them anyway," Matsukawa Issei interjected suddenly. "We need to overhaul our attack strategy too. We didn't gain any advantage in the last two sets." Then, after a pause, he added, "Let's call Kentarō back and see what level he's at now."
The gym fell silent again. Iwaizumi and Hanamaki's earlier discussion was about dividing roles, but Matsukawa's suggestion introduced the possibility of changing the starting lineup—a move that could significantly impact the team dynamic.
The first-years, unfamiliar with the name, stayed quiet, unsure of what to say.
"I disagree!" The sudden voice of Yahaba Shigeru, a second-year, broke the silence. His tone was firm, even though Kentarō's return wouldn't directly affect his position.
"He's been out of the game for a while now, hasn't he? Plus, he's disruptive and doesn't respect his seniors," Yahaba said, looking to the third-years. "I don't think he'd bring any value to the team!"
"But his attacking skills are strong," Matsukawa replied calmly.
"Senpai, I don't think he's better than you!" Yahaba shot back, his voice rising.
Matsukawa gave a bitter smile but said nothing. No one wanted to give up their final year of volleyball. But if it was for the sake of the team's victory…
"Enough," Oikawa said, his voice cutting through the tension. "We don't even know if Kentarō is willing to come back. We'll need to ask Coach Irihata about it tomorrow."
Yahaba clenched his fists, but he knew the captain's word was final. Reluctantly, he returned to his spot.
Taichi stood frozen, watching the heated discussion unfold before him. It felt like everything was somehow related to him, yet at the same time, completely unrelated.
Why hadn't anyone asked for his opinion?
[T/N] - If you guys want to read 50 Chapters in advance of the current story, you can support me on my . Trust me, it's awesome!
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