To be able to score so effortlessly against Itachiyama's triple block, where the average height exceeded 185 cm—this was Kaedehara Taichi, one of the nation's top three aces, rivalling Sakusa Kiyoomi.
"He's just as strong as expected," said Araki Kōsei, the ace of Ichibayashi, his expression tense.
"He delivered an immediate warning shot to Itachiyama on the very first play," set...
2025-03-28 16:27:49 +0000 UTC View PostThe afternoon sun hung high overhead, casting its scorching heat as temperatures peaked for the day.
The true horror of the training camp was beginning to reveal itself. The fatigue from the morning matches had yet to wear off, and each team still had at least two more matches ahead of them.
But today, all eyes were on a much-anticipated showdown—Aoba Johsai vs. Itachiyama 2025-03-28 16:26:29 +0000 UTC View Post
Itachiyama Academy was a household name in Tokyo. As a prestigious private high school, it consistently produced outstanding results in both cultural and athletic clubs, with many securing spots in national competitions. Among them, the boys' volleyball team stood out the most.
With multiple national championships in recent years, Itachiyama had earned the title of the "King of High S...
2025-03-28 16:24:18 +0000 UTC View Post[Tokyo, Itachiyama Academy]
"Aoba Johsai declined our training camp invitation?"
After practice, Sakusa Kiyoomi sat on the gymnasium floor, stretching his calves. For the record, his stretching routine had already lasted close to an hour. Most of the Itachiyama players had long since left, leaving only Komori Motoya squatting beside him.
"They went to Fukuroda...
2025-03-27 16:01:11 +0000 UTC View Post[Mid-April]
Date Tech had just finished a practice match against Shiratorizawa. On the bus ride home, the core members of the Iron Wall, all well over 180 cm tall, crowded around the team's manager, Nametsu Mai, as she reviewed the match data.
[Date Tech 25 – 17 Shiratorizawa]
[Date Tech 25 – 22 Shiratorizawa]
...
2025-03-27 16:00:15 +0000 UTC View Post"The senpais are terrifying..."
"Seriously, my legs are shaking just watching them."
"Focus! This is the last set. We have to maintain our undefeated record against Karasuno today!" Kaedehara Taichi, as energetic as ever, encouraged his teammates.
The sky had begun to darken. For most students, the weekend was a rare chance to relax, but for the players of Ao...
2025-03-26 16:02:01 +0000 UTC View Post"Nice block, Tsukki!" Yamaguchi Tadashi exclaimed, more excited than if he'd scored with his own serve.
"Are you okay from that last receive?" Tsukishima Kei asked quietly.
Earlier, he'd been tricked by Kyōtani Kentarō's feint during a block attempt. If not for Yamaguchi's quick reaction from the back, the rally would have ended right there.
"I'm fine. Nishinoya-senpai could...
2025-03-26 16:01:12 +0000 UTC View Post"Why did you have to provoke him, huh? You're not even in the front row anymore." Kunimi Akira already looked exhausted, despite the match just beginning.
"Eh, this just makes things more interesting," Kaedehara Taichi replied matter-of-factly.
"Everyone has a different idea of 'interesting.' For me, winning a match easily is the most enjoyable thing."
K...
2025-03-26 16:00:20 +0000 UTC View Post"This is what a national-level ace looks like…" Kita Seio muttered, gazing at the dazzling figure across the net.
The suffocating tension on the court made it hard to breathe, and the ever-shifting tide of the match was unpredictable. Though Karasuno had been largely suppressed by Aoba Johsai, Kita could still see a sliver of hope for victory.
However, he couldn't understand it—...
2025-03-25 17:09:10 +0000 UTC View PostBoom!!!—
Kageyama Tobio remained in peak form, his serves showing no signs of losing power.
The ball arced through the air in a perfect trajectory, shooting straight toward Aoba Johsai's back row.
Nakamori Daiki reacted swiftly, predicting the landing point with pinpoint accuracy. The moment the ball made contact with his arms, he adjusted the angle...
2025-03-25 17:08:24 +0000 UTC View Post"Sorry!" Ennoshita Chikara said bitterly.
A 190cm-tall blocker was terrifying—it even reminded him of facing Date Tech in the past.
"Were you scared just now, Kageyama?" Hinata Shōyō asked. His voice wasn't particularly loud, nor was his tone especially sharp.
But everyone could tell—he was seriously questioning Kageyama Tobio.
"Hah? What are you talking a...
2025-03-24 16:02:00 +0000 UTC View Post"I didn't expect Aoba Johsai's defence to be this solid…"
Ukai Keishin had been sure that Tsukishima Kei's spike would score, yet Kaedehara Taichi managed to dig it up.
"And that little guy…No idea where he came from. His receiving form looks a little awkward, but his reaction speed is sharp, and he's got a keen sense for passing…"
Kita Seio's addition had helped Karasun...
2025-03-24 16:01:16 +0000 UTC View PostKita Seio spent his childhood in Miyagi Prefecture. Before graduating from elementary school, he had lived with his grandparents, where the gentle breeze over the fields and the cicadas' summer cries became his fondest memories.
That changed during the summer of his graduation.
His father, Kita Kōsuke, took him away from the familiar countryside.
Kita Kōsuke was a former pro...
2025-03-24 16:00:19 +0000 UTC View Post"This is Taichi-senpai's strength! This is Aoba Johsai at full power!" Tōma Kaoru exclaimed excitedly.
Just moments ago, he had been in awe of Kageyama Tobio's abilities, unsure how Aoba Johsai could turn the tide. But in just a few minutes, the entire situation had flipped!
No wonder that during their practice match loss to Shiratorizawa, while the upperclassmen on the co...
2025-03-23 16:30:43 +0000 UTC View PostA service ace! And he targeted Aoba Johsai's libero!
Whether it was his serving technique or the sheer pressure he exuded…
For a moment, the Aoba Johsai players could almost see a slightly shorter Oikawa Tōru standing across the net.
"Nice serve!"
"One more point!"
Karasuno had been waiting for this moment for a long time. The pressure Oik...
2025-03-23 16:29:47 +0000 UTC View Post"Nice to see you again, Shōyō."
It was as if time had rewound a year—back to the start of the new semester—when Kaedehara Taichi and Kindaichi Yūtarō had stood at Aoba Johsai's school gate, welcoming Karasuno's team.
This time, it should have been the first-years' turn, but after being restricted from spiking drills by Coach Irihata, Taichi had been stuck practising receives...
2025-03-22 16:28:33 +0000 UTC View PostAoba Johsai's twelve-man roster and starting lineup for the Interhigh preliminaries were officially announced.
Third-Years:
Setter: Yahaba Shigeru, Outside Hitter: Kyōtani Kentarō, Libero: Watari Shinji, Middle Blocker: Honda Heisuke
Second-Years:
Outside Hitter: Kaedehara Taichi, Outside Hitter: Kunimi Akira, Middle Blocker: Kindaichi...
2025-03-22 16:27:19 +0000 UTC View Post[Aoba Johsai 23 - 25 Shiratorizawa]
[Aoba Johsai 26 - 24 Shiratorizawa]
[Aoba Johsai 21 - 25 Shiratorizawa]
For the second set, the starting lineup was adjusted—Coach Irihata subbed out Yahaba Shigeru and sent in first-year setter Tōma Kaoru.
Throughout the entire practice match, Kaedehara Taichi did not step onto the court...
2025-03-21 16:31:42 +0000 UTC View Post"Is that short, tan guy Aoba Johsai's new libero?"
"He's incredible. He just received Goshiki-senpai's serve on his first try…"
Washijō Tanji's expression was serious.
To him, even though Aoba Johsai had won the Spring Nationals last year, they had always been a team with obvious weaknesses. Of course, every high school team had its own unique sty...
2025-03-21 16:30:20 +0000 UTC View PostThe story rewinds to last year's Junior High Autumn Nationals, where Miyagi's representative, Kōsen Academy, faced off against Tokyo's representative, Rakunan Academy, in the quarterfinals.
"Wow, are they really junior high students?"
"Their height is totally unfair!"
As one of the most anticipated matches of the tournament, what drew the most attention was ...
2025-03-21 16:29:04 +0000 UTC View Post[April 5th, Aoba Johsai's Third Gymnasium]
With the new first-years joining the team, Aoba Johsai had allowed them a week to adjust before ramping up the intensity of training.
"One more ball!"
Thud!
"What's the matter? Why are all the first-years so quiet?!" The sharp voice of Mizoguchi Sadayuki echoed through the gym....
2025-03-20 16:14:01 +0000 UTC View Post"Next, we'll practice serving and receiving!"
"Yes!"
At Ennoshita Chikara's command, the Karasuno Volleyball Club members split into two groups—servers and receivers—scattering around the court.
As practice began, the gym filled with the sounds of shouts, balls being received, and shoes scraping against the floor.
Last fall, Karasuno had been eliminated in t...
2025-03-20 16:12:04 +0000 UTC View Post[Second-Year, Class 5—Aoba Johsai High School]
The desks and chairs in the classroom were neatly arranged, and sunlight streamed through the windows, casting scattered patches of light on the floor.
Just like in his first year, Taichi had once again been assigned a seat in the second-to-last row by the window—far from the centre of the classroom but offering a r...
2025-03-19 16:02:01 +0000 UTC View Post"Ahhhhh! I'm so sorry!"
Koganegawa Kanji bent his massive 193cm frame into a deep bow.
Inside Date Tech's gymnasium, his shout echoed once again—for who knows how many times today.
The players gathered around him tilted their heads back to look at the ceiling, murmuring, "Ah…this is bad."
Onagawa Tarō muttered, "There's no way that's coming down on its own....
2025-03-19 16:01:14 +0000 UTC View Post"The upperclassmen are way too strong...I heard that teams that make it to Nationals rarely let first-years play. Are we even going to have a chance to get on the court this year?"
Today was just a day for new members of the volleyball club to report in and get to know each other. After a brief physical assessment in the morning—followed by an impromptu red-and-white match that Kaedehar...
2025-03-19 16:00:17 +0000 UTC View Post"What was that?"
"So…so strong!"
Even from the sidelines, the freshmen could feel the sheer pressure of Kaedehara Taichi's block just now.
"Weren't those two from Kitagawa Daiichi—Tōma Kaoru and Yamabuki Yūjin? I thought the ball would go to the left side."
"As expected of Taichi-senpai…"
Nakamori Daiki rested his chin on his hand. This was hi...
2025-03-18 16:32:12 +0000 UTC View PostThe graduation ceremony hall was filled with a nostalgic atmosphere. Three days had passed since the Prefectural Tournament, and the Aoba Johsai players had gathered once again.
"Whoa! Kyōtani-senpai, you—"
Kaedehara Taichi rarely looked this surprised, and the rest of the team also stared in shock.
"If you have something to say, just spit it out!" Kyōtani Kentar...
2025-03-18 16:30:50 +0000 UTC View PostThe setting sun bathed the riverside grass in a warm, golden glow, accompanied by the excited voices of children playing nearby. Against this picturesque backdrop, Kaedehara Taichi and Chiba Kaho strolled leisurely down the sunlit streets of spring, their steps light and unhurried.
"You're really going to keep following me, huh? I'm not secretly sneaking off to train or anything." Kaedeha...
2025-03-17 16:48:03 +0000 UTC View PostA team's victory is often closely tied to the performance of its ace.
Ever since Aoba Johsai won the Spring Nationals, Kaedehara Taichi had been carrying an immense weight on his shoulders.
The responsibility of being an ace.
The drive to become stronger—strong enough to dictate the game on his own, strong enough to reach the top even without Oikawa T...
2025-03-17 16:17:39 +0000 UTC View Post"Tweet!—"
"Date Tech calls for a timeout."
The Date Tech players gathered around their coach.
"Aren't you all paying too much attention to Kaedehara Taichi?" Despite holding the lead, Coach Oiwake's tone was the most serious it had been all day.
"What's the most important aspect of blocking?" Oiwake tossed his tactics board onto the b...
2025-03-17 16:15:34 +0000 UTC View Post