Thud!
The ball Nekoma managed to receive didn't make it back to their setter. Though Yaku Morisuke had gotten the ball up, the landing spot veered off-court, hitting the floor of an empty practice area nearby.
But that wasn't what really mattered right now. What did matter was that Nekoma had managed to defend against Akashi Asuka's attack. That was the key point.
Nekoma (collectively):No, actually, we think that ball landing was pretty important!
3–1.
Aoba Johsai reclaimed the serve.
Hanamaki Takahiro rotated to position 1 and stepped into the service zone.
Aoba Johsai had spent the summer strengthening their entire lineup's serving techniques, significantly boosting the team's overall offensive capability.
Boom!
A powerful jump serve zipped over the net and plummeted toward Nekoma's backcourt.
"Damn, are all of Aoba Johsai's serves this intense?"
Even a relatively low-profile player like Hanamaki could fire off such a vicious jump serve, it gave Nekoma a jolt. Still, with their level of receive, they weren't about to let that turn into a direct point.
The ball was received cleanly and stably.
Then Nekoma's setter, Kenma Kozume, began to organize the offense once again.
In terms of physicality and passing technique, Kenma wasn't exactly a standout at the national level, but his instincts as a setter still caught Oikawa's attention.
"That kid… he's kinda annoying, huh…"
Hearing that mutter, Hajime Iwaizumi rolled his eyes, already sick of Oikawa's nonsense.
Is there anyone you don't find annoying?
Due to rotation, Iwaizumi was now in the front row. Normally, Kunimi would've taken that front-row spot, but since he wasn't a libero, substitutions would cost a switch. So coach Irihata decided to save Kunimi for the second half and let Iwaizumi cover the early game.
To be honest…
With nearly every player on Aoba Johsai, except for the libero, hovering around 185cm or taller, Iwaizumi's 179.3cm frame stood out like a sore thumb in the front row.
Naturally, Nekoma locked onto him.
Kuroo Tetsurou, Nekoma's 188cm middle blocker, received a pass from Kenma and immediately launched a spike over Iwaizumi. On paper, a 188cm middle blocker versus a 179.3cm opposite should be a clear mismatch.
But Nekoma overlooked something, Iwaizumi wasn't always an opposite. He used to be a wing spiker… and not just any wing spiker, but Aoba Johsai's ace.
"Don't underestimate me! Scoring over me? Try again in a hundred years!"
Iwaizumi leapt high to meet Kuroo's spike. For an opposite, his vertical was stunning, enough to startle even Kuroo.
Luckily for Nekoma, the set from Kenma was good and Kuroo still had a height advantage. So while he wasn't blocked outright, Iwaizumi's hand did make contact with the spike, turning what could've been a clean kill into a touch block.
"Touched!"
Iwaizumi shouted as he landed. Behind him, Watari had already anticipated it, diving to pop the ball back up.
On the other side of the net, Kuroo clicked his tongue in frustration.
"Tch. Their defense isn't half bad either!"
Before this match began, Nekoma had expected a fierce offense-versus-defense showdown, mostly focused on Akashi Asuka and Oikawa, those two offensive monsters.
But reality? It was turning into a defensive battle, and this time, Aoba Johsai was giving Nekoma a taste of its own medicine.
Nekoma's strength lay in their ground defense. Aoba Johsai's lay in the block. Different defensive approaches, but right now, Aoba Johsai's resistance was far exceeding Nekoma's expectations.
Oikawa set up the next play.
The ball once again soared toward Akashi Asuka.
Waiting on the block was Kuroo Tetsurou. His defense wasn't flashy, but he had a sneaky, irritating knack for sealing off one angle just enough to nudge attackers into predictable responses.
And if the attacker tried to avoid him, Nekoma's back-row, already on alert, would punish them for it. That was national-level defense.
"Pretty airtight defense," Akashi muttered midair, "but unfortunately, you did leave one spot open."
With his insane hang-time, Akashi extended his stay in the air for a fraction longer than expected, just long enough to scan the court and spot a gap in Nekoma's formation.
"A gap? Where?" Kuroo blinked, thrown off for a second.
Sure, Nekoma might have flaws elsewhere, but in defense? He and his teammates took immense pride in their formation. So when Akashi said there was a hole, Kuroo's first instinct wasn't to believe, it was to challenge.
But then,
BOOM!!!
The ball blasted off Akashi's palm and went straight down… landing directly in front of Kuroo.
His eyes widened.
"Crap, it's a tool-out!"
He instantly lowered his arms, trying to keep the ball in play and avoid a touch-out.
But, nothing.
There was no impact. No deflection.
A beat later, the sound of the ball striking the court echoed beneath his feet.
[OOOOHHHHHH!!]
[Incredible!]
[That's Akashi Asuka with another stunning vertical spike! Despite Nekoma's airtight defense, he slams it straight down within the one-meter zone, at nearly a 90-degree angle to the floor! Even Nekoma couldn't recover in time!]
Beep!
That attack alone was enough to force Nekoma to call their first timeout of the set.
As Kuroo landed, he glanced down at the faint scuff mark on the floor left by Akashi's spike. For a second, he stood there, stunned.
That was a hole in their defense.
But seriously… who the hell actually spikes from that angle?
=============
Completed version available on Patreon.com/Veltoria