Hearing Shishio's words, everyone on Sarukawa Tech was slightly stunned.
They carefully recalled the situation in the game just now, and realized...
It was true!
As long as they could catch that Number 7's ball, wasn't it just like their previous matches?
Their most familiar rhythm was using their strong defense to keep receiving the ball and then launching a counterattack!
As for the difficulty of breaking through Karasuno's defense...
That wasn't a problem either!
As long as the ball hadn't landed, there was still a chance to win!
With their persistent attempts, Karasuno's defense would eventually make a mistake!
That was when Sarukawa Tech could score!
As soon as they realized this, the eyes of everyone around Shiramine gradually lit up.
In the first set, they had nearly been blinded by Akira's spikes!
Now, hearing Coach Shishio's words, everyone came back to their senses.
So that was it...
Were they just one step away from the rhythm they knew so well?
But then, their expressions darkened again.
Yet that one step felt like an insurmountable gap!
Shiramine and the others really couldn't think of what they needed to do to defend against Akira's spike!
With his overwhelming vertical leap and power, their blocking at the net was a joke!
How were they supposed to receive the ball in the back row like that?
"Don't worry too much!"
As if sensing their concerns, Coach Shishio suddenly spoke.
"Since our block is ineffective, then let's abandon the block entirely!"
"What??"
"You mean..."
Hearing this, everyone on Sarukawa Tech looked at Coach Shishio in disbelief.
"I mean, the front row won't even attempt to block!"
"Instead, all six players will fall back and focus solely on receiving his spike!"
"But if we do that..."
Shiramine hesitated.
After all, it sounded far too bizarre to voluntarily abandon the net block.
"In this situation, does it really make a difference whether we block or not?"
Shishio asked with a smile.
His words immediately silenced the others.
He was right!
Blocking or not, against Number 7, did it even matter?
It wasn't working either way!
Seeing the realization dawn on them, Shishio continued:
"Since our block has no effect on him, it's better to give it up completely!"
"Normally, we don't go out of our way to defend behind the blockers, because the block usually works. But in this case, it's the most vulnerable spot against Number 7!"
"With the blocker interfering, we just keep losing points!"
"But if we abandon the block, we eliminate that risk!"
"And freeing up the front-row players allows them to cover more court space instead!"
"That way, the chances of receiving the ball increase!"
Hearing his explanation, everyone on Sarukawa Tech was momentarily stunned.
"Huh?"
"So that's it..."
"That makes sense, doesn't it?"
Shiramine muttered distractedly.
"Give up the block..."
Even if it was difficult to accept, they had to admit it.
Coach Shishio's logic made a lot of sense!
"Alright!"
Kanazawa clenched his fists, eyes shining with determination!
"Then let's do it! Let's give it another try!"
"The game isn't over yet, right?"
"Then let's not give up! Let's play with no regrets!!"
"Yeah!"
Wakura added excitedly:
"Let's show them what we're made of! Even if we lose, we go down fighting!"
...
On the other side of the court, Karasuno was also discussing tactics.
"Everyone did great out there!"
Coach Ukai stood with his hands on his hips, smiling.
"I can tell your mindsets are stable!"
"You weren't rattled by the atmosphere at all!"
"I hope you keep it up until the end!"
"Yes!"
Ukai scratched his head and said casually:
"Also, after that first set, you guys should know it by now."
"All of you are really strong! You absolutely stand toe-to-toe with the top-tier teams!"
"As long as you keep calm and play your game, no matter who we face, we don't have to be afraid!"
"Because we have the strength to take them on!"
"Yes!"
The team's spirits were fired up by his words.
After that first set, they had a solid grasp of where they stood among the competitors!
Since they were this strong, what was there to be afraid of?
Let's charge ahead!