Hokkaido Yellow Stars find promise in their SV debut—champions Osaka Bluteon next in Sapporo
Their first set in the SV League ended 25–22. On their debut in the competition, Hokkaido Yellow Stars took Tokyo Great Bears all the way to a fifth set.
At Ariake Coliseum on October 17, Hokkaido won the first set, then took the third 25–19 to lead 2–1. A first victory eluded them, but they matched Tokyo GB with 10 blocks and posted a higher serve-reception success rate. Encouraged by their first outing on the new stage, they now welcome last season's champions to Sapporo.
Ten blocks and 57.1% success from the back row
Hokkaido recorded 10 blocks in the opener, an average of 2.00 per set. Kaoru Nakaya contributed four, with Rune Fasteland and Jonas Kvalen adding two each.
Nakaya also put away five of his 10 attack attempts for a 50.0% success rate. His nine points combined attacking and blocking contributions, giving Hokkaido scoring from the middle as well as the wings.
Back-row attacks produced 16 kills from 28 attempts, a 57.1% success rate. Around 30% of the team's 52 attack points came from the back row: six for Chang Yu-Sheng, four each for Hinata Shigetome and Kvalen, and two for Kota Yamada. Several players contributed to that threat.
Hokkaido's serve-reception success rate was 43.3%, against Tokyo GB's 33.3%. They outperformed their opponents in reception and scored from both front and back rows. Blocking, reception and back-row attack all offered positives from their SV debut.
Chang scores 17, Shigetome 16; Kvalen hits 61.1%
Chang led Hokkaido with 17 points: 15 kills from 34 attempts, one block and one ace.
Shigetome scored 16, with 14 kills from 30 attempts at 46.7%, plus a block and an ace. He also received a team-high 27 serves, combining reception duties with a substantial attacking contribution.
Kvalen converted 11 of his 18 attack attempts, a 61.1% success rate, and added two blocks. While Chang and Shigetome took more swings, Kvalen provided efficient finishing.
The trio scored 46 points in total and accounted for 40 of Hokkaido's 52 kills. Alongside Chang, Shigetome and Kvalen established themselves as scoring options from the first match.
On October 18, Chang again recorded 15 kills, this time from 28 attempts at 53.6%. He reached 33 total points across the opening two matches.
A 175 cm captain takes flight: a 'real-life Haikyu!!' attacker returns to the top flight
One player to watch at Hokkaido's home opener is their 175 cm captain, Kota Yamada.
He is the shortest attacker in this season's men's SV League. Excluding setters and liberos, only Yamada and Toray Shizuoka's Gaku Kusumoto stand below 180 cm. Yamada is taking his swings in a league filled with world-class hitters.
Last season in the V.League, he scored 327 points with a 52.7% attack success rate. From the back row, he converted 59 of 92 attempts, an outstanding 64.1%. He leaps and scores from behind the attack line too—a player who invites the description 'real-life Haikyu!!'.
Having already played V1 with Oita Miyoshi, Yamada is returning to Japan's highest level this season. During his opening weekend as Hokkaido captain, he put away seven of 15 attacks against Tokyo GB on October 18 and added an ace for eight points.
Next comes a meeting with reigning champions Osaka Bluteon in his team's home city of Sapporo. How will the 175 cm captain attack their imposing block? His back-row hitting, which brought 59 kills last season, is another reason to watch.
The champions' attack comes to Sapporo
Hokkaido host Osaka Bluteon at Kitagas Arena Sapporo 46 on October 24 and 25. The matches start at 14:05 and 13:05 respectively, Japan time. These are Hokkaido's first SV League home matches and Osaka's first league fixtures of the season.
Osaka went 38–6 in last season's regular season, then beat Suntory in the championship final to claim the title.
In last season's totals including the playoffs, Yuji Nishida scored 738 points, with 603 kills and 71 aces. Miguel Lopez added 697 points and a 55.6% attack success rate. This is an attack that demands attention to more than one player.
Hokkaido opened with 10 blocks, led by Nakaya's four. Against Osaka, they will look to turn pressure from their serve into block points. Which players face Nishida and Lopez at the net, and in which rotations? Those matchups are worth following.
The contest with Brizard, one of the world's finest setters
Directing that attack is Antoine Brizard, one of the setters in the conversation for the world's best. He was named in last season's regular-season Best Six and helped Osaka win the title.
Brizard can use his middles as well as Nishida and Lopez. How will Hokkaido's block respond? Nakaya and Fasteland must account for quick attacks while also reacting to sets to the wings. Sapporo will offer a close view of that contest between a world-class setter and Hokkaido's middle blockers.
Brizard also recorded 46 aces last season, including the playoffs. He can influence a match from the service line as well as through his setting.
How many attacking options can Hokkaido preserve after receiving serves from Nishida and Brizard? That is another key point to watch.
In the opener, Shigetome received 27 serves, Shunsuke Watanabe 24 and Kvalen 23. Watanabe's reception success rate was 45.8%, and Kvalen's 47.8%. If that reception allows setter Kohei Kuboshita to use his middles and back-row hitters, it can spread the blocking attention away from Chang.
Can Hokkaido reproduce the back-row attack that achieved 57.1% success on debut against the champions? Chang, Shigetome, Kvalen and the 175 cm Yamada: who will jump and finish from Kuboshita's sets? Hokkaido's attack is ready to give the home crowd in Sapporo something to cheer.