Chapter 35: Hard Struggle
Yukigaoka 3: Shiratorizawa 2
Without dragging out several rallies, the offense and defense switched back quickly. After the timeout, Shiratorizawa brought out the same strategy Kitagawa Daiichi had used in Yukigaoka's first official match.
Soft blocking—limiting spike angles and making contact to reduce spike power, giving ground defenders enough reaction time to dig and follow up with defensive counterattacks.
Ichise Guren, who had reduced his own attacking frequency and was acting more as a decoy, completely sealed away his match-ending spike style.
Instead, he began using technical attacks that combined regular quick attacks, tips, cross-court shots, and line shots.
The score kept changing through continuous attacks and defenses.
After Ichise Guren's powerful jump serves took three consecutive points, Shiratorizawa's libero dug the fourth serve, and setter Shirabu Kenjirou used Goshiki's extremely loud call for the ball to execute a surprise dump attack, successfully scoring a point.
Yukigaoka 22: Shiratorizawa 19.
Facing the soft blocking that they had been using these past days, everyone on Yukigaoka couldn't help but feel the same frustration their previous opponents had experienced.
Hinata Shoyo, breathing heavily and somewhat irritated, spoke up: "No matter how we spike, we can't put it away. It feels like we have to attack so many times just to get one point! So annoying!"
Hyakuzawa Yudai wiped the sweat about to drip from his chin with his wrist and chimed in: "Yeah... I feel like every rally, we have to spike 3 or 4 times, or even more, just to get one point from them."
Mori also expressed agreement.
"At least their floor defense isn't very strong. They barely manage to dig each time and can't create particularly good attacking opportunities."
"But it's really annoying. I can feel that my movement in this match is more than my previous two matches against Sendai combined."
"Hyakuzawa-senpai and Hinata-senpai have spiked so many times too, they both look really tired."
Suzuki and Kawashima also spoke up.
"Yeah, I'm okay since Hoshino-senpai substitutes for me in the back row, but Suzuki seems like his stamina can't keep up."
"Idiot! I'm fine! I still have the stamina to run ten thousand meters! It's you! Since you have Hoshino-senpai substituting, you should have spiked those balls with more power!"
Stopping the two from bickering, Ichise Guren brushed back two strands of hair that had fallen across his forehead due to intense movement.
"Alright, we're tired, but they're tired too."
"Don't worry, we definitely had a more thorough rest at lunch than they did. Look at their captain—he looks like he can barely stand now."
Everyone looked at Goshiki across the net, who was covered in sweat but clearly still had plenty of stamina and was standing perfectly steady, and fell into silence.
"..."
"We're doing great. Their stamina isn't necessarily better than ours. Everyone trains for two hours a day—why should they be so much stronger than us!"
Ichise Guren, who had obviously concealed information about their training camp, spoke these lies with a completely straight face.
"Right! I also maintain two hours of training every day. This level of intensity is nothing!"
Hinata Shoyo jumped in to cheer up his teammates.
But both Ichise Guren and Hyakuzawa Yudai's minds began to recall the scene when they first met Hinata Shoyo.
'Did that training have any intensity at all?' x2
"Alright! It's a match! Don't think too much!"
"Victory definitely belongs to us!"
Ichise Guren took the lead in raising his voice, trying to make sure every teammate could clearly hear his rallying cry.
"Yeah!" x6
Yukigaoka's side not only had the psychological advantage of leading by three points, but Ichise Guren and Hinata Shoyo's encouragement made everyone's fighting spirit even more intense.
Shifting perspective to Shiratorizawa's side, apart from Goshiki and the setter, though the others didn't show it outwardly, careful observation would reveal it.
Many on Shiratorizawa already had a slight sense of resentment and complaint.
'Why does this have to go on so long?'
'I'm so tired...'
'I don't want to keep playing'
'Someone, anyone, just let the ball drop'
In a prolonged war of attrition, no matter how much one wants victory in their heart, that winding, twisting path before victory—one that frustrates and continuously drains all of a player's patience—is the hardest to walk.
Shiratorizawa broke serve. Now it was Shiratorizawa's serve rotation.
Compared to Goshiki and Shirabu's jump serves and the number 3 player's jump float, this serve was really quite ordinary.
For everyone on Yukigaoka, whose reception abilities had been greatly trained, though it deliberately avoided the libero's position, back-row Hinata Shoyo completed this serve receive quite comfortably.
A double quick attack at the net. Mori stood at the far left of the net, watching both Hyakuzawa Yudai and Ichise Guren make their approach runs toward his set.
A feeling of 'two top-tier wing spikers attacking simultaneously—one is destined to become a decoy'.
His set suddenly felt like it had transformed into a luxury item.
Meanwhile, Goshiki, leading the blocking defense at the net, immediately followed Ichise Guren's position before the ball was even released.
'The captain is spiking!'
'Not quite~'
The two made eye contact in mid-air, and Ichise Guren's face showed a mocking expression that said 'You actually fell for that?'
'Oh no!'
Goshiki quickly turned his head to look right.
Sure enough, the set went to Hyakuzawa Yudai.
Facing the two-person soft block that was missing Goshiki, Hyakuzawa Yudai, with his tremendous wingspan advantage, used his wide spiking angle range to blast his cannon shot at Shiratorizawa's wide-open court.
BANG!
The volleyball slammed down, hitting the approaching libero's shoulder before quickly bouncing out of bounds.
Point valid. Yukigaoka 23:19.
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