NEC and Himeji in high-caliber clash for the first time this season

NEC Red Rockets Kawasaki and Victorina Himeji will go head to head for the first time this season in one of the seven double headers coming up in this weekend’s 19^th leg of the women’s Daido Life SV.League regular season in Japan.

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NEC Red Rockets Kawasaki will play host to Victorina Himeji at the Ota City General Gymnasium on Saturday, March 8, at 14:05 local time (05:05 UTC) and on Sunday, March 9, at 13:05 (04:05). Each of the two teams arrives at these battles with the momentum of a five-match winning streak. That led the defending champions to securing a spot in the playoffs last weekend. They are third in the current standings on a 25-9 win-loss ratio and 76 points. Himeji are getting close to qualification as well, as they stand fifth on 22-12 and 63. They will be looking for their first ever league win over NEC. Red Rockets have won all 11 previous encounters with Himeji by 3-0 or 3-1, most recently in March 2023.

In another interesting double header between teams among the top eight in the table, Astemo Rivale Ibaraki will host Toray Arrows Shiga at the Ikenokawa Sakura Arena in the opening matches of both competition days, starting at 12:05 (03:05). The two teams are hanging on to the edge of the playoff zone. Toray Arrows occupy seventh place on 20-14 and 58, while Astemo are just below them, in eighth, on 17-17 and 48. While the team from Shiga is riding the wave of a seven-game winning streak, their opponents from Ibaraki have not seen victory in their previous five games. When Astemo visited Toray Arrows in early January, they hammered out a straight-set win in the first match, but lost the second to the hosts after a five-set duel.

Ninth-placed PFU BlueCats Ishikawa Kahoku, who are not far from the playoff zone on 15-19 and 44, will welcome Kurobe Aqua Fairies to the Toriyasaimiso BlueCats Arena at 13:05 (04:05) on both competition days. Kurobe are not that far behind, in 11^th place on 12-22 and 34, and still hold a reasonable shot at the quarterfinal spots. These two teams will also meet for the first time this season.

Table leaders Osaka Marvelous will travel to Okayama Seagulls this weekend. These fixtures at the ZIP Arena Okayama are scheduled at 13:05 (04:05) on both competition days. Osaka lead the way on 28-6 and 85, while Okayama are running in 12^th place on 10-22 and 31.

Second-placed Denso Airybees Koriyama will play on the road this weekend too. Queenseis Kariya will entertain them at the Sky Hall Toyota in the closing matches on both days. Saturday’s game will begin at 17:05 (08:05), while 15:05 (06:05) is the starting time for Sunday’s encounter. Denso stand on 25-9 and 77. Kariya are not too far from the playoff zone, in 10^th place on 14-20 and 44. The two teams have not met this season yet.

Saitama Ageo Medics are on the verge of becoming the fourth team with a safe spot in the quarterfinals. They are currently fourth on 22-12 and 66 and, depending on their upcoming results against Aranmare Yamagata and some other results this leg, they are quite likely to be booked for the playoffs by the end of the weekend. Ageo will host Aranmare at the Ageo Citizen Gymnasium on Saturday and Sunday at 13:05 (04:05).

Starting at 14:05 (05:05) on both days, Saga Hisamitsu Springs will entertain Gunma Green Wings. The hosts are in sixth place on 21-13 and 64, while the visitors are still winless, trailing bottom on 0-32 and 2. The two clubs have never met in the league before. The matches will be held at the Saga Arena.

Women’s SV.League 2024-2025 19th leg:
Mar 08, 12:05 local (03:05 UTC): Astemo Rivale Ibaraki v Toray Arrows Shiga
Mar 08, 13:05 local (04:05 UTC): Saitama Ageo Medics v Aranmare Yamagata
Mar 08, 13:05 local (04:05 UTC): PFU BlueCats Ishikawa Kahoku v Kurobe Aqua Fairies
Mar 08, 13:05 local (04:05 UTC): Okayama Seagulls v Osaka Marvelous
Mar 08, 14:05 local (05:05 UTC): NEC Red Rockets Kawasaki v Victorina Himeji
Mar 08, 14:05 local (05:05 UTC): Saga Hisamitsu Springs v Gunma Green Wings
Mar 08, 17:05 local (08:05 UTC): Queenseis Kariya v Denso Airybees Koriyama
Mar 09, 12:05 local (03:05 UTC): Astemo Rivale Ibaraki v Toray Arrows Shiga
Mar 09, 13:05 local (04:05 UTC): Saitama Ageo Medics v Aranmare Yamagata
Mar 09, 13:05 local (04:05 UTC): PFU BlueCats Ishikawa Kahoku v Kurobe Aqua Fairies
Mar 09, 13:05 local (04:05 UTC): Okayama Seagulls v Osaka Marvelous
Mar 09, 13:05 local (04:05 UTC): NEC Red Rockets Kawasaki v Victorina Himeji
Mar 09, 14:05 local (05:05 UTC): Saga Hisamitsu Springs v Gunma Green Wings
Mar 09, 15:05 local (06:05 UTC): Queenseis Kariya v Denso Airybees Koriyama

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