"Pfft~~~ Hahaha!!!"
"What kind of pass was that? What's wrong with Mujinazaka's setter?"
"Gahaha! This is killing me!"
────────── ✦ ──────────
After a brief three-second silence, the entire court erupted into laughter.
Playing volleyball?
Passing errors happen all the time.
Most of the spectators were seasoned volleyball players in their twenties or thirties, they'd seen it all.
But they had to admit, they'd never seen a scene like this before.
Passing mistakes are one thing, but a setter who directly messes up and sends the ball smashing right into their team's 'ace', that was a first for everyone.
Beeep!
Mujinazaka High quickly called a timeout.
Actually, losing that point wasn't the real problem.
If it caused the player's mindset to crack, that would be the real trouble.
Back in the break area, Mujinazaka's setter kept apologizing profusely.
Wakatsu Kiryu, who got hit, wasn't angry at all.
Despite his tough bald-headed look, inside he was quite similar to Ushijima Wakatoshi, kind of straightforward and simple hearted.
Still, Mujinazaka's coach decided to temporarily substitute Michiru Usuri, letting him cool down on the bench for a bit.
When the teams returned to the court, the Aoba Johsai players were stunned to see the opposing setter already taken out.
"Wow, that fast?"
Of course, Aoba didn't mean the substitution itself was quick, but that Oikawa Tooru's disruption was lightning-fast.
Before this set started, Oikawa had already told them he'd focus on breaking the Mujinazaka setter's mindset this round.
But they'd thought it'd take at least half the set.
Instead, before even a third of the time passed, the opposing setter was already out.
"Just a setter, huh? Isn't that a bit harsh on Oikawa?"
Score was 9–6.
Because of Usuri's mistake on the last point, Aoba quickly expanded their lead to three points.
A two-point difference might not bother Mujinazaka much, but three points was a different story.
Volleyball matches rarely see large gaps unless there's a huge skill difference.
The last set Mujinazaka won was only by 25–20, a five-point margin.
Now, a three-point gap could very well decide the outcome of this set if they weren't careful.
As soon as the substitute setter came on, Mujinazaka launched an intense counterattack, trying to close the gap quickly.
But that gap wasn't easy to shrink.
Mujinazaka's advantage was real, but Aoba wasn't powerless.
Even the best tactics require a solid foundation.
Like at the start of this set, when Oikawa intentionally let Akashi Asuka attack aggressively to confuse Usuri.
If Akashi hadn't been strong enough to secure that point, even Oikawa's plan wouldn't help widen the gap.
Time passed.
The second set was in its 13th minute.
Score: 14–12.
Aoba had the attack.
Mujinazaka's fierce comeback pressure made the Aoba players tense.
Just a few quick rallies felt more exhausting than entire previous sets.
Oikawa's eyes glowed faintly, a sign of his brain firing on all cylinders, fully focused.
Aoba's hitters were slightly weaker than Mujinazaka's, so Oikawa had to compensate for that deficit.
The Mujinazaka substitute setter wasn't as sharp as Usuri, but as a third-year, he was calm and steady.
So Usuri's tricks didn't work on him.
Oikawa changed tactics.
When he noticed the setter staring fixedly at him, he guessed the coach had given special instructions.
So Oikawa quietly shifted, drawing the setter to the left wing, then performed a backhand toss, sending the ball high to Akashi on the right.
Akashi jumped to meet the ball, but just as he swung to spike, two towering figures suddenly appeared at the net.
It was Mujinazaka's 'ace' Wakatsu Kiryu and one of their 'twin towers,' Unnan Keisuke, forming a double block.
Their strength was undeniable.
Seeing this, not just the audience but even Aoba's usually confident teammates turned pale.
"Oh no!"
Oikawa sensed trouble, the defense was totally keyed on Akashi.
Akashi glanced mid-air and saw the defense was airtight, not just the two blockers but also a tight backcourt setup.
Under these conditions, a successful spike was less than 5%.
After a split second's thought,
Akashi lightly smacked a moderately strong spike.
As expected, the ball struck the arms of Unnan and Wakatsu.
But instead of dropping, it bounced back up into the air.
["Beautiful hit!"]
["Aoba's ace Akashi Asuka, facing Mujinazaka's tight defense, pulled off a rebound spike! The ball hit the block and popped back onto Aoba's side, giving them a chance to reorganize their offense."]
For the crowd, this rebound hit wasn't extraordinary, it's common in national tournaments.
But for Aoba's players, it meant something entirely different.
Simply put,
When was the last time our ace Akashi had to play such a weak, forced shot?
Embarrassing!
Not even scoring directly!
When has Akashi ever suffered such humiliation?
A rebound hit is a tactical shot in volleyball.
For most teams, it's considered a "good ball."
Back when Hajime Iwaizumi was Aoba's ace, he often used this move.
But since Akashi took over as ace, Aoba had hardly ever seen him use it.
Now, even a tactical rebound hit had to come out.
Clearly, Akashi was being pressured hard by Mujinazaka!
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