This marks my 17th year since being assigned to Tamaki Commercial High. Normally, I should’ve been transferred long ago, but even this year, it didn’t happen. Not that I want to transfer anyway, so it’s fine by me.
Now, speaking of the girls’ volleyball team I've looked after for the past 16 years—when it comes to height, this year's team is easily the shortest ever.
I mean, the tallest one who can actually wear the uniform is a first-year. And height alone isn’t enough—you can't make the starting lineup unless your overall skill level is high too.
Next in height are third-years Ichikawa and Yamaki, and even they are just 168 cm.
Seriously, it’s shocking. In this day and age, we don’t even have anyone in the 170s, let alone over 180 cm, in the starting lineup. Whatever happened to the theory that kids were getting taller thanks to Westernized diets?
Well, I guess they're still about 10 cm taller than the average, so you could call them tall enough.
So then, how about in terms of volleyball strength? Honestly, they might just be the strongest team we've ever had. They might even hold their own against the squad from nine years ago that made it to the top eight in the Inter-High tournament. That’s how good they are.
These girls have been up against the wall of “height” since elementary school. That’s why they’ve worked desperately to hone their techniques and find creative ways to play. I’ve done my best to advise them too. Even if you lack height, with the right jumping technique and playstyle, you can fight.
They taught me that.
And now, by some twist of fate, our opponents are playing in a way that seems to completely reject our brand of volleyball. A crushing strike from the ace attacker on the left. The open toss is backed by sheer height that ignores blocks—or enough raw power to smash right through. There’s no technique, no creativity, just brute force.
I really don’t like that kind of play.
And it’s not jealousy, either. Those two heavy-hitters on the other side haven’t even attempted a receive or toss this whole time.
Hey, come on. This is school sports.
I can’t help but glance at the opposing bench. Where Otani used to sit until last year, now there's a young woman. She looks familiar—maybe a former player from a match long ago.
Well, whatever. More important is the team itself.
Those two big hitters over there don’t play defense. Or rather, they can’t.
I would never teach like that.
What should school sports be about?
There are many definitions of what it should be, but one I firmly believe in is: helping students come to love the sport. You don’t play volleyball just because you’re tall. You don’t play it just because you can jump high.
You play volleyball because you love it.
So then—what's the appeal of volleyball?
Is it the spike? The receive? The toss? The serve? The block?
No—it’s all of it.
Every play has its own unique appeal. It’s a waste to limit yourself to just one.
That’s why, when someone joins the team, I start by having them play endless rounds of 2-on-2. That way, whether they like it or not, they experience every type of play.
That’s also why I don’t use a libero. Only receiving? That’s such a waste.
Now, it would be great if we could win while sticking to this ideal—but reality isn’t that kind.
BOOM!
A spike from the foreign player on the opposing team. As usual, it makes a vicious sound. The score is now 16–13. Our lead shrinks to three.
Damn. That opening barrage of ours definitely landed some hits, but that short foreign girl is tougher than she looks.
＝＝＝＝＝＝＝
―――Right after the score became 2–0―――
SMACK!
“Sorry, everyone! I’ll land it next time!”
The foreign player on the other team slapped both cheeks to fire herself up.
“Hina-nee! Sorry! That was a good toss! I’ll make it count next time!!”
“Ah, yeah.”
CLAP CLAP!
Their captain—wearing the jersey number 1—clapped her hands.
“Yuuri’s right. Let’s break their serve this time. We’re only two points behind. We can catch up!”
“Come on, first-years! You’re always full of energy—be energetic during the match too! Speak up! Just like Ellie (Eriko's nickname) said, we can totally catch up!”
＝＝＝＝＝＝＝
That exchange got them back on their feet.
First of all, the guts of that foreign player, number 6, who tried to recover by herself, should be praised.
And it’s great that number 1 and number 5 are there to support her.
Even though she’s the ace, that foreign player isn’t the pillar of their team.
At first glance, the captain, who doesn’t stand out much during play, seems to be the true cornerstone.
In my experience, teams with flashy playstyles that are anchored by a low-key pillar tend to be strong.
I thought we could win if we just dealt with those spikes—but maybe it's not that simple.
Damn you, Otani. You left behind quite a troublesome parting gift when you transferred.
Still, those two heavy-hitters on the other side are seriously impressive. It’s easy to focus on number 6, but number 3 is just as nasty.
To blow away a kill block head-on with sheer power—that’s something out of a men’s game.
But the thing with teams built around specific players is that there are always others suffering in their shadow. Number 4 is probably the prime example.
She has a wide field of vision. She sees our team well too. You can tell from the surprise attacks she slips in now and then. Her toss distribution is good. If she were on our team, she could probably do quicks, broad attacks, spreads, crosses—you name it.
But her team only uses one attack route—everything goes through the left. And all with open tosses.
She should be able to do more, but they’ve put a cap on her. She’s only showing about 60–70% of her potential.
In that sense, number 7 too.
She’s quick and has a great vertical. If there were just one more fast player, she and number 4 could pull off some serious combos.
Those two are wasted. They're being sacrificed to make number 3 and 6 shine.
“What’s wrong with doing our best to win? What’s so bad about making the most of unique talents? One sun is enough. Two or three, and it’s just too hot.”
I picture that old hag Akai, who’s leading Himesaki. That coaching style, that way of playing—it's totally her flavor. Serves her right for not getting Himesaki.
19–17.
Number 6 is serving. This is where the game shifts. Time out.
BEEEP!!
"You guys know what’s coming. Next up is the serve from number 6, who scored three straight points earlier. And it’s also a chance for us. You know why, right?"
"Because number 3 is moving to the front row, and number 6 is in the back to serve. That means their libero, number 8—the one who’s shut down our scoring opportunities until now—is off the court. In terms of defense, this is Matsujo’s weakest rotation."
That’s the result of my coaching. Even if something’s obvious, saying it out loud aligns everyone's understanding. Remember that—it’s important in society too.
"Exactly like Ichikawa said. Against the serve—first, just make contact with the ball. If you touch it, someone else will pick it up. Trust your teammates. Back up the one who touches it. Help your teammates. When returning the ball, aim for number 3 or 6, or deep into the opponent’s court. If it’s a one-on-one spike without a decoy, don’t force it—go soft. If you try a reckless attack, you’ll just feed their block. Anything else to add?"
"About number 6—she might be a volleyball novice, but her reactions are sharp. So be careful."
"But those sharp reactions are also a weakness. If you fake her out a bit with your eyes, she bites easily. Probably a pretty straightforward kid at heart."
"Chiaki, don’t copy Maki, okay? The only ones on our team who can take their eyes off the ball for a moment and still make an accurate toss are Maki and Marie."
"Y-yeah, I know! Why am I the only one you’re warning?"
"Anyway, number 3 is up in the front row now. In the last rotation, she started mixing in straight spikes. What’s the plan?"
"Unlike number 6, we can probably get a hand on number 3’s spikes. But a kill block won’t cut it—go for a soft block. Use two blockers. Since they only use open tosses, there’s no need to worry about the block being split like 1.5 blockers."
"As for number 6’s spikes, it’s easy to tell if it’s going to be a cross or a straight. It all depends on the angle she runs up to the net with. Sharp angle means cross, shallow angle means straight."
"I agree with Mari-chan. And just to add—when number 4 tosses, number 5 or 7 might go for a quick attack, so watch out for that."
"First off, how does number 4 even toss—"
I can feel it. A solid sense of confidence. These kids are thinking, talking, and pushing their strategy forward. I don’t want players who can’t move without the coach telling them what to do.
To be honest, volleyball doesn’t mean jack in the real world. What I want them to learn is how to think, act, and apply what they learn through volleyball.
Hey, first-year Yokota—make sure you’re watching what the third-years like Ichikawa are doing. You’re up next, after all.
BEEEP!!
The whistle signaling the end of the timeout.
"Tamasho, fight!" (from Tamaki Shōgyō or Tamaki Commercial)
"""Ooooh!!"""
They form a circle before going back out, rallying their spirits with Ichikawa's call.
We’re going to win this.
==========
Ichikawa’s Team Members
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Yamaki Kaede (or Yacchin), 3rd Year
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Chiga Marie (or Mari-chan), 3rd Year
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