"Damn it, that team ace called Hank is different from the opponents we've faced before."
"How can he jump that high?!"
After Hank blasted the ball over his head yet again, Futakuchi was instantly stunned. He still had not realized what had just happened. The ball had slipped past his hands once again, and it was almost impossible to imagine.
By now, he was even starting to feel as though Hank was someone he simply could not stop.
Less than fifteen minutes had passed in the first half, yet Aoba Johsai had already nearly locked up the match. They only needed another fifteen points, and they would win this game outright.
And all of that was because of their own negligence.
"Next, let's put up a three-man block together and use the new tactic we learned."
"You two go up first and block. I'll read his reaction and block accordingly."
Aone crouched slightly in front of the net, breathing heavily. The situation had already reached the point where they had to take it seriously. From here on, the three of them at the net were going to devote everything to shutting down Hank. They could not give him another chance to keep scoring.
As long as they could deal with Hank, who was about to rotate from the back row to the front row, they would have a chance to make a comeback in one push.
At the moment, Hank had already been successfully rotated to the back row by them. Even if he could get back to the front row later, it would still take quite a while. After all, for an ace in a position like his, the front row was unquestionably the best place to spike from.
Once he left the front row, there would no doubt be much greater resistance. No matter how much his team wanted to work with him, it would still take a lot more effort. And because he was in the back row now—
Hank's spikes were no longer as threatening. As long as they could shut down Iwaizumi, who was currently in the front row, the danger Hank posed would be much smaller.
"Iwaizumi, until Hank rotates back to the front row, we're counting on you."
Toru Oikawa leaned forward in a ready stance. The moment Date Tech sent the ball over, he would charge straight to the front row. As the team's setter, even when he rotated to the back row, he would not be the one serving.
All he had to do next was wait for the ball to come to his side, and Kunimi beside him would receive it for him.
As the opposing server sent the ball directly over, Oikawa immediately moved into position at the net and set the ball that Kunimi had just dug up. Seeing the ball arrive in front of the net, Iwaizumi did not hesitate at all and sent it flying.
But right at that moment, Aone and the other two, who had been guarding the net the entire time, instantly switched into a reactive block, and as expected, the ball dropped back in bounds.
Watching the ball get stuffed again and again off his attacks, Iwaizumi's expression darkened, but he said nothing.
"It's fine, Iwaizumi. It's normal not to get past a three-man block. We just need to wait until Hank rotates up."
As Oikawa spoke to comfort him, he turned and glanced at the scoreboard by the referee's stand. The score had already narrowed to 15:5, and because Iwaizumi was not in particularly good form, the gap was only going to keep shrinking. If they did not take measures—
then the final result really would be hard to predict.
"But we have to seize our chance now. Hank is in the back row, and Kindaichi and Kunimi can't really be used either."
"..."
Oikawa desperately wanted Hank to rotate back to the front row so he could make full use of that monstrous jumping ability, but that thought was not his alone. Right now, all six players on Date Tech's side were locked onto Hank.
If he made even the slightest move, they would catch it. Oikawa had noticed that long ago.
But the current situation was that, against Date Tech's defense, even if Hank launched a back-row attack, it would be difficult for it to have much effect because of the distance involved.
It looked like they could only keep relying on Iwaizumi to break open the situation.
"Set it to me."
Standing in the back row, Hank knew that Oikawa desperately wanted to break the deadlock, but relying on Iwaizumi alone would probably not work. After all, before he could break through the Iron Wall, he still lacked another year of polishing.
Right now, he simply could not break their defense.
That was indeed a problem.
"But if you're in the back row, your spike shouldn't be able to do much."
"And if you want to keep the ball near the net, Oikawa would have to control the angle even better."
After hearing what Hank said, Kunimi could not help but point out the issue. If Hank wanted to come in from the back row and spike, then Oikawa would have to deliver a perfect set.
But for Oikawa, who was not exactly a genius, that was absolutely impossible.
And if Oikawa only focused on getting the ball above Hank's head—
then at best he would only barely be able to keep the ball in the front-row area. A strategy like that would definitely weaken the power of the spike that followed, and it might not have any effect at all.
(End of Chapter)
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