After a short break and lunch, the afternoon matches began.
By this point in the day, only four games remained!
These four matches would each determine a qualifying spot in this year's Spring High!
And the showdown between Karasuno and Kamomedai was up first!
Even though the morning had already been incredibly intense, the crowd's excitement had not waned—in fact, it had only grown stronger!
Both Karasuno and Kamomedai had delivered stellar performances in the last Inter-High tournament, so it was only natural that a massive number of spectators had gathered to watch their clash.
Now, as the two teams entered the court, the cheers from the crowd surged like a tidal wave!
The players had already exchanged sharp glances during the warm-up. Now, the game was finally about to begin in earnest!
Creeeak!
As the referee blew the opening whistle, the match officially kicked off!
Kamomedai had the first serve!
And based on the rotation, the one stepping up to serve first was their captain—Aikichi Suwa!
Normally, setters are more known for their precision and control rather than power—but Suwa was an exception. His jump serve was one of the strongest on Kamomedai, second only to their ace, Kōrai Hoshiumi!
Amid the thunderous cheers from the crowd, Suwa launched a powerful jump serve straight toward Karasuno's back row!
He targeted Shōyō Hinata's position, aiming for a clean break!
But just as the ball was about to land, Hinata took a quick step back—and picked it up cleanly!
Seeing this, surprise flashed across the eyes of the Kamomedai players, but they quickly refocused!
All three front-row blockers scanned Kageyama's body language, trying to read his next move.
But as a top-tier setter, Tobio Kageyama was never one to give away his intentions easily.
With a feather-light touch, he delivered a deceptive back set straight to Kei Tsukishima at the rear!
Smack!
The ball rocketed off Tsukishima's arm—so fast and unexpected that even Kamomedai, famed for their ironclad blocking, couldn't react in time!
The ball landed cleanly inside the line!
Karasuno scores!
As the whistle blew to confirm the point, the arena erupted in cheers from the Karasuno supporters!
It was clear Kamomedai's strategy was to disrupt Karasuno's passing rhythm with aggressive serves, hoping to weaken their offensive formation.
By limiting their attack power, Kamomedai's block would have more room to dominate at the net.
And those familiar with Kamomedai knew this was one of their signature tactics.
But Karasuno wasn't like the teams they'd steamrolled before.
Suwa had believed Hinata was the weak point in Karasuno's defense, so he targeted him directly.
However, Hinata's reception was far more stable than expected!
He had absorbed the serve without breaking a sweat!
That calm receive was all thanks to his recent training at Shiratorizawa.
And even after that, he had continued practicing with Karasuno non-stop...
Hinata's defensive skills had improved drastically!!
Creeeak!
The referee's whistle sounded again.
Now it was Karasuno's turn to serve!!
…
"It's barely past noon and already we're deciding the top four… sheesh…"
"It really is the third day from hell,"
From the stands, the Nekoma players watched the match with a mix of awe and fatigue.
"Just thinking about it gives me a headache…"
Kenma Kozume sighed, his expression weary.
After this match between Karasuno and Kamomedai, it would be Nekoma's turn to face Fukurōdani!
If both Karasuno and Fukurōdani won this afternoon...
Then the long-awaited Nekoma vs. Karasuno showdown would finally take place in the semifinals tomorrow!
"But…"
"This team is seriously strong…"
Morisuke Yaku said quietly, watching the match unfold.
"That ball… they actually managed to block it just now?"
Yaku was right.
Although Karasuno had caught Kamomedai off guard at the start, the defending team quickly recovered their form.
Their formidable block reminded everyone why Kamomedai had earned such a fearsome reputation.
If it hadn't been for Karasuno's blistering attack speed, they might've already been completely shut down by Kamomedai's wall-like defense.
Still, Kamomedai's current performance wasn't quite at its peak.
Their blocking wasn't enough to fully contain Karasuno's offensive power!
Whether it was Akira's aggressive line spikes that landed exactly where he wanted...
Or the unpredictable quick attacks by Hinata, Tsukishima, and others...
It was all giving Kamomedai's blockers a serious headache!
But for many spectators watching from the stands...
As exciting as this match was, something felt a little off.
What was it?
Some seasoned fans began to notice the subtle change...
And as the match went on, that strange feeling only grew stronger.
"…Is Kamomedai already showing signs of fatigue?"
Lev Haiba said with a puzzled frown from the audience.
"It's not surprising,"
Yaku responded beside him.
"Not just Kamomedai. Karasuno too."
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