On the opposite side of the net, seeing his attack get picked up, Kiyoomi Sakusa calmly brushed aside the strands of hair sticking to his forehead and retreated to the back row, ready to receive the next ball.
At a time like this, he couldn't care less about staying clean.
Sweat had long soaked his hair and was now running down his neck in rivulets.
There was clearly something more important for him to focus on.
Across the net, watching the pass from Akagi, Atsumu Miya clenched his teeth and set the ball quickly to his right.
There, Aran Ojiro had already started his approach.
Bang!
A powerful spike shot across the net, heading straight for Itachiyama's court!
But just as the ball was about to land, a figure appeared out of nowhere to make the save!
It was Motoya Komori!
The way he played during a match and how he usually was off the court made it seem like he was two completely different people.
Right now, Ryusheng Kami was also fixated on the ball with unwavering intensity. There was nothing else in his eyes but the rally.
Smack!
Komori successfully saved the ball!
Then, all three front-row players for Itachiyama immediately launched into motion.
One of the team's other main attackers, Ryusheng Kami, was stationed far on the right. He was another powerful hitter alongside Sakusa.
However, even with that firepower, under Inarizaki's tight defense, his spike was picked up once again!
...
The two sides continued to battle fiercely on this broad court, with every point hard-won through relentless struggle from both teams.
But no matter how intense the match was, there would always be a result in the end.
And the outcome of this game shocked quite a few people.
Inarizaki, who had taken the first set, ultimately lost the match!
The final winner was still Itachiyama Institute, known for their incredibly stable style of play.
Though they had a rough start, they pulled through the semifinals with their unwavering spirit and refusal to give up.
This meant that in tomorrow's final, their opponent would be Karasuno High.
Both teams would face off for the highest honor of the Spring High Tournament!
This outcome thrilled many spectators and players alike.
Reporters from various TV stations had already gathered outside the venue, eyes scanning the crowd attentively.
They were eagerly waiting to interview the players from Karasuno and Itachiyama.
A clash between the old and the new kings—
What an irresistible story.
Would Itachiyama reclaim its throne? Or would Karasuno defend its newfound glory and begin building a legacy of its own?
But those waiting reporters never got their interviews with the players.
Because both Karasuno and Itachiyama had already left through the rear exit of the Central Gymnasium.
...
In the conference room of the hotel where Karasuno was staying, footage from Itachiyama's recent match played repeatedly on the large screen.
Today's match had ended early, so Karasuno had the entire afternoon and evening to rest and analyze their upcoming opponent.
However, ever since the end of the Interhigh tournament, Keishin Ukai and Ittetsu Takeda had already designated Itachiyama as their imagined future rival, conducting thorough analyses of the team.
So doing this kind of prep work now came naturally to them.
"In my opinion, Itachiyama is an incredibly hardworking and intelligent team," Ukai began.
"There are countless teams across the country that work hard."
"But only one team has reached the level Itachiyama is at."
"Is that because the others don't work hard enough?"
Ukai shook his head.
"No. It's because they aren't as smart as Itachiyama."
"Working hard is important, but constantly thinking while working hard is what allows Itachiyama to climb this high."
Hearing Ukai's words, everyone nodded thoughtfully.
They might not have identified all the subtle nuances, but after this morning's match…
A powerful team like Inarizaki, who started with a major advantage, had still lost to Itachiyama in the end.
That spoke volumes.
Seeing everyone deep in thought, Ukai continued:
"Itachiyama's strength lies in how they're always improving."
"If you watch how they perform across all their major tournaments, you'll see it—"
"They're always learning from every experience, constantly reducing their errors."
"You don't need to reduce your errors to zero. You just need to have far fewer than the other team…"
"And that's enough for them to keep winning."
"Constantly improving opponents..." Daichi Sawamura rubbed his chin.
"That really is terrifying."
"Exactly," Ukai said, nodding.
"According to the latest volleyball monthly magazine…"
"In nationwide high school competitions, Itachiyama has the fewest unforced errors of any team."
"I hope that in tomorrow's match, we can minimize our own mistakes too."
"That's the only way we'll have a chance to beat them."
"Yes!!"