Shiratorizawa clearly couldn't accept the outcome.
Back in their practice match, Aoba Johsai had managed to take one set, losing 1–2, but that was just a friendly. In official matches, Shiratorizawa had always dominated, typically ending games 2–0 or 3–0. That was the norm.
So for Aoba Johsai to actually snatch the first set this time? That was enough to make Coach Washijo explode with rage.
"You bunch of idiots! How the hell did you let Aoba Johsai take the first set!? Are you all sleepwalking!? After this match, every one of you is doing a hundred extra receive drills, no exceptions!"
After thoroughly tearing into his players, Coach Washijo slumped back into his seat, breath heaving. Only then did the assistant coach cautiously speak up.
"Coach Washijo... Now isn't the time to scold them. No matter what happens, we need to find a way to contain Akashi Asuka. If we keep letting him and Oikawa alternate power serves, it's going to be a huge threat to us."
Coach Washijo took a few deep breaths to calm himself.
Despite the fierce yelling just now, this kind of reprimand was nothing new to the Shiratorizawa players. If it had been, their expressions wouldn't be so composed.
Shiratorizawa wasn't Karasuno. Sure, their overall strength far outclassed that of Karasuno, but if you looked purely at the liberos, Shiratorizawa couldn't hold a candle to Karasuno's.
So while Akashi and Oikawa's serving barrage had only caused Karasuno some "trouble" to Shiratorizawa, it was a serious threat.
"We'll reinforce our back-row defense, shift five men to cover receptions. As long as someone can get the ball up, I trust you know exactly what to do next–" Washijo barked.
The moment he said it, everyone, including the assistant coach, understood.
Shiratorizawa's style had always been built around extreme individualism. Everything, every receive, every pass, was done for one purpose: to set up their ace, Ushijima Wakatoshi.
All they had to do now was double down on that strategy.
Have five players focus on receiving the serves from Oikawa and Akashi. As long as someone got the ball up, the next step was simple: get it to Ushijima.
If the ball made it to Ushijima's hands, Shiratorizawa would score.
This wasn't just Coach Washijo's belief, it was the shared conviction of the entire team.
Even against the strongest blockers, their faith in Ushijima's "absolute power" never wavered. That was the Shiratorizawa creed.
Everyone's gaze instinctively turned to Ushijima.
Facing their silent expectations, Ushijima calmly replied, "Just pass it to me."
────────── ✦ ──────────
The second set began.
Aoba Johsai's players snapped out of their post-victory high and returned to the court with renewed focus.
The moment they took their positions, they noticed something unusual: Shiratorizawa's formation had shifted. Except for Ushijima, the other five players were clearly pulled back, forming a tight rear-guard. It looked as though they had completely abandoned the front-row block.
"A five-man serve reception formation? That's such a Shiratorizawa move–" Oikawa commented with a wry grin.
He wasn't surprised. Shiratorizawa was never a team that relied on complex tactics. Their approach was always straightforward, brute force and purity of execution.
And this minimalist yet focused formation was right in line with their philosophy.
Aoba Johsai's formation remained unchanged.
The second set started with Shiratorizawa serving, but after an error that was instantly punished by Akashi's counterattack, Aoba Johsai took the first point.
Now it was Oikawa's turn to serve again.
A five-man reception wouldn't work for a team like Karasuno, where the individual skill levels varied wildly. They relied more on their libero Nishinoya and captain Daichi to cover large zones.
But Shiratorizawa was different. Their players were all physically gifted, and with solid fundamentals across the board, a five-man reception worked wonders.
Smack!
With a crisp thwack, Oikawa launched his serve for the second point.
He aimed it right between the libero and the back-row middle blocker. A five-man formation wouldn't leave many open spaces, so Oikawa targeted their coordination instead.
It worked.
Shiratorizawa's players had always struggled with coordination, and their confusion allowed Aoba Johsai to take the point.
2–0.
(Oikawa had already secured the first point by responding to Shiratorizawa's serve.)
But Shiratorizawa quickly adjusted.
On the next serve, players began calling out more clearly, confirming who would take each ball. This time, they managed to receive Oikawa's serve.
The only problem was, the one who received it was their setter, Shirabu Kenjiro.
And that was no accident.
Oikawa's terrifying precision was on full display. While his serve lacked the raw power of Akashi or Ushijima, his pinpoint control created countless indirect scoring chances.
This was one of them.
With their setter out of position, Shiratorizawa was forced to have another wing spiker, Tsutomu Goshiki, act as the temporary setter.
But the result was just as Oikawa had hoped.
The timing was off. The angle was awkward. The height was subpar. The toss was barely usable.
But even so, Aoba Johsai's front-row trio, Akashi, Kindaichi, and Iwaizumi, saw the trajectory early and set up a triple block.
And their blocking was top-notch.
By the time Ushijima jumped, he had to reach down toward the descending ball. Normally, with three blockers in place, the point would've been all but lost.
But this was Ushijima Wakatoshi.
Even with an inferior set, he spotted the only sliver of daylight, right above Iwaizumi's outstretched hands.
And with a single, devastating straight spike, he crushed it through.
The ball grazed Iwaizumi's fingertips and slammed down just inside the sideline.
2–1.
"Damn it!" Iwaizumi cursed, clenching his fists.
Akashi locked eyes with Ushijima across the net.
That overwhelming sense of pressure, it was back.
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