The ability of strong schools to maintain their leading positions isn't merely a matter of luck or coincidence; it's the result of various factors working together. The quality of their coaches and the skill level of their players are just some of the many components of a strong school.
Winning major tournaments and bringing honour to their schools acts like a magnet, attracting talented middle school players who dream of continuing their volleyball careers at such prestigious institutions.
For example, Shiratorizawa's out-of-prefecture special recruit, Goshiki Tsutomu, and Inarizaki in Hyogo Prefecture scouted Suna Rintarō from Aichi Prefecture.
This creates a positive feedback loop: outstanding achievements attract more exceptional talent, and the influx of new players further strengthens the team, solidifying the school's position as a powerhouse.
Kakugawa Academy's players stood inside Shiratorizawa's gymnasium, glancing at the other schools present. They felt completely out of place.
"The weakest of these schools is still a prefectural top-eight team…" murmured Kakugawa's libero, Taishi Minamida.
Shiratorizawa, Aoba Johsai, and Date Tech—these were teams frequently seen on TV.
"Aoba Johsai made it to the top eight at this year's Inter-High Nationals," setter Yuzuru Komaki said, adjusting his glasses with a calm expression.
After learning that their school had been invited to Shiratorizawa's training camp, Yuzuru had stayed up late researching the other teams. The only conclusion he could draw was:
"They invited us because of Hyakuzawa," said outside hitter Kaito Asamushi. While it was a bitter pill to swallow, it was the truth.
"Oh…is that so?" The 2-meter-tall Hyakuzawa Yūdai, who had only been playing volleyball for three months, had little concept of things like "prefectural top eight" or "national top eight."
Having recently mastered the basics of spiking, Hyakuzawa found volleyball to be a fairly straightforward sport. Aside from receiving, which he found challenging, he felt that spiking alone was enough to score points.
"Don't worry, Hyakuzawa. Even these strong teams don't have anyone who matches your height. Just play like you do in practice!" Minamida said loudly, trying to reassure Hyakuzawa, who looked confused.
During their time together, Kakugawa's players had discovered that this 2-meter giant, who looked intimidating when silent, was actually a gentle and introverted boy.
However, his overly straightforward nature and lack of tact often led him to unintentionally offend others.
"I'm not worried, but, Minamida-senpai…your hands are shaking."
"Hahaha!" Kaito Asamushi and Yuzuru Komaki burst out laughing, while Minamida wore an embarrassed expression.
"Gather up!" Coach Anabara from Johzenji called out as the participants had mostly assembled.
"Coach Washijō, please say a few words."
Despite being a coach himself now, Anabara Takaaaki still maintained an attitude of respect and humility toward his former coach.
Washijō Tanji scanned the gathered players and nodded slightly.
"I know some of your teams are rivals in the preliminaries, but there's no need to act so antagonistic during this camp."
"Training with people you wouldn't usually interact with is a valuable opportunity for growth. Learn as much as you can, even if it's by 'stealing' techniques. Push each other to improve."
"For today, we'll stick to your original teams and play matches against each other to assess gaps and identify weaknesses. Starting tomorrow, I'll mix up the teams for training."
The first-round matchups were announced quickly:
[Aoba Johsai vs. Kakugawa Academy]
[Shiratorizawa vs. Date Tech]
Johzenji High had a bye.
"What?" Aoba Johsai's players whispered amongst themselves, surprised at the chance to face the 2-meter giant so soon.
"So that's the 2-meter behemoth in the flesh. What a sight!" Oikawa Tōru commented in a deliberately cheeky tone.
"Yeah, you don't need to search hard to spot him," said Iwaizumi Hajime with a casual glance, his reaction subdued upon seeing Hyakuzawa.
"Shinji, go stand next to that guy for a sec—I want to take a picture," Oikawa said with a mischievous grin.
Shinji Watari, Aoba Johsai's libero and the shortest on the team at 171 cm, was 30 cm shorter than Hyakuzawa. Standing side-by-side, the visual contrast would undoubtedly be striking.
"Huh?" Shinji looked thoroughly embarrassed.
Without a word, Iwaizumi walked up to Oikawa and punched him lightly in the arm.
"Ow! That hurt, Iwa-chan!" Oikawa whined, feigning innocence. "I wasn't trying to be mean, I swear…"
Iwaizumi, maintaining a cold expression, continued to hit Oikawa in silence.
"Iwaizumi, with that level of force, Bakakawa won't learn anything," said Hanamaki Takahiro, fanning the flames with a smirk.
"Wait, Hanamaki! Ow—!" Oikawa's protest was cut short by another punch from Iwaizumi.
On the sidelines, Aoba Johsai's Ace, Taichi Kaedehara, watched the scene unfold with indifference.
He had also intended to snap a photo earlier.
"Why does Oikawa-senpai always manage to make Iwaizumi-senpai angry? He looks so cool during matches…" pondered Kindaichi, his mind couldn't fathom why his cool senpai often got beaten up like that.
Although Kakugawa Academy's team didn't seem particularly noteworthy apart from Hyakuzawa, Taichi couldn't resist taking a look at the tall first-year's stats:
[Hyakuzawa Yūdai—Outside Hitter. Overall Rating: 79; Height: 202.3 cm, Strength: 90, Jump: 78, Stamina: 88, Speed: 65. Technique: Spike: 75.]
"Definitely a gift from the heavens," Taichi muttered to himself. Despite only three months of training, Hyakuzawa's raw physical attributes already gave him a solid foundation.
"Pleased to meet you!" Both teams' captains shook hands.
Judging by the results of the recently concluded Inter-High tournament, Aoba Johsai was undoubtedly the strongest team present.
But, how big would the gap between Kakugawa and Aoba Johsai turn out to be?
While it was clear they couldn't beat Aoba Johsai, Kakugawa's players couldn't help but feel a glimmer of hope as they looked at their 2-meter-tall rookie.
Aoba Johsai's lineup was as follows:
Front row— Setter Oikawa Tōru, Middle Blocker Kaedehara Taichi, Outside Hitter Kunimi Akira.
Back row—Outside Hitter Hanamaki Takahiro, Opposite Hitter Kyōtani Kentarō (Libero Watari Shinji) and Wing Spiker Iwaizumi Hajime.
Kakugawa Academy's lineup:
Front row—Middle Blocker Yoshiaki Nurukawa, Setter Yuzuru Komaki, Outside Hitter Hyakuzawa Yūdai
Back row—Wing Spiker Isao Inagaki (Libero Taishi Minamida), Middle Blocker Eiji Makodo, Outside Hitter Kaito Asamushi.
"Shouldn't we let Kindaichi handle this?" Kunimi complained, clearly reluctant.
"He's way too tall—even Kindaichi couldn't block him," Taichi said quietly. "But volleyball isn't just about blocking."
With his sharp volleyball IQ, Kunimi's eyes lit up as soon as Taichi spoke. That's true—while they couldn't limit Hyakuzawa with height alone, what kind of spikes could he produce with his beginner-level skills?
Still…he felt a bit uneasy.
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