The Japanese players gave their home fans a great victory.
Japan swept Iran 3-0 (25-16, 25-22, 25-19) in straight sets in their first match of the men’s FIVB Volleyball Nations League 2023 (VNL) Week 1 at Nippongaishi Hall in Nagoya, Japan on 6 June. Yuki Ishikawa was the star of the show. She scored a match-high 20 points and had a 43.33 per cent attacking efficiency. A 100 per cent dig success rate (5/5) was a bonus. Iran, on the other hand, struggled in the attacking department, being outscored 29-47. In the second set, they led by as many as four points at one point, but were unable to close it out due to a lack of decisiveness.스포츠토토
From the start of the first set, Japan put Iran under pressure. Opening with an Ishikawa kill, Japan capitalised on an Iranian error, a quick open from Yuji Nishida and a fast break from Akihiro Yamauchi to take a 5-1 lead. Iran, on the other hand, had a difficult start to the match, with Amin Ismaelnejad’s side failing to find the net.
Japan didn’t stop and pushed Iran back. Ishikawa was the standout performer. With a combination of sharp attacks, focused direct scoring, and a spare blocked score, he helped the Japanese extend their lead to a whopping 18-7. A service error by Mohamed Musavi Eragi Saeed allowed Japan to reach the 20-point mark, but a Kento Miyaura kill forced set point, and it was Miyaura who took charge in the 25th point to take the first set 25-16.
In the second set, Iran made a strong start. Seyed intercepted a quick opener from Takahashi Ran and Javad Karimisotzelmaei’s serve gave them a narrow lead. Add to that blocks from Mohammed Balizadeh and Morteza Sharifi, and Iran had a 9-6 lead.
Japan’s response, however, was stunning. After closing the gap to a metallurgical margin thanks to the colourful play of Masahiro Sekita, Japan heated up the chase with a two-stage centre back-row combination of Sekita and Takahashi. A panicked Iran committed a positional fault and a service error, allowing Japan to take a 16-15 lead with a fast break from Taishi Onodera and Yamauchi. Ishikawa’s quick opener and Yamauchi’s block then extended the lead and Japan took the second set 25-22 on Ishikawa’s pipe.
In the third set, Iran were pushed to the brink, with Mohammedzabad Manavi leading the attack. Japan, eager to end the match with a shutout, responded with Ishikawa and Nishida stepping up their attack. It was the Japanese who took the initiative in the next game, as both teams’ servers were plagued by errors and neither team was able to break through easily. At 10-9, Takahashi’s straightforward attack and Nishida’s clever back-to-back hitting made it 12-9.
At 14-11, the tide was completely in Japan’s favour as Ishikawa finished off a quick Sekita connection with a well-timed attack. A slick dig by Tomohiro Yamamoto, a Nishida kill and a Takahashi service point were added to the mix. Japan continued to ease into the game, and a Takahashi kill at 24-19 sealed their first VNL match with a shutout victory.