OSAKA MARVELOUS Clinch 2024-25 DAIDO LIFE SV.LEAGUE Crown with 2-0 Series Win over NEC RED ROCKETS KAWASAKI

OSAKA MARVELOUS overcame NEC RED ROCKETS KAWASAKI 3-0 (25-22, 25-21, 25-16) in the second game of the 2024-25 DAIDO LIFE SV.LEAGUE WOMEN CHAMPIONSHIP Finals at Ariake Arena in Tokyo on Saturday to clinch the season title with a 2-0 record.

Kawasaki-based NEC were attempting to win the national volleyball title for the third year in a row, but they were always second best to their rivals from OSAKA, who last won the title in the 2020-21 season.

After a 0-8 blowout at the start of the first match in the Finals, it was essential that NEC got off to a good start. They did fall behind 4-1, but good work by Brazilian Lorrayna Marys da Silva, Yoshino Sato and a block by Shiori Tsukada brought the scores level at 4-4. OSAKA crept ahead again to 8-5 and this time they were able to hold on to their lead. Lise Van Hecke supplied some bombs from the right and she was well supported by Mizuki Tanaka as well as some strong defense. NEC managed to draw within a point at 18-17 after a mix up in the OSAKA defense, but despite the efforts of Da Silva, NEC couldn’t get closer. Kotona Hayashi brought up setpoint with a strong hit and a slightly fortuitous tip over by Haruka Oyama handed OSAKA the first set at 25-22.

NEC allowed OSAKA to creep ahead again at the start of the second set, but they were able to pull back from 3-6 to 8-8 with Da Silva and Sato leading the attack. NEC then moved ahead with some excellent defensive work, a huge smash by Yukiko Wada and a wide shot by Hayashi that brought them a 13-10 advantage. But OSAKA were level at 13-13 after good work by Mina Higashi and Hayashi. NEC let another two-point lead slip and OSAKA went ahead for good after Wada sent a ball long. A netted serve by Da Silva brought up setpoint at 24-21 and Oyama sealed the set at 25-21.

NEC had the upper hand at the start of the third set, which started with a terrific rally that Sato ended with a strong spike. NEC went 7-5 up thanks to some good hitting by Yuki Nishikawa, but the scores were level again at 8-8 after some sloppy defense. OSAKA took the lead on a hit by Sachi Minowa, but NEC managed to level at 11-11 and 12-12. A slam by Van Hecke put the OSAKA ahead for good at 13-12 and NEC allowed the OSAKA to stretch their lead to 20-13 from which there was no way back for the NEC. A strike by Wada that drifted long earned OSAKA championship point and fittingly the dominant Van Hecke was on hand to deliver the final emphatic blow.


OSAKA MARVELOUS
Head Coach Daisuke Sakai (JPN): As for today’s match, compared to yesterday, the opponent made a few mistakes that we were able to exploit. Today, it was a bit more difficult to break down their players. There weren't many opportunities to break through. I think we were able to break out of a tough spot, so I believe we made some progress. Tanaka's contribution was definitely noticeable. It's been a while since we've seen her in action, but I think she's been a valuable addition to the team. As for Hayashi, even though the numbers might not have been great, she contributed to the team in other ways. Her support was crucial. Even though it wasn’t a perfect season, seeing the team perform like this today was the result I wanted, and I think it's something we need to build on and continue. I’m grateful for everything that’s been achieved so far, and I’d like to thank the company as well. It’s important that we’ve been working on creating a system that allows the team to be more adaptable and responsive, both in defense and offense. The players themselves have been implementing what we’ve practiced, so it’s a lot about improving and checking those details. I believe that to take on challenges, you have to be prepared for mistakes to happen. I’ve always thought that’s the case. So, for me, the key is showing how much mistake tolerance there is when you challenge something new. I also believe in the importance of letting the players make mistakes when necessary. In this season, I allowed them to challenge as much as they could without going too far. In the end, it’s about giving them the freedom to push their limits within a safe space and helping them handle mistakes in a constructive way. I’m incredibly happy, and the feeling is immense, but as a coach in women’s volleyball, there have been ups and downs. Still, the staff here, they’ve supported me a lot, and I’m grateful for their help, as it allowed me to bring the team to this point.

Captain Mizuki Tanaka (JPN): This was a chance to get revenge for last year, and since NEC is a strong team, I’m happy that we were able to win the championship in two matches against them. So many people supported us and pushed us forward.
We’re glad that we were able to express that properly on the court. As for what went well, there was, of course, a team strategy for our offense, but in the end, what matters is how the spiker finishes the play when the ball is entrusted to them. That’s why I worked on increasing the variety of my shots during practice and challenged myself throughout the season to figure out which ones to use in actual matches. I was able to put that to good use in the game. I don’t think I did anything particularly captain-like, but each member thought about what they needed to do in order to win and make it to the finals, and they carried that out, which really helped us. (Re. MVP Award) I was really surprised and I wasn’t sure I’d done enough to merit the award.

Lise Van Hecke (BEL): I think it's always an amazing feeling when you win a title and to be the first in history, it makes it only more beautiful. We're very happy, I'm very proud. It's been a long season, but to finish it like this, it's the best way and I think we showed everyone we deserve to be the champion. I think our most difficult moment during championshipplayoffs was the first game against DENSO AIRYBEES (SemiFinals) where we didn't doubt ourselves but they put us a little bit in difficulties and it was a tough loss, but I think we also needed it to come back stronger. My family was watching despite the time difference so I'm very happy they were able to watch it. It's been a long season. I haven't been home for eight months so I’m very excited to get back home. I think what we did in general very well was pressing them and serve. I think for them receiving was a little bit more difficult. Our defense was also really good and just playing our game like we have been doing the whole season and I think these two days we did perfectly. Tanaka’s really a great captain. She has been a leader the whole season. We can always count on her. Also outside the court, she's really the best. So I'm very proud of what she achieved this season. It's also been (Sakai’s) first experience as a head coach, so I think he couldn't start off better, and he grew throughout the season as well. I think he put a lot of confidence in the team. The girls were really confident to play these kind of games, and I think that's also thanks to him.

Sachi Minowa (JPN): I cannot explain my feeling right now. I'm really overwhelmed about us getting the championship today. I'm so happy. I'm really proud that I have been able to represent my country, which is the Philippines. And I'm happy also that a lot of Filipino fans are also watching here. And also I'm grateful to the Japanese fans, you know, without all of them, I think I can’t make it here. Everyone really did a great job today and I think how we prepared to come here, I think my team really deserves it. There’s always a lot of ups and downs but I can see with the eyes of my teammates and how we work hard on the practice, I don't see any doubt for my team. I think serve was the key to break the attack of NEC. They really have a lot of good attackers and by serving and giving pressure, I think we can control everything. He (coach Sakai) is really important on our team. He did a lot. He did a great job of building this team and making strong skills for everyone here.


NEC RED ROCKETS KAWASAKI
Head Coach Takayuki Kaneko (JPN): Yesterday, after suffering such a frustrating and one-sided defeat, we reflected thoroughly on what we needed to do and entered today’s match with a clear mindset. I think there were moments when we were able to show our true style. We’ll take this to heart and move forward. Lastly, thank you to everyone who’s supported us from the beginning.

Nichika Yamada (JPN): From the first set, I approached it as a job I had to do properly. I think we were able to start strong. Each set, we tried to build our momentum, but the opponent kept coming back relentlessly. There were moments where we missed a single point or had slight errors – those small differences really stood out today. OSAKA was sharp and composed. That difference, I really felt it. But over this season, we’ve grown steadily as a team. So being able to stand on this championship stage really felt like an achievement for us.

Yoshino Sato (JPN): Today’s OSAKA team played very polished volleyball. Since yesterday, we’ve been trying to improve and show more of ourselves today, but we were often trapped by their defensive formation. There were many balls we thought would score but didn’t. We were really pressured by that. Still, I think we showed the volleyball we’ve worked on. There were narrow margins, but we should acknowledge our growth and efforts. We’ll keep trying to improve from here.