Three-team race for semifinal spots set to end in Japan

The three-team race for the top spot of the 2024-2025 men’s Daido Life SV.League ahead of the playoffs and the two berths in the semifinals got to continue until the last weekend of the regular season, but on Sunday, the Japanese League playoff picture will be finally clear.

Osaka Bluteon, Suntory Sunbirds Osaka and Wolfdogs Nagoya can all finish anywhere from first to third, and the Osaka rivals will have a chance to determine their fates on the court as both will be in action this weekend.

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Sitting at the top of the standing with 35 wins and seven losses, Bluteon will host eighth-placed Toray Arrows Shizuoka on Saturday and Sunday, at 14:05 local time (5:05 GMT). Their situation is the simplest among all three contenders as they will secure first place with a pair of victories and will be guaranteed at least a spot in the semifinals if they win one of their two matches.

Coming next in second place with 34 wins and eight losses, Suntory will be on the road against ninth-placed VC Nagano Tridents – the matches are scheduled for 14:05 (5:05 GMT) on Saturday and one hour earlier on Sunday. Undefeated in their last 14 matches, they need two wins to secure a spot in the semifinals and to have a better chance of beating Bluteon for first place, but could still accomplish both goals with a single victory depending on how their opponents do.

Nagoya, who already completed their schedule with 35 wins and nine losses, will be looking from the outside this weekend, but can potentially move all the way up to first place if things go their way. In order to secure a spot in the semifinals, their best option is probably to hope that Suntory drop one or both of their matches against Nagano.

The teams that finish first and second among those three will advance directly to the SV.League semifinals, while the third-placed side will face the Hiroshima Thunders, who ranked sixth in the regular season, in the quarterfinals. The other quarterfinal duel is already settled with fourth-placed JTEKT Stings Aichi facing fifth-placed Tokyo Great Bears.

Voreas and Sakai also on the court

The final week of the regular season in Japan will also feature a pair of duels involving Voreas Hokkaido and Nippon Steel Sakai Blazers. Eliminated from playoff contention, they will meet on Saturday and Sunday, at 13:35 (4:35 GMT).

The results of the matches won’t, however, affect their final rankings in the SV.League as Sakai, who have 15 wins and 27 losses, will finish seventh, while Voreas, who have six victories and 36 defeats, will end the season at the bottom of the standings, in tenth place.

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