Nekoma had travelled all the way from Tokyo for one primary reason: to play a long-awaited practice match against Karasuno. However, this trip had an additional and equally important purpose—to train and evaluate their first-year rookies.
For any team, training new talent is crucial. Through match simulations, first-year players can adapt to the intensity of high-level competition under the guidance of their seniors.
This not only hones their individual skills but also helps them find their roles within the team dynamic, laying a solid foundation for joining the main lineup in the future.
Apart from Lev Haiba, whose fundamentals were still too weak to participate, Coach Nekomata brought along two other first-year players—Inuoka Sō and Shibayama Yūki—both of whom he had high hopes for. In this practice match, he ensured they had ample court time.
Coach Nekomata intended to uncover the potential of these rookies through such exchanges, injecting fresh blood into the team's competitive roster. However, this didn't mean the match was just for fun.
Every practice match, especially one treated like an official game, was precious.
In high school volleyball, the elimination format of tournaments is harsh and unforgiving. A single mistake could spell the end of a team's journey.
This stark reality made every training match profoundly significant.
As the second set began, both Nekoma and Aoba Johsai adjusted their starting lineups.
Aoba Johsai's lineup:
Front row: Kyōtani Kentarō (middle blocker), Oikawa Tōru (setter), Hanamaki Takahiro (outside hitter).
Back row: Kindaichi Yūtarō (outside hitter), Matsukawa Issei (middle blocker, libero Watari Shinjirō), and Iwaizumi Hajime (outside hitter).
Front row: Kai Nobuyuki (outside hitter), Yamamoto Taketora (outside hitter), Kuroo Tetsurō (middle blocker).
Back row: Inuoka Sō (middle blocker, libero Yaku Morisuke), Fukunaga Shōhei (outside hitter), and Kozume Kenma (setter).
By positioning Kuroo Tetsurō in the front-right to start the rotation, Nekoma immediately strengthened their defence and attack in the opening three plays.
Meanwhile, in the back row, Yaku Morisuke substituted for Inuoka Sō during receptions, greatly enhancing their defensive stability.
Nekoma opened the second set with their strongest lineup, showing their determination to dominate. But then…
Wait—did Aoba Johsai change their lineup too?
Kuroo Tetsurō's sharp eyes locked onto the figure of Kyōtani Kentarō, who had replaced Taichi Kaedehara.
"So, they're sending in that guy," Kuroo mused.
"You can play freely for the most part," Oikawa Tōru instructed Kyōtani. "But if you mess with the team's rhythm, I won't pass the ball to you."
Kyōtani, expressionless, simply nodded.
Iwaizumi Hajime shot him a warning glance. "Don't try any reckless moves that'll hurt the team."
"Yes, sir!" Kyōtani replied immediately.
"Tch, this guy only listens to Iwa-chan…" Oikawa muttered through gritted teeth.
Yaku Morisuke received the ball with ease, and Kozume Kenma set it to the left. Kai Nobuyuki spiked.
Kindaichi Yūtarō intercepted it smoothly, sending the ball soaring toward Oikawa.
Oikawa's precise set reached the right wing, and Hanamaki Takahiro leapt to attack.
Kuroo Tetsurō jumped in sync, blocking Hanamaki's straight-line spike trajectory.
Out of nowhere, Kyōtani Kentarō surged from the back row, colliding with Hanamaki mid-air and redirecting the ball into a sharp cross-court angle.
The ball grazed past Yamamoto Taketora, landing just inside the court.
Kyōtani Kentarō scored.
[Aoba Johsai 1 – 0 Nekoma]
Hanamaki crashed onto the court, startled, as Kindaichi quickly rushed over to check on him.
"Hanamaki-senpai, are you okay?"
Oikawa Tōru had barely opened his mouth when Iwaizumi Hajime stormed forward from the back and delivered a firm smack to Kyōtani Kentarō's head.
Oikawa swallowed nervously. It seemed like Iwaizumi was genuinely furious this time…
"Didn't I just tell you not to pull off reckless moves?!" Iwaizumi barked, glaring at Kyōtani.
"It's fine, I'm okay," Hanamaki Takahiro interjected, already back on his feet as he tugged at Iwaizumi's arm to calm him down.
Kyōtani lowered his head, his voice stiff as he muttered, "I didn't get to play in the last rally, so I really wanted to spike the ball…"
The referee signalled towards Aoba Johsai, asking if they needed to call a timeout to avoid delaying the game.
"Sorry! Everything's fine now!" Iwaizumi pressed down on Kyōtani's head, bowing deeply in apology to both the referee and Nekoma.
"Whoa...scary," Kozume Kenma muttered with visible disdain. "Just like Yamamoto was before."
"Hey, Kenma, I was nothing like that!" Yamamoto Taketora protested vehemently, waving his arms in denial. "I'd never hurt a teammate!"
"I honestly thought they were about to start fighting," Kuroo Tetsurō remarked casually to Oikawa. "Didn't expect you guys to sub in someone completely different from your No. 10."
"They all have their quirks," Oikawa replied with a shrug, his tone laced with exasperation. "Especially when they don't respect their seniors."
The game resumed with another serve from Aoba Johsai.
Kozume Kenma received the ball, but it bounced awkwardly toward the net.
No—he'd set it up deliberately!
As the ball hovered just above the net, Kuroo Tetsurō leapt into action.
"Double block!" Oikawa and Hanamaki jumped simultaneously to intercept.
But Kuroo gently tipped the ball with a soft touch, sending it over Oikawa's shoulder and into the space behind him.
[Aoba Johsai 1 – 1 Nekoma]
"Don't aim your serves at our setter," Kuroo quipped with a smirk. "It's a quick way to hand us a free point."
The serve rotated to Nekoma.
Watari Shinji received the ball cleanly on Aoba Johsai's side.
Oikawa scanned the court briefly. Nekoma's front row now consisted of Kuroo Tetsurō, Yamamoto Taketora, and Inuoka Sō—clearly their strongest blocking lineup.
Under these circumstances, the most logical option would be to avoid their blockers entirely or split the pressure across multiple attackers.
However, sensing an intense desire radiating from his right, Oikawa decided to give Kyōtani Kentarō the opportunity to let loose.
"Go wild, Mad Dog-chan!"
Oikawa sent a high set toward the right wing.
"Huh? With such tight blocking, you're still setting to the right?" Kuroo frowned, puzzled by Oikawa's decision.
"Mad Dog? What a cool nickname! Should I come up with something like that too?" Inuoka thought to himself, entirely unrelated to the block.
Kyōtani's approach began almost parallel to the net, his explosive speed allowing him to close the distance quickly. As he leapt, his body twisted into a reverse arch, extending to its full length. His right arm tensed, muscles rippling as he swung with all his might.
At Kuroo's command, he, Yamamoto, and Inuoka formed a solid wall, jumping in unison to close off Kyōtani's angle. Their synchronized block loomed high over the net, threatening to completely shut down Kyōtani's attack.
A sharp cross-court spike tore through the tiny gap between the blockers' hands and the top of the net, slamming into Nekoma's court at an impossible angle.
Kyōtani Kentarō scored!
[Aoba Johsai 2 – 1 Nekoma]
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