Hey.
You can jump even higher.
Shoyo!
Heya!
Heya.
Hey, Kageyama!
Hey!
Hinata, Kageyama! You guys made it back in one piece!
Heya, Suga-san.
Heya.
Heya, heya.
You guys better not have been fighting as soon as you get back.
Nah, they were already fighting when I brought the key over.
That's way too fast.
Well, I mean...
Karasuno High School Volleyball Team
That basically defines them! Right?
Kageyama, how was the youth training camp?
Yeah, that! How was the All-Japan?
The floor wasn't made out of wooden planks.
You're talking about the court?
How was the volleyball? There were crazy-good guys from all over there, right?
Yes. Everyone was really good.
Yeah, them. More about them.
Hinata, you didn't try to sneak into the All-Japan Youth Camp, did you?
Well, I, uh...
Apparently, he didn't try because he'd get arrested.
Arrested?
Tsukishima!
He was actually planning to sneak into the Tokyo camp.
Nice, Shoyo!
Did you grow a little at your camp, too, Tsukishima?
Yeah... I guess...
Did you get taller?
Are you his aunt or something?
He'd better not have grown taller in five days.
Heya!
Yo.
I-I'm sorry for all of the trouble I've caused!
I mean, even if you stayed here, you'd be worthless on your own.
Oh, shut up!
You guys don't need to keep reminding me!
I only said it once...
Tsukki! Did you get taller?
Look at you, acting like a big shot!
Shut up, Yamaguchi.
And you'd better not have forgotten those Gungun Yogurts!
It sure was quiet for a couple of days...
Yeah.
Sorry, Tsukki! So hey, how was the training camp?
Their fighting makes me feel at ease.
Haikyu!!
Congratulations On Going to the Spring Volleyball Tournament, Boys' Volleyball Team!
Episode 6: Enhancements
Let me help!
Thanks!
Right around here?
Yeah.
Yachi-san, what's that tape for?
We're splitting the net into nine parts.
This whole past week, the team has been working on serves,
and Ukai-san wants them to confirm where they want their serves to go.
Like, see what happens and where the ball falls when they hit that location.
70%...
Nice hit!
Yes!
Talk about straightforward!
Damn it... He got it so easily.
Nishinoya-kun couldn't receive it.
Nishinoya's not great with overhands.
Then couldn't he have just dug the ball like usual?
Jump floaters are hard to receive because they're so unpredictable.
The best way to counter them
is to position yourself further forward and catch the ball with an overhand pass.
There's a good chance that we'll be facing
stronger opponents who can use jump floaters.
It doesn't hurt to come up with a few ways to counter those.
Great serve, Kinoshita.
Right?
So great.
I'm gonna stick to floaters.
I can do it, too...
Out.
Yamaguchi's really pumped, too.
I didn't hit it as hard as I wanted...
Is it going to be out?
There are times when Hinata pulls off superhuman moves...
But what he just did now...
Actually seemed like he meant to do it.
Great job.
Apparently, it's supposed to snow tonight.
Ugh, seriously?
Hey, Kageyama.
What do you mean by I can "jump higher"?
Come hit some fours with me.
You guys are tired from the training camps, aren't you?
No overworking yourselves.
J-Just a little bit, please?
Just a little.
Yes, sir!
Your jumps are always just "boing, boing."
Wait, what?
But amazing jumps...
Are like "bam."
Basically, your job is to scuttle around.
Don't say it like that!
So, like... You sorta jump on a whim like "boing, boing."
This isn't anything new, but he sucks at sound effects.
So far, they've been doing the trick
and I'm sure you're doing your best during matches.
But...
I know that you can jump higher.
When you jump, where do you put your weight?
Where?
My feet, right?
What part of your feet, you dumbass!
Well, I never really thought about it!
Really?! So you were just flying that high without thinking about it, you nitwit?!
Wait, why am I getting yelled at?!
Huge and stable jumps give you more freedom to react when you're in the air.
And when you make those jumps,
you hear the sound of your feet kicking off the floor.
You think they'll keep it at "just a little"?
It looks like it'll start snowing any moment now.
You actually believed their "just a little," Daichi?
Shut up.
Wait. Where are Hinata and Kageyama?
They said they'd be done in just a little bit.
It's impressive.
What is?
I can get feeling like you're raring to go after going to a training camp,
but I'd prefer to take a little break afterwards.
How much does that kid love volleyball?
But...
Am I the only one who thinks
that Kageyama's had a scowl on his face ever since he came back?
One more time!
Yeah... It's amazing.
The height and positioning are perfect.
And he does it every single time.
He really is good.
Hey!
Your jump's drifting again!
Put all of your weight on the balls of your feet!
There's a huge difference when you're actually thinking about that!
The balls of my feet...
Concentrate on the momentum of the lead up and then...
Jump!
Go home!
Nice kill!
Something wrong?
Oh, no. It just seems like
ever since he came back from the training camp,
there are times where Hinata gets super quiet.
I think...
That when Koganegawa was setting for you, you were hitting at a higher spot.
I'm jumping like I'm supposed to, thanks.
Really? Maybe I just imagined it, then.
Kageyama.
Yes, sir?
I mean, I've technically heard about how the camp went, but...
How was it really?
You know... Is something bothering you?
Nope.
I see.
What do you think "Goody Two-Shoes" means?
Huh. So someone said that to you?
Yes. Another setter at the camp said that to me.
I shouldn't be surprised, but that camp definitely must've had some hard hitters.
Nothing beats a set that's easy for the spiker to hit.
That's what that geezer always told us.
I'm certain you're doing that,
so there's no reason for you to hesitate.
They should be here any minute.
Yeah.
Asahi-san, you're not scared anymore, are you?
I couldn't ask for better opponents.
Not to mention, there's something I want to test out.
Huh?
Miyagi Prefecture Karasuno High School
Date Tech
Haikyu!!
Thanks for having us!
Thanks!
I see they're as intimidating as ever...
No locking on.
Hinata!
Kogane!
Tsukki!
Thank you for coming today.
Congratulations on getting into the Spring Tournament.
All our boys are pumped up today.
Thank you! We look forward to playing you!
You'd better not hold back just because it's a practice match.
Yes, sir! You got it!
I think...
That when Koganegawa was setting for you, you were hitting at a higher spot.
Gather round!
Date Tech's blocking is definitely the best in the prefecture,
probably even on a national level.
I heard they've gotten even better since the Spring Tournament prelims.
We definitely don't have enough time to get our blocking up to their level.
Listen up. Date Tech's blocking has gotten even better in the last six months.
Get familiar with those walls.
That way you won't panic when you face similar walls during nationals.
Right!
Date Tech Team Captain Second-Year WS Futakuchi 184 cm
Date Tech Second-Year MB Aone 192 cm
Date Tech Second-Year WS Obara 187 cm
Date Tech First-Year S Koganegawa 193 cm
Date Tech Second-Year WS Onagawa 176 cm
Date Tech First-Year MB Fukiage 186 cm
Date Tech First-Year Li Sakunami 166 cm
Date Tech
Karasuno Team Captain Third-Year WS Sawamura 176 cm
Karasuno Third-Year WS Azumane 186 cm
Karasuno Second-Year Li Nishinoya 160 cm
Karasuno Second-Year WS Tanaka 178 cm
Karasuno First-Year S Kageyama 181 cm
Karasuno First-Year MB Hinata 164 cm
Karasuno First-Year MB Tsukishima 190 cm
Let's play!
Date Tech Karasuno
Nishinoya!
Got it!
Whoa, Hinata's fast! Is that the rumored ultra-fast quick?!
Bunch!
Read block!
Yikes...
Our fast back row attack usually gets only one blocker, if any at all.
Not to mention, they even used Hinata-kun as a decoy...
They pretty much had three blockers.
They all blocked! Talk about lightning-fast reflexes!
Just like Tsukishima did during our matches with Shiratorizawa...
Great blocks apply a lot of stress not only to the spikers, but to the setters, too.
For Kageyama,
this might be a much harsher game than the one against Shiratorizawa.
Date Tech Karasuno
All right!
We did it!
Taunt us, will you?
Yikes, a triple block...
I'm sure that Kageyama wanted to get through that high triple block on the first try.
That brazen jerk.
Looks like he tried a little too hard...
Damn it... I was sure they were going to follow Hinata.
Let's see... The way that Date Tech jumps for their blocks... is read blocking.
That's when they jump after seeing the set, right?
And their formation...
They use the bunch shift, right?
Yeah. Bunch as in "bunch up."
For bunch shifting,
the blockers bunch in the middle so they can move wherever the opponents might attack,
and that they counter it with as many people as possible.
Bunch Shift (Up)
But since they are bunched up in the middle,
it is harder to counter fast attacks from either end of the court.
Up until now, we and most of our opponents, have used a spread shift.
Spread means to "spread out,"
so in this formation, the blocker spread out across the whole net.
Spread Shift (Out)
It's not the best formation for fast attacks in the middle,
but it's be able to apply at least one blocker to an attack anywhere on the court.
It sounds like the spread shift would have a higher probability of success.
Because they're evenly spread out.
Evenly spread out, huh?
True.
But when read blockers are experienced with bunch blocking,
they're pretty damn scary.
Daichi-san!
Gonna break through the middle!
Their goal is to always build multiple walls anywhere along the net.
That's the bunch read blocking strategy.
Nice kill!
They managed to get a finger on the very first one...
And there were two blockers ready...
The pressure you feel when you've got multiple blockers on you
is intense.
Nice kill!
Date Tech Karasuno
Give it all you've got!
Right.
Pantalons!
Got it!
I see that they're still insanely fast at scooping up the ball...
Damn!
Date Tech's blocks are so damn cool!
They moved to the side so fast!
Not to mention, two of them bunched up so fast.
Yeah!
Sorry about that.
It was a perfectly fine set.
Just now, I thought an attack from the right was our best bet.
Setting aside if that was actually the best decision or not...
The pressure I felt just now definitely affected my actions.
Even if it was just a little.
Just now, Date Tech's block,
actually made me choose anything but the middle.
Even watching as an amateur, Date Tech's blocks are terrifying.
Blockers and setters continue battling even before and after the attack.
It's a battle to see who can apply the most pressure.
This is great.
Playing a strong team... feels so good.
Date Tech Karasuno
Obara!
Got it!
Kogane!
My bad!
That was an intense dump!
Left!
Azumane-san!
Looking good...
My bad!
One touch!
Huh...
I guess Karasuno does have a blocker.
Futakuchi-san!
Feint!
Rolling...
Thunder!
Nice, Nishinoya!
Nice receive!
Nishinoya-san!
You're in the way!
Huh?!
Episode 7: Return
Next time: "Return."