Haikyuu-RPG

1. #1Shōyō Hinata

   Keys: Shōyō Hinata

   KANJI 日向 翔陽 RŌMAJI Hinata Shōyō CHARACTER INFO ALSO KNOWN AS The Strongest/Ultimate Decoy, Number One Shortie (by Tanaka) Chibi-chan, Small fry (by Kuroo, Yaku, Oikawa, Bokuto, Lev) Mini Spider Man, Copper Top (By Terushima) Dumbass, Runt, Dolt, Scrub, Moron, Human Tangerine (by Kageyama) Pipsqueak (by Tsukishima) Sho-chan, Hina (by Izumi) Ginger/Little Ginger, Red/Little Red, Carrot Top (by Keishin Ukai) Munchkin, Shrimpy, Shrimpo, Shortie pie, Small Fry, Shorty (by various characters) Ninja Shōyō (manga only) Mr. I Got A Fever And Got Benched (by Sakusa) GENDER Male DATE OF BIRTH June 21, 1996 Pre-timeskip Post-timeskip AGE 15 - 16 (High School 1st Year) - 2012 HEIGHT 162.8cm (5' 4.1") - Apr 2012 164.2cm (5' 4.6") - Nov 2012 WEIGHT 51.9kg (114.4 lbs.) - Apr 2012 OCCUPATION High School Student (1st Year, Class 1) - 2012 TEAMS Yukigaoka Junior High (Former) Karasuno High (Former) NUMBER 1 (Junior High 3rd Year) 10 (High School 1st year) 5 (High School 3rd year) POSITION Captain (Junior High) Outside Hitter (Junior High) Middle Blocker (High School) BACKGROUND INFORMATION FAMILY Natsu Hinata (Younger Sister) Unnamed mother GOAL To become a player like the Small Giant To become Karasuno's Ace Work hard to grow taller LIKES Volleyball Tamago Kake Gohan Meat Buns DISLIKES Being short Studying Sitting still HOME TOWN Miyagi Prefecture HOME COUNTRY Japan DEBUT INFORMATION IN THE MANGA Endings and Beginnings IN THE ANIME Endings and Beginnings SEIYŪ INFORMATION VOICE ACTOR Ayumu Murase ENGLISH ACTOR Bryson Baugus IMAGE GALLERY LESS Shōyō Hinata to Kageyama[1][2], Tanaka[3][4] and Yachi[5][6]

   IT'S TRUE THAT I'M NOT VERY TALL; HOWEVER, I CAN JUMP/FLY!

   Shōyō Hinata (Japanese: 日向ひなた 翔陽しょうよう, Hinata Shōyō) is the main protagonist of the Haikyū!! series by Haruichi Furudate. For the majority of the series, Hinata was a first-year student at Karasuno High. He was one of the middle blockers for the Boys' Volleyball Team.

   In 2018, Hinata became a member of the MSBY Black Jackals, a Division 1 team in the V-League. He also became a member of Japan Men's National Volleyball Team during the 2021 Olympics. As of 2022, he is now a member of Asas São Paulo, a professional team in the Brazil Super League.

   He is the older brother of Natsu Hinata.

   Appearance

   Upon entering the first-year of high school, Hinata stood at 162.8 cm and grew to 164.2 cm halfway through the school year. He is the second shortest person on the Karasuno volleyball team, next to Nishinoya. He has unruly orange hair and brown eyes. His relatively thin build and short stature often lead him to be mistaken for a junior high (or, in some cases, even grade school) student. Hinata typically dresses in his Karasuno school uniform with a black jacket and black pants. Beneath his jacket is a beige or tan sweatshirt. In the first episode, he wore the green volleyball uniform from Yukigaoka Junior High.

   During matches, Hinata wears his volleyball uniform—a black jersey and corresponding shorts with white and orange stripes on the sides. On the back of his jersey is his position number 10 (coincidentally, the same number that was worn by the Small Giant) and his school's name written in kanji. On the court, he wears kneepads and white volleyball shoes with red accents.

   Post-timeskip, Hinata was shown to have grown his hair out a bit during his third year but cut it around the time he went to Brazil. Hinata has undergone intensive training in Brazil. As a result of playing on the beach and following a strict diet and health regimen, Hinata has grown to 172 cm and developed a lean but muscular body. Personality

   Hinata has a cheerful and energetic personality. He is easily excited and can be quite loud, a trait second only to Nishinoya and Tanaka. For the most part, Hinata is very simpleminded which sometimes causes him to make rash decisions. However, he is also shown to be quite observant. He is capable of reading social cues and can be incredibly empathetic toward others' struggles. As such, he often says just what others need to hear to push themselves in the right direction. He is also noted to be a natural schmoozer, a quality that his teammates occasionally use to win someone over such as when Nishinoya agreed to help with Hinata's receives after being flattered by the first-year. His friendly and straightforward personality allows him to befriend even the quietest of people effortlessly, such as Kenma from Nekoma High and Aone from Date Tech High.

   However, despite his generally bubbly exterior, Hinata is also shown to have a serious attitude, particularly when it comes to volleyball. His intense love for the sport is demonstrated through his impressive display of tenacity stemming from his constant desire to improve his abilities. As stated by Sugawara, Hinata plays with great fortitude in the face of adversity and thus doesn't give up easily during a match.[7] Hinata can also exhibit a very intimidating expression when people underestimate him or speak poorly of his team. Still, Hinata gets scared easily, especially by larger and stronger opponents. This prompts him to develop the habit of hiding behind his nearest teammate. However, he recovers quickly before confidently challenging their opponents.

   In the beginning, Hinata is easily agitated before a match due to his lack of experience. He becomes so nervous that he would have an upset stomach or need to go to the toilet constantly. He also becomes clumsy as he would mess up his spikes or receives. Before Karasuno's first practice match against Aoba Johsai High, Hinata is so affected that he mistook Daichi and Kiyoko's attempt to comfort him as more pressure and short-circuited.[8] He only recovers after royally messing up and driving a serve into the back of Kageyama's head. Over time, Hinata becomes more apt at handling the pressure. Although still faint-hearted, Hinata has a considerably less severe reaction and can perform well during matches regardless.

   Hinata, like Kageyama, does poorly in school since he, too, is preoccupied with volleyball. He once told Sugawara that ever since he'd entered high school, he had never scored in the double digits on any of his tests.[9] However, when given the necessary motivation and guidance, he devotes himself to his schoolwork in order to bring his grades up. Such a time this is seen is when he was at risk of not being able to attend the Tokyo training camp due to low grades and is shown to have improved his scores thanks to serious study time and help from Yachi and his team. Background

   Hinata overwhelmed by how the Little Giant plays Hinata gets overwhelmed when he watches the Little Giant play. A young Hinata passed by an electronics store while riding his bike. He stopped upon hearing the name "Small Giant" from the big screen TV at the storefront.[1] On display was Karasuno High's volleyball match during the Spring Tournament. Like Hinata, the Small Giant lacked height, yet he prevailed against blockers 20 cm taller than him. Hinata was mesmerized by this figure clad in Karasuno's black uniform and is inspired to do the same. He joined the volleyball club upon entering Yukigaoka Junior High but found himself to be the only member. However, Hinata refused to give up and would practice by himself at the corner of the gymnasium, off to one side of the sports ground, or in the hallways.

   In his third-year, three first-years joined the volleyball club. Despite having new members, Hinata still lacked enough players to form a team so he asked his friends Izumi and Kōji, who were from the basketball and soccer club respectively, to help out. They joined Hinata's team and soon attended their first volleyball tournament. It turned out that Yukigaoka's first opponent would be Kitagawa Daiichi Junior High, the tournament favorite. While everyone thought that Yukigaoka would lose, Hinata remained convinced otherwise.

   Upon seeing their opponent, Hinata grew nervous right before the match and ran to the bathroom. Afterward, he overheard some second-years from Kitagawa Daiichi insulting his team. He defiantly talked back only to be ridiculed for his size. Just then, Tobio Kageyama, Kitagawa's "King of the Court", appeared to berate his teammates for looking down on their opponents. His tirades didn't end there as he turned to Hinata. Kageyama insulted Hinata's lack of height and his foolish determination to win despite it. In response, Hinata proclaimed he can jump and will win every match.

   Hinata and Kageyama's final confrontation Hinata announces that he will defeat Kageyama one day. When the match started, Hinata jumped high for a spike but found his spike easily blocked by Kitagawa Daiichi blockers. He remained positive, but it soon became clear that Kitagawa Daiichi was one-sidedly dominating the match. Faced with an impossible situation, Hinata still refused to give up to the point of risking injury just to chase down a ball. When asked about it, he simply said it's because they haven't lost yet. In the following play, Izumi made a missed toss, but Hinata stunned everybody when he still managed to hit it across. The spike unfortunately landed out of bounds and cost them the match. However, Kageyama has noticed Hinata's incredible stamina, jumping power, and pure determination to win. He gained a little more respect for Hinata but, at the same time, was also outright disapproving of Hinata wasting his potentials.

   The number of sets Hinata's team won was zero and the match only lasted thirty-one minutes. Hinata remembered Kageyama's name and his title as the "King of the Court". After the match, Hinata approached Kageyama and announced that he will overthrow the setter from his title. Kageyama accepted his challenge but told him to grow stronger first. Afterward, Hinata trained rigorously by jogging, practicing with the girls' volleyball team, and joining the neighborhood mothers' team. Soon, he graduated and entered his dream school, Karasuno High.

   Since Hinata currently lives in Yukigaoka with his mother and younger sister, he travels to Karasuno each morning by a thirty-minute bike ride through the mountains.[10] Coach Ukai has noted it would be a forty-minute ride normally, but Hinata has grown used to traveling over mountains ever since junior high. Plot

   Karasuno High Team Formation Arc

   Entering Karasuno

   Hinata and Kageyama encounter Hinata races through the hallway in Karasuno High to the gym, excited to start practicing and determined to get revenge on his opponent from junior high, Kageyama. However, as soon as he enters the gym, he finds that Kageyama is already there. The setter insults Hinata as soon as he recognizes him but before a full-scale fight can start, the Karasuno third-years enter the gym. Tanaka recognizes Hinata as "that number 1 shorty" and compliments him. Hinata exclaims that he will become Karasuno's ace, causing Kageyama to insult him again, leading to an argument. The vice-principal enters the gym to check out the ruckus and despite Tanaka's efforts to get the first-years to stop, they start their 1-on-1 match against each other. Kageyama serves to Hinata, but it flies past the latter's face. The second time, to Kageyama's shock, Hinata manages to receive the ball, but it bounces off him and hits the vice-principal across the face, causing his wig to fly off his head and onto Daichi's. The vice-principal then takes Daichi outside to talk and after coming back, Daichi tells the two first-years of Karasuno's past and his desire to get the team to nationals. However, he can't accept anyone who can cause trouble for the team, no matter how skilled or determined they are. To the first-years' shock, Daichi then throws them out of the gym, saying that until they view each other as teammates, they are not allowed to participate in club activities.[3]

   HinataKageyama2 Out of desperation, Hinata starts begging but nothing works until Kageyama decides to challenge the third-years to a 2-on-2 match. Hinata disagrees with the idea at first but after Kageyama reminds him of his past, Hinata starts to change his mind. He tells Kageyama that he has to get into the club because if he wants to beat Kageyama one day, he needs to practice.

   3-on-3 First-Years Match

   Later on in the evening, as the Karasuno members are cleaning up, Hinata and Kageyama ask the third-years for a match. However, Daichi changes it to a 3-on-3 match against the other first-years and has Tanaka play with Hinata and Kageyama. The conditions are that if the two first-years lose, Kageyama will not be allowed to play as a setter as long as the third-years are still around. Hinata tries catching the captain's attention, feeling left out since he didn't receive a punishment, but fails. The two first-years eventually agree to the terms and leave. As he's walking away, Hinata tells Kageyama happily that it's okay if he isn't the setter because he will still be able to become a regular and wing spikers are cooler than setters anyway. This angers Kageyama and leads to an argument about whether setters or spikers are cooler. As they're talking, Kageyama thinks about how they're going to practice, and Tanaka catches their attention from inside the gym. He discreetly tells them that the gym will be opened before 7 am the next day, and the two first-years decide to come at 5 am.

   The next day, Hinata and Kageyama arrive at the gym only to find it locked. At that very moment, Tanaka arrives with the key and, to their delight, decides to help them practice. Hinata enters the gym excitedly, remembering how the Small Giant had once practiced there. He thinks happily that compared to junior high, he now has a net to use and a setter to play with, no matter what kind of personality the latter has.

   They start practicing but can't seem to sync at all and soon end up fighting. Suddenly, they're interrupted by Sugawara's arrival, but the third-year agrees to keep their secret and helps them practice as well. Sugawara ends up helping Hinata with his receives while Kageyama practices with Tanaka, but Hinata isn't satisfied. Hinata decides to approach Kageyama and asks him to toss to him, but Kageyama flat out refuses, stating that Hinata's too slow. To Hinata's anger, Kageyama tells him that all Hinata should do on Saturday is to try his best not to drag the team down. Hinata asks him whether he will toss to him if he can receive the ball in a way that satisfies Kageyama, and Kageyama replies that he will toss to Hinata only if it's necessary; however, he doesn't think Hinata's necessary to help him win.[11]

   Later on, during a break in class, Hinata goes outside to practice with Sugawara. As they're talking, Hinata reveals to Sugawara that during junior high, he didn't have a setter and had to ask his friends to toss to him. However, he didn't give up and practiced with the mother's club and the girls' club's setters, but he could never consider them as teammates. When he went to high school, he was excited to see what kind of setter he would have, but it turned out to be Kageyama. Sugawara tells Hinata that he will set to him from now on, but Hinata replies sullenly that it will feel like he lost to Kageyama. Sugawara asks Hinata if he came to Karasuno just so he could defeat Kageyama, and Hinata replies that he wants to become as strong as someone who can beat Kageyama. This will allow him to play against other strong opponents on equal footing. He doesn't want to lose anymore. Sugawara states that even though Hinata views Kageyama as the strongest player and enemy, he is currently Hinata's strongest ally.

   A few days later, Kageyama starts practicing with Hinata for real. One day, Kageyama pushes Hinata to his limits, but the latter refuses to give up, stating that the ball hasn't fallen yet. Kageyama spikes a ball too hard, and it flies to the back of the gym, but Hinata chases after it with all his might. This inspires Kageyama to finally toss to Hinata and despite being at his limits, Hinata spikes it happily. Kageyama then approaches him and says that they will win on Saturday, showing his acceptance of Hinata as a teammate. Hinata tries to reply but throws up instead.

   Hinata and Kageyama have a frenemy-like relationship. Though they are on the same team and have different positions, they compete with each other often, even over trivial things such as who gets to the gym first. They also keep a tally of their wins (Kageyama-32 wins, Hinata-30 wins). They argue with each other often and sometimes have full-blown fights, but they see each other as teammates. Whenever someone brings up Kageyama's past, Hinata would stand up for Kageyama. Whenever Hinata feels down about his height and role as a decoy, Kageyama would encourage him and remind Hinata of his importance to the team. Out of everyone in the club, Kageyama and Hinata seem to understand each other the most and are often called the "freak duo". They are usually, if not always, with each other when it comes to volleyball-related activities but outside of those, they don't interact much, Hinata eats lunch with his friends. They first met when their junior high schools competed against each other in the first round of a volleyball tournament, but their relationship started badly. Kageyama viewed Hinata as an overly idealistic and weak player while Hinata saw him as an arrogant jerk. However, after seeing Hinata's incredible stamina, jumping power, and sheer determination during the match, Kageyama seemed to respect him a bit more. In the end, Kitagawa Daiichi won, but Hinata vowed to one day defeat Kageyama. When they saw each other again in Karasuno's gym, they started fighting immediately and ended up getting kicked out of the club until they viewed each other as teammates. After several failed attempts to get back into the club, Kageyama and Hinata grew desperate and asked for a match to prove that they could work together. They were given a week to practice but Kageyama refused to work with Hinata; this changed when one day, Kageyama pushed Hinata to his limits and spiked an impossible ball, but the latter wouldn't give up and chased after the ball. This inspired Kageyama to finally accept Hinata and toss to him. During the match, they didn't do well at first but when Tsukishima insulted Kageyama and brought up his past, Hinata stood up for the setter, exclaiming that Kageyama had him now. Kageyama then decided to try adapting his toss to fit Hinata's skills, and their now-famous quick-set was created. Hinata, who despised Kageyama before, trusted him completely and closed his eyes when he spiked. Kageyama had become his strongest ally, and vice-versa. However, during the Tokyo Expedition Arc, their relationship became strained due to their conflicting ideas. Hinata didn't want Kageyama doing everything for him anymore so he announced that he would start opening his eyes when he spiked. However, Kageyama was completely against it. After many complaints, he reluctantly decided to give Hinata's idea a try, but Hinata couldn't hit any of Kageyama's tosses with his eyes opened. Despite his failures, Hinata refused to back down and they started fighting, causing Yachi to be frightened by their hostility and calling Tanaka to come over. Afterward, they wouldn't talk to each other for the majority of the summer until they finally decided on a toss that they both liked. Since then, they have reconciled and even strengthened their relationship. Kei Tsukishima: Hinata Tsukki Although often picked on by Tsukishima for various things, Hinata has admitted to seeing his teammate as a rival who possesses everything he does not. While they originally had a tense relationship when they first met, Hinata has attempted to smooth things over with Tsukishima and has managed to, unknowingly, obtain his respect as a formidable volleyball player. As a fellow middle blocker, Hinata has witnessed Tsukishima's blocking abilities and is somewhat fearful of what he is able to accomplish, such as being nervous when he sees Tsukishima try to block the Miya twins attempting their version of a freak quick. Despite their friendly rivalry, Hinata respects Tsukishima's abilities and views him as one of the best blockers he's seen. Tadashi Yamaguchi: Hinata and Tadashi s4-e6-2 When they first met, Hinata was often picked on by Yamaguchi although not as much as Tsukishima. As time passes through the Interhigh and the Spring Tournament Qualifiers, Hinata and Yamaguchi began to form a better friendship with one another, and they can often be seen speaking with each other and encouraging and cheering for one another during matches. Hinata often praises Yamaguchi on his jump float serves and usually requests for him to score numerous points as he believes he is capable of doing so. Hitoka Yachi: Next to Kiyoko, Hinata became the first person that was able to make friends with Yachi when she was brought to the team as a potential new manager. However, he was seemingly unaware of her nervous and timid behavior and would unintentionally intimidate her at times with his loud and energetic personality. Despite this, he was able to ask for her help for studying for final exams and was able to help her figure out if she wanted to join the club as a new manager as well as helping her overcome her fear of standing up to her mother. Since then, Hinata and Yachi are often seen talking to one another or studying together, and Hinata will often help Yachi with her manager duties. Yū Nishinoya: Hinata and Nishinoya s2-e25-1 When Hinata and Nishinoya first met, Hinata felt relieved that there is a person that's shorter than him, which annoyed Nishinoya. However, Nishinoya soon warmed up to Hinata due to the first-year's good schmoozing skills. Hinata is one of the few people that understand what a true libero is—someone who is good at receives, not because of their short stature. Because of that, Nishinoya likes Hinata and agreed to teach him how to do receives. Hinata is the only person that gets excited about Nishinoya's "Rolling Thunder" and the "again version" and has asked Nishinoya many times to teach him. Nishinoya is one of the few people that call Hinata by his first name. In the English dub of the anime, he does refer to Hinata by last name. Ryūnosuke Tanaka: Hinata and Tanaka s1-e10-1 Hinata greatly admires Tanaka as his upperclassman and teammate. Although Hinata is often teased by Tanaka, he still greatly admires how confident and supportive Tanaka is. Hinata will at times rely on Tanaka during matches to help him better understand certain plays or what an opposing player may be attempting and tends to receive heavy praise from Tanaka when he excels in his own plays. Daichi Sawamura: Hinata and Daichi s1-e13-1 Hinata greatly respects Daichi as the team captain and his upperclassman. While Hinata greatly admires Daichi's capabilities and stable presence, he does become fearful of the captain when he is angered. He often receives encouragement and advice from Daichi during matches that he takes to heart. Kōshi Sugawara: Hinata and Sugawara s1-e3-1 When Hinata first joined Karasuno and was trying to join the volleyball club, Hinata received help from Sugawara on how he can see Kageyama as an ally instead of an enemy as well as being given tips to improve his abilities. Hinata often receives great encouragement and support from the third-year setter that he appears to take to heart. In turn, Sugawara is one of the people Hinata trusts most and often goes to him for help, whether it be related to volleyball or not. Despite Sugawara's supportive nature, Hinata knows not to anger the setter as he can be just as intimidating and fearsome as Daichi if provoked. Asahi Azumane: Hinata and Asahi s1-e10-1 Hinata looks up to Asahi as the ace of the volleyball club. Hinata is one of the people that convinced Asahi to rejoin the team. Initially, Hinata was jealous of Asahi due to his status as the ace, and his incredible height and power. After the practice match against the Neighborhood Association Team, Asahi approached Hinata and encouraged him to accept his position as the decoy. Although hoping to become the ace, Hinata has great confidence in Asahi and his abilities, even stating during the match against Date Tech that Karasuno had no reason to fear how the match would turn out because Asahi was on the court. Kiyoko Shimizu: Group s2 e1 4 Like many others, Hinata finds Kiyoko very beautiful, and often trips over his words and blushes whenever she speaks to him. When Kiyoko was looking for a new manager, Hinata eagerly agreed to help her search in his free time. Unlike many of her admirers, Hinata does not actively chase after her to gain her attention. Hinata greatly respects Kiyoko as the team manager and admires all of the things she does for them. Ikkei Ukai: Hinata and Ikkei s3-e6-1 Hinata was brought to Ukai for help with his training when he wanted to handle mid-air battles on his own. Although Hinata was initially nervous around the older Ukai after remembering his reputation, he eagerly accepted all of his training and advice of how he could improve his overall play. Although he was unaware of it, Hinata would at times remind Ikkei of the Little Giant. Tenma Udai: Tiny Giant 6 He is Hinata's volleyball idol. Having seen Udai playing at nationals on TV, Hinata became inspired by his skills and strength for someone of his height. He began using Udai as his inspiration to become a stronger volleyball player and often thought of Udai and his abilities during tough moments during matches or when he began to doubt his own abilities. At nationals, Hinata got to meet Udai in person. Although he was surprised to hear that Udai no longer played volleyball, he was not upset when hearing his reasons. Yukigaoka Junior High

   Yukitaka Izumi and Kōji Sekimukai: Koji and Izumi s3-e1-2 Izumi and Kōji are two of Hinata's longest and closest friends, having known each other for several years before Hinata decided to attend Karasuno. When Hinata first became interested in playing volleyball, he would frequently ask the two to practice with him even though they themselves were part of different sports clubs. Hinata was able to convince his friends to be part of a team so he could participate in a volleyball tournament during middle school and showed great gratitude to them for helping him reach that point. It's been hinted that Izumi and Kōji were partially responsible for Hinata's good footwork. Hinata has been stated to have kept in contact with the two after he was accepted into Karasuno but never really spoke of where he currently was with volleyball or that he was now teammates with Kageyama. Hinata would continue to stay close friends with Izumi and Kōji over the years and received their support when he was accepted into the V-League as a new addition to the MSBY Black Jackals. Nekoma High

   Kenma Kozume: HinataKenma1 Hinata first met Kenma after getting lost in a neighborhood during a jog shortly before Karasuno's match against Nekoma High. Hinata was able to quickly become friends with the setter and they are later shown to have exchanged phone numbers to keep in contact. During training camps, Hinata can often be seen spending a lot of time with Kenma even though the setter is well-known amongst his team for keeping his distance from others. Hinata wishes to one day make Kenma become more passionate about playing volleyball and the desire to win. During the Spring Tournament, Hinata would see how frightening Kenma and his tactics could be but showed great joy when Kenma would admit that he was finally having fun when playing. The two are shown to have remained close friends over the years and Kenma became Hinata's sponsor when he traveled to Brazil. Sō Inuoka: Hinata and Inuoka s1-e12-1 Hinata and Inuoka are shown to both have cheerful and outgoing personalities. During the Karasuno vs Nekoma practice match, Hinata found a great rival in Inuoka as the Nekoma middle blocker became the first to block Hinata's quick attack and would continue to block him once he figured out Hinata's attack patterns; Hinata would later comment that he was blocked so much because: "Inuoka is too awesome!" The two would afterwards be seen excitedly praising each other's skills in their own gibberish language. Even after Inuoka was later replaced as a starting regular, Hinata continued to see him as one of his greatest opponents and one of the blockers he would be most cautious of. Lev Haiba: Hinata and Lev s2-e5-1 Their relationship is both competitive and playful as the two have similar personalities. They first met during the summer training camp. Hinata was curious when he saw that Lev replaced Inuoka on the court and noticed his whip-like spike. He asked Kenma about him and was awed when he found out Lev's height and ethnicity. However, they didn't officially interact until one evening after practice, by the bathroom. Lev challenged Hinata to jump higher than him right away and the latter accepted, although he ended up hitting his head on the door frame. This surprised Lev, who began to see Hinata as a rival and vowed that he would stop Hinata's quick attack during the practice match between Karasuno and Nekoma. He did so easily the following day, an act that became the final catalyst in Hinata wanting to change the quick attack. The two also practiced with each other during the summer camp with Bokuto, Kuroo, Tsukishima, and Akaashi. Outside of matches, they can often be seen talking with one another. Tetsurō Kuroo: Hinata and Kuroo s1-e13-2 Kuroo and Hinata first came across each other when Kuroo retrieved Kenma after the setter had gotten lost and met Hinata. They face each other in the practice match between Karasuno and Nekoma the next day where Hinata found Kuroo very intimidating and scary. However, during the weeklong training camp at Shinzen High, Hinata and Kuroo became good friends with Hinata, Tsukishima, and Lev often receiving blocking tips from Kuroo. Hinata clearly thinks highly of Kuroo's blocking abilities as he is at one point shown with a look of disbelief when Kuroo admits that he does not think he could block one hundred percent of Ushijima's spikes.[97] Although their friendship is not explicit, it's clear the two view one another as good friends and challenging opponents. Aoba Johsai High

   Tōru Oikawa: Hinata and Oikawa During the practice match against Aoba Johsai High, Hinata started calling Oikawa "The Great King" because he's Kageyama's former upperclassman and the person Kageyama learned several volleyball techniques from. Hinata greatly admires Oikawa's skills as a setter and leader of his team as well as being one of the strongest opponents Karasuno had to overcome. Like many others, Hinata becomes overwhelmed at the sight of Oikawa's powerful serves. Several years later, Hinata and Oikawa would meet in Brazil. They develop a good friendship as they got to know each other better while playing beach volleyball and eating meals several times during Oikawa's visit. Hinata came to learn how Oikawa became interested in being a setter when he was young as well as getting to see a silly side of the former Seijoh captain. When Oikawa eventually left Brazil, he began addressing Hinata by his first name and also promised that he would not go easy on him if they were faced against each other in a real game. When the two reunited during the 2021 Olympics, they were seen embracing one another on live broadcasting. Yūtarō Kindaichi: Hinata and Kindaichi s4-e5-1 While they first met during the middle school volleyball tournament, Hinata and Kindaichi would officially meet in high school. Over time, Hinata would find himself forming a rivalry with Kindaichi and would come to understand that Kindaichi was still troubled about his past with Kageyama. Throughout the First-Year Training Camp, Hinata would not only learn from Kindaichi that he desired to shut down his spikes but would also help Kindaichi start to overcome his troubled relationship with Kageyama. Because of this, Hinata would start to form a friendship with Kindaichi and, although unaware of it, would have his support when playing at nationals. Other Schools

   Takanobu Aone: HinataAndAone Since the Date Tech vs Karasuno match in the Interhigh, Hinata and Aone are revealed to have formed an unlikely friendship and rivalry. While Aone would defend Hinata from his teammate's criticism during the Spring Tournament, Hinata would also acknowledge Aone as a great opponent and one of the best blockers he's ever faced. Oftentimes, Hinata would compare the blocking skills of other blockers to those of Aone, a sign of how highly he thinks of Aone as a blocker. The two hold great respect for each other's skills and tend to greet one another with a bow, even though Hinata is younger than Aone. Kōtarō Bokuto: Bokuto1 Hinata greatly admires Bokuto as the ace of one of Tokyo's champion schools. The two became close during the Summer Training Camp, and Hinata often flatters Bokuto's skills and plays which causes the ace to happily teach the middle blocker a variety of new techniques. Because of their close friendship and having been taught many things by him, Hinata began to acknowledge Bokuto as his mentor while Bokuto has called Hinata his number one disciple. While they are good friends, the two have promised that they would not go easy on one another should they ever play against each other in an official match. As of November 2018, Hinata and Bokuto are teammates for the Div. 1 volleyball team, the MSBY Black Jackals. Kōrai Hoshiumi: Hinata and Hoshiumi s4-e12-3 Hinata first meets Hoshiumi at the Spring Tournament and the two right away formed a rivalry. Hinata admires and respects Hoshiumi's skills as a volleyball player, at times learning several things from him as well. Despite being rivals, Hinata appears to be on somewhat friendly terms with Hoshiumi as they are shown to greet each other almost enthusiastically when they first meet again in the V-League. Atsumu Miya: Originally, Hinata appeared intimidated by Atsumu when they met at the Spring Tournament and Atsumu subtly implied that Hinata was not skilled in volleyball. However, during their match against one another, Hinata would be both shocked and amazed at Atsumu's skills as a setter. Years later, the two would be teammates on the MSBY Black Jackals where they now appear to be close friends and a powerful duo able to perform a newer version of the super quick attack. Kiyoomi Sakusa: Hinata and Sakusa are currently MSBY Black Jackals players. While Sakusa tends to keep his distance, Hinata admires Sakusa's abilities and compliments his successful plays.

2. #2Tōru Oikawa

   Keys: Tōru Oikawa

   KANJI 及川 徹 RŌMAJI Oikawa Tōru CHARACTER INFO ALSO KNOWN AS Shittykawa, Trashykawa, Assikawa, Crappykawa, Lazykawa, Loserkawa, Dumbass, Hanger Bastard (by Iwaizumi) The Great King, Oika-Senpai, Oikawa the Great (manga only) (by Hinata) Oikawa Hanger (by Hanamaki) Tears-Your-Arm-Off-Server (by Yachi) Grand King The Great King Hanger-san Ken Watanabe (by himself, Gabriel, and Gino) GENDER Male DATE OF BIRTH July 20, 1994 Pre-timeskip Post-timeskip AGE 17-18 (High School 3rd Year) - 2012 HEIGHT 184.3cm (6' 0.6") - Apr 2012 WEIGHT 72.2kg (159.2 lbs.) OCCUPATION High School Student (3rd Year, Class 6) - 2012 TEAMS Kitagawa Daiichi Junior High (Former) Aoba Johsai High (Former)

   NUMBER 1 (Junior High 3rd Year) 10 (High School 2nd Year) 1 (High School 3rd Year) POSITION Setter Captain BACKGROUND INFORMATION FAMILY Takeru (Nephew) Unnamed Older Sister Unnamed Mother LIKES Volleyball Milk bread DISLIKES Jump Floaters DEBUT INFORMATION IN THE MANGA An Interesting Team IN THE ANIME A Coward's Anxiety SEIYŪ INFORMATION VOICE ACTOR Daisuke Namikawa ENGLISH ACTOR Chris Patton (Seasons 1–4) IMAGE GALLERY LESS If you're going to hit it, hit it until it breaks.

   TŌRU OIKAWA IN AN INTERVIEW WITH MONTHLY VOLLEYBALL[1]

   Tōru Oikawa (Japanese: 及川おいかわ 徹とおる, Oikawa Tōru), also known as Tohru Oikawa in the English translation. For the majority of the series, he was a third-year student at Aoba Johsai High, serving as the captain and setter for the school's Boys' Volleyball Team. He is the main antagonist of the Interhigh and Spring High Preliminary Arcs.

   As of the Final Arc, he is a setter for Club Atlético San Juan, a professional team in the Argentine Volleyball Federation. He obtained Argentinian citizenship and plays on the Argentina National team as the starting setter.

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   Oikawa has dark brown hair that is swept outwards and eyes of the corresponding color. Many people find him attractive, to the point where several girls follow him around. Oikawa frequently smiles or grins, although Iwaizumi notes that these expressions are rarely genuine. He tends to make victory signs or large waving gestures, which are often accompanied by broad smiles or a wink. Another trademark expression of his is sticking out his tongue while smiling and winking.

   Oikawa is of decent height for a volleyball player, standing just over six feet. While on the court, Oikawa wears the standard aqua and white Aoba Johsai High uniform emblazoned with the number one. He also wears dark gray athletic shoes with blue details. He wears a white kneepad on his right leg, contrasting with the black one worn on his left and by the other players in the series. At other times, Oikawa dresses in the Aoba Johsai uniform, which consists of khakis with dark brown detailing, a cream-colored vest, a dark red tie, a lavender button-down shirt, and a white blazer. During practices, he wears an aqua shirt and white shorts. During the finals match between Karasuno and Shiratorizawa, Oikawa is shown to wear glasses but it's unknown if he truly needs them or not.

   Post-timeskip, Oikawa appears mostly the same although his hair is noticeably shorter, and he has developed a slightly more muscular build.

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   Despite his flirtatious nature (which makes him famous amongst female students, much to Tanaka and Nishinoya's envy) and childishness, Oikawa is an excellent, well-rounded player and is extremely serious about volleyball. He's known to have a "disgusting personality" amongst both opponents and his own teammates because of his smug and outwardly flippant attitude. Oikawa also frequently makes cheerful remarks but follows up with serious or intimidating afterthoughts. He is extremely intelligent and cunning and easily figures out both his teammates' and opponents' weaknesses.

   However, on more than one occasion, Oikawa has been very attentive and caring towards others, but this is mostly seen with his teammates or people like Hinata while in Brazil.

   Oikawa is ambitious and one-track-minded, but it's shown that he also has feelings of inferiority towards those he deems as naturally better than him, such as Ushijima and Kageyama. This is one of the main reasons he is known to push himself so hard. Oikawa also holds a grudge against Kageyama, whom he mockingly calls Tobio-chan. This is due to his feelings of inferiority surfacing when compared to Kageyama, who has been hailed as a genius setter since their time spent at Kitagawa Daiichi. Kageyama and Ushijima can also unintentionally bring out the more childish or rash aspects of Oikawa's personality.

   To match his ambition, Oikawa works extremely hard and often endures vigorous solo practices after his normal practices with the team. In addition, Oikawa spends time at home watching past games of his rivals in order to observe their movements and patterns ahead of time and strategizing how to defeat them. Despite that, he still takes time off on Mondays for rest.

   It was seen post-timeskip that Oikawa has had thoughts of giving up on volleyball, but whenever that thought occurs, something really fun comes along to remind him why he loves it so much. Showing that while he has seemingly endless ambition, he does occasionally have doubts, though they never overwhelm him.

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   Oikawa and Iwaizumi s1-e24-2 Since early childhood, Oikawa is shown to have been heavily involved in volleyball. He was occasionally shown watching matches on television or playing the sport with Iwaizumi when they were still kids. When he was a little older, Oikawa and Iwaizumi attended a match between Japan and Argentina where Oikawa would become inspired to become a setter after seeing how the Argentina setter, Jose Blanco, was able to help the ace player get back on his game when he had started struggling during the match[2].

   After this interaction, Oikawa is seen investing himself more into volleyball and appears to have been trying jump serves since he was young. Because of the time he put into his abilities, Oikawa was said to have been a highly skilled player by the time he began attending Kitagawa Daiichi. However, Oikawa began to struggle when his team began playing against Shiratorizawa Junior High and it was in particular playing against Ushijima that caused Oikawa distress and the start of his rivalry with the Shiratorizawa ace.

   Oikawa recieving best setter award episode20 Oikawa receiving the Best Setter Award. This only became worse when Tobio Kageyama began attending Kitagawa Daiichi and almost instantly started to gain more attention than Oikawa thanks to his higher skill set, natural athletic abilities, and being labeled as a prodigy at such a young age. Aware that Kageyama could potentially surpass him, Oikawa began behaving poorly toward the younger setter and constantly refused to teach him any new skills. After nearly striking Kageyama in a blind rage, Oikawa was able to get back on track thanks to help from Iwaizumi. This led to him being able to better focus his plays to bring out the best of each of his teammates and was eventually able to help Kitagawa Daiichi place second in the middle school tournament after Shiratorizawa. At the same time, Oikawa received the Best Setter Award and soon after would join Aoba Johsai.

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   Karasuno High Team Formation Arc

   Oikawa Season 1 Episode 7 Oikawa appears in the gym. During the practice match between Aoba Johsai and Karasuno, Oikawa did not appear until the third set. He instantly gained the admiration of the female students that were present which caused Tanaka to instantly hate Oikawa. Before Oikawa joins the game, Kageyama admits to his team that he learned how to serve and block just by watching Oikawa and it is because of this that he is dubbed "The Great King" by Hinata.

   Oikawa 3 s1 e7 When Karasuno is at match point, Oikawa is subbed into the game and instantly targets his serves to Tsukishima. From having watched during his warm-ups, he was able to tell that Hinata and Tsukishima were not strong when it comes to receiving and would therefore be the weaker players to target. This is the first time that Karasuno witnessed Oikawa's serves and saw that they were not only very powerful, but Oikawa also had the ability to control where his serves could go. Oikawa is able to get two service aces in a row from targeting Tsukishima.

   Even after Daichi takes on having a bigger receiving area, Oikawa still targets Tsukishima. The first-year was able to receive the serve this time but it would give Seijoh the chance to counter. In the end, Hinata is able to win the match for Karasuno by performing a wide broad attack that flies past a stunned Oikawa. As Karasuno began leaving the school, Oikawa confronted them outside and personally challenged them and Kageyama in particular. Oikawa is later talking with Iwaizumi about how different Kageyama seems since joining Karasuno but the ace player quickly becomes irritated when Oikawa admits that he wouldn't be able to match Kageyama's sets. Despite this, Oikawa feels confident that Seijoh will be able to beat Karasuno in a match and gleefully looks forward to that victory. Unfortunately, this brings on more of Iwaizumi's wrath.

   Interhigh Arc

   Oikawa S1 E15 Oikawa surrounded by his fangirls. On the first day of the Interhigh Tournament, Oikawa is with his team when they arrive at the Sendai City Gymnasium but he was pulled away from the group by several fangirls. As he is about to allow one to take a photo of him, he is suddenly hit with a volleyball. Initially angered, Oikawa quickly becomes fearful when he notices that it was Iwaizumi who had hit him. Not wanting to anger Iwaizumi further, Oikawa follows his friend into the gym[3].

   As Seijoh is preparing to watch Karasuno's first match, Oikawa right away spots Hinata and Kageyama and teases them before Iwaizumi stops him. At this time, he notices that Karasuno has new players when he spots Nishinoya and Asahi. Oikawa doesn't show much interest in many of Karasuno's plays and only seems to become interested once Hinata and Kageyama start using their quick attack.

   When watching Karasuno's match against Date Tech, Oikawa sees Hinata and Kageyama's quick set and expresses how annoying he finds geniuses. Shortly after, they manage another one, and Iwaizumi remarks that Kageyama's setting is the key component in their quick set, to which Oikawa brushes away in annoyance.

   Aoba Johsai vs Oomisaki

   In the match against Oomisaki High, Oikawa is seen getting numerous service aces. It's in the second set after he has scored his fourth service ace in a row that Ukai points out that it's Oikawa's control of his serve that makes it a force to be reckoned with. He then refers to setters as conductors because they are the ones who control plays and Sugawara adds that Karasuno actually does not know much about Oikawa as a setter. Kageyama also reveals that Oikawa and Iwaizumi have been playing together since grade school which explains how the two are able to work so well together. Ukai surmises that Oikawa is the type of setter who knows his team so well that he is able to bring out one hundred percent of their abilities.

   Aoba Johsai vs Karasuno

   Oikawa shakes Daichi's hand before their match begins and Oikawa's fans cheer for him, which angers Tanaka and Nishinoya. As Aoba Johsai is warming up, Oikawa is seen interacting with his teammates. In the process of doing this, Oikawa asks Iwaizumi about whether he's trying too hard, but it wouldn't matter since all the girls would be looking at him. As the match is about to begin, Oikawa tells Kageyama that he's been looking forward to getting to beat him in public, and before he can answer, Hinata steps in.

   Following this, Oikawa tells his teammates that he has faith in them. Upon hearing this, Takinoue notices a sudden change in attitude among Aoba Johsai's players. An observing Irihata internally explains that Oikawa always tells his teammates this before every game and as he has faith in them, they have complete faith in him as a setter. Directly in the first rally, Kunimi bumps the ball, and Oikawa leaps into the air and slams the ball right in the opposing court, pulling a dump. During the next rally, Oikawa seems to be about to do a setter dump but instead sets to Iwaizumi last minute. Right after, Kageyama attempts to do a dump himself, which he is successful at and tells Oikawa to watch out for an upcoming rally as he will be doing something like this again, which angers him.

3. #3Kei Tsukishima

   Keys: Kei Tsukishima

   KANJI 月島 蛍 RŌMAJI Tsukishima Kei CHARACTER INFO ALSO KNOWN AS Tsukki (by Yamaguchi, Hinata, Bokuto, Kuroo, Koganegawa, Lev, Shimada and Takinoue) Glasses, Four Eyes (by Kuroo, Bokuto, Tendō and Oikawa) Skinny (by Kuroo and Bokuto) Stingyshima, Four-eyed Jerk Face, Suckyshima (by Hinata) Lil' Bro Shima (by Akaizawa) The Smirky Read Blocker (by Nishinoya) The Normal Guy, Mr. Vanilla (by Tendō) Tsukki-dude, Tsukki-poo (by Bokuto) (anime) Tiredshima, Wearyshima (By Kageyama) Pesky Firefly from Karasuno (by Shirabu, Haikyū-bu!! only) Glasses-kun (by Yonezawa) The Clever Blocker Weirdo Quick Killer (by Ukai) GENDER Male DATE OF BIRTH September 27, 1996 Pre-timeskip Post-timeskip AGE 15 - 16 (High School 1st Year) - 2012 HEIGHT 188.3 cm (6' 2.1") - Apr 2012 190.1 cm (6' 2.8") - Nov 2012 WEIGHT 68.4 kg (150.8 lbs.) - Apr 2012 OCCUPATION High School Student (1st Year, Class 4) - 2012 TEAMS Amemaru Middle School (Former) Karasuno High NUMBER 11 (High School 1st year) 3 (High School 3rd year) POSITION Middle Blocker BACKGROUND INFORMATION FAMILY Akiteru Tsukishima (Older Brother) Unnamed Mother GOAL Nothing in particular LIKES Volleyball Strawberry Shortcake Dinosaurs DISLIKES Hot-Blooded people HOME TOWN Miyagi Prefecture HOME COUNTRY Japan DEBUT INFORMATION IN THE MANGA The King of The Court IN THE ANIME The Formidable Ally SEIYŪ INFORMATION VOICE ACTOR Kōki Uchiyama Tomo Muranaka (young) ENGLISH ACTOR Leraldo Anzaldua IMAGE GALLERY LESS Me saying I can't is one thing. But if somebody else tells me that, I don't like it.

   VOLUME 19 CHAPTER 170 AND SEASON 3 EPISODE 9

   Kei Tsukishima (Japanese: 月島つきしま 蛍けい, Tsukishima Kei) is a first-year at Karasuno High. He plays as one of the starting middle blockers on the boys' volleyball team.

   He is currently a college student as well as a middle blocker for the Sendai Frogs, a Division 2 team in the V League, and will start work at the Sendai City Museum after graduating college.

   He is the younger brother of Akiteru Tsukishima.

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   Tsukishima is very tall and has an incredibly slim build for a volleyball player. Despite being a first-year, he is the tallest player on the volleyball team; standing at 190.1 cm. He has short blond hair, pale skin, thin eyebrows, and golden-brown eyes. He is often seen with a frown or a condescending smirk on his face.

   After joining the Karasuno volleyball team, Tsukishima wears the standard Karasuno volleyball uniform (black, orange, and white uniform with the number 11 on the back) during matches. He also wears knee pads and white volleyball shoes with green details. He is also the only player on the Karasuno team who wears glasses. Since Chapter 109, Tsukishima began wearing prescription sports glasses that were given to him by his brother.

   Outside of matches and practice, Tsukishima wears a black gakuran, the Karasuno male uniform. He is usually seen with white headphones around his neck. The brand of these headphones seems to be "Somy", which is a play on the real name brand "Sony". He has been seen wearing various shirts with crescent moons on them, which plays on his name "Tsukishima" with tsuki meaning "moon".

   During a flashback Hinata has while in Brazil, Tsukishima is shown to have let his hair get slightly longer by his third year. When he is later shown during the match between the Adlers and Jackals, he is now wearing new glasses[1].

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   Tsukishima is very blunt and will sometimes rile his teammates up due to his antagonistic nature (most notably being Hinata, Kageyama, Nishinoya, and Tanaka) and sometimes other teams because of his casual smug attitude, taking pride in and relishing when his opponents see him as a nuisance as seen with Tendō and Shirabu.

   Whenever someone does or says something stupid or silly, he is usually seen snickering in the background. However, he does seem to be intimidated by his seniors, being nowhere in sight when Daichi reprimands Tanaka for antagonizing Aoba Johsai even though he did so as well or backing down whenever Ennoshita calls him out.

   Despite coming across as arrogant, Tsukishima has low self-esteem and thinks of himself as inferior to others in certain areas. This is first noted to be a surprise by Kuroo, who accidentally riles him up by suggesting he'll lose to Hinata, to which he says that he's already below him. After the Shiratorizawa match, despite being the MVP, he's seen calling himself lame for only being able to block Ushijima's spikes once, only adding to how little he believes in himself and his achievements. While he willingly admits his own faults, he does not like it when others point these things out, becoming annoyed and angry when Hinata tried to take responsibility in blocking Ushijima and then when Bokuto called his blocks weak in a sense of strength given how easily he got by him during practice.

   Although Tsukishima maintains a persona of someone who shows little interest in anything and wouldn't do something he didn't like or enjoy, he does truly enjoy volleyball. He initially refrained from putting too much effort into volleyball and being too passionate about it out of fear of suffering from the same fate as his brother. However, after his confrontation with Yamaguchi and hearing Bokuto's inspirational words in the Tokyo training camp, he started to take the sport more seriously and finally found his passion and motivation for volleyball when he blocked Ushijima.

   Tsukishima keeps his cool, for the most part, but he can be seen getting visibly annoyed when people underestimate him or tell him what he can or cannot do and uses it as motivation to prove them wrong. He also says things like "It's not a competition" with Hinata but then immediately proceeds to do something to make him jealous, such as the time difference attack during the Shiratorizawa match. Since blocking Ushijima, Tsukishima has notably become more passionate in stopping powerful spikers by using different methods.

   According to Akiteru, "Kei is blunt and doesn't show his emotions often, but he is actually a very hardworking and kind boy."

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   Tsukishima S2Ep8 Tsukishima was shown to be a lot more cheerful when he was younger and have a very close relationship with his older brother, Akiteru. He would attend several of Akiteru's middle school matches and seemed to enjoy the attention he received from locals who knew him as the younger brother of the team ace.

   TsukishimaYamaguchi S2E8 Sometime in elementary school, he sees Yamaguchi being bullied by several other boys. He doesn't do anything, except call them pathetic; although it is unknown if this was aimed at Yamaguchi and/or the bullies. Shortly after, Tsukishima runs into Yamaguchi again when he was observing a volleyball class. Although he didn't remember Yamaguchi right away, Tsukishima is soon flattered by him when Tsukishima claims that his older brother plays at Karasuno as the team ace, and the two quickly become close friends.

   Although Akiteru would state to be working very hard during practice and playing as the team ace again, Tsukishima was kept from attending any Karasuno games because his brother claimed he would become too nervous if he was being watched. When Tsukishima, Yamaguchi, and a classmate decided to attend one of Karasuno's games to settle a debate about Akiteru being a starting regular, Tsukishima discovers his brother is not on the team and is instead in the bleachers with the cheer section. Tsukishima's behavior toward his brother and volleyball changed from this point as he began to distance himself from Akiteru and also began to think that putting in so much hard work would only lead to disappointment in the future.

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   Karasuno High Team Formation Arc

   3-on-3 First Years Match

   Tsukishima and Yamaguchi join Karasuno Boys' Volleyball Club a few days after it begins for the new school year.[2] That evening, they go to where Hinata and Kageyama are practicing. To mess with Hinata, Tsukishima goes behind him and grabs the ball before Hinata can catch it and asks if the two are the first years who caused problems. When Hinata tries to reach for his ball, Tsukishima adds that elementary school kids should be going home, annoying Hinata.

   Kageyama cuts in and asks how tall Tsukishima is, though Yamaguchi answers for him. Tsukishima then points out Kageyama's junior high and wonders what an "elite" is doing at Karasuno. Hinata calls for Tsukishima's attention again and declares that they aren't going to lose the 3-on-3 and Tsukishima simply shrugs it off, surprising Hinata. Lightheartedly, Tsukishima explains that the match isn't important for him and Yamaguchi so they could just throw the game for them if they want.

   Vlcsnap-2015-11-07-20h37m17s232 Kageyama gets angry at Tsukishima's taunts. Angered, Kageyama replies that no matter what Tsukishima does, he would still win. In return, Tsukishima laughs at his confidence and reminds him of his "King" nickname. As Kageyama tries to retort, Tsukishima continues bringing up his past and remarks that it's true Kageyama dislikes his nickname. Kageyama has had enough when Tsukishima brings up his performance during the prefecture semifinals last year and lunges forward, grabbing Tsukishima by the collar.

   After a few seconds, Kageyama lets go and simply walks away, causing Tsukishima to mock him even more. Suddenly, Hinata jumps up behind him and grabs the ball out of his hand, shocking him. As he lands, Hinata exclaims that he will defeat Tsukishima. Losing his composure for a second, Tsukishima glares at him, but quickly recovers and frivolously states that they should just have fun since volleyball is just a club anyway. He then walks away, leaving a confused Hinata staring after him.

   On the way home, Yamaguchi runs to Tsukishima and asks him what's wrong since he seems to be brooding. Coldly, Tsukishima replies that he hates uselessly hot-blooded people like Kageyama and Hinata.

   On the day of the 3-on-3, as the players are warming up, Tsukishima loudly provokes Kageyama and Hinata to make them lose their composure, prompting Daichi to comment that Tsukishima has a bad personality.

   At first, Tsukishima easily blocks Hinata's spikes due to his height advantage and makes a point of emphasizing that and Kageyama's past. While Kageyama does his best to ignore him, Hinata gets angry and confronts Tsukishima, who reveals that Kageyama is only called a King because of his horrible attitude towards his former teammates.

   The View From the Summit Tsukishima mocks Hinata's lack of height. To his surprise, Kageyama responds that he is actually terrified of tossing the ball and not seeing anyone behind him like what had happened in junior high. Hinata quickly jumps in and adds that he doesn't care about Kageyama's past and will hit any ball Kageyama sends to him. Annoyed, Tsukishima replies that Hinata's genuine straightforwardness irritates him and reminds Hinata that he can't fill the gap in height with fighting spirit.

   Season 1 Episode 5-Tsukishima Tsukishima starts playing seriously. Throughout the game, Tsukishima continues with his taunts, reminding Hinata that he can't just accomplish anything he wants just by putting all his effort into it. Hinata acknowledges that, but responds that he still wants to win with his body. As Tsukishima adds that his height is still an obstacle, Kageyama cuts in and states that as a setter, he will clear the path for Hinata.[3]

   When Hinata and Kageyama pull off their first planned quick, Tsukishima's shocked to discover that Hinata had his eyes closed and asks Daichi to explain it. After the two fail their next tries, Tsukishima wonders how long they're going to keep trying until they give up. Daichi adds that it's hard to see someone trusting someone else so completely, especially a rival.

   The next try, Tsukishima states to Kageyama that he should stop tossing to Hinata since it'll always fail. However, he's unnerved to see Hinata run up to Kageyama and quickly calls Yamaguchi over, leaving Daichi in the back. Hinata spikes successfully and scores.

   In the end, Tsukishima's team loses. After the match, Hinata goes to Tsukishima and holds out his hand, seemingly asking to make up because the upperclassmen will kick out any members who don't get along with others. Tsukishima ignores the hand and retorts that he only got kicked out because he ignored the upperclassmen and caused chaos.

   After Hinata leaves Tsukishima, Daichi approaches him and asks him what he thought of the match. Tsukishima replies that he didn't really care and knew he would lose since he was against Kageyama. Daichi grins and points out that Tsukishima still got pretty serious during the game.

   At that moment, Kiyoko walks in with the team jackets. At first, Tsukishima doesn't want to put it on, but Tanaka and Sugawara goad him into wearing it. Lining up, the first years stand in front of the upperclassmen with their jackets on and officially get welcomed into Karasuno Boys' Volleyball Club.

   Aoba Johsai Practice Match

   Tanaka1 Upon their arrival at Aoba Johsai High, Tsukishima, Yamaguchi, Tanaka, and Kageyama overhear two members of Aoba Johsai, Yahaba and Kindaichi, badmouthing Karasuno. Tanaka and Tsukishima join forces to intimidate the two Aoba Johsai players before Daichi arrives to reprimand them.[4]

   Later during the match, Tsukishima is seen mocking Kageyama and Hinata after Hinata struck Kageyama on the back of his head with a serve. It's apparent that Tsukishima is still unable to get along with his fellow first-years, especially Kageyama. The two nearly get into an argument in the midst of a game after they started exchanging insults. Amazingly, they end up in-sync and put up a strong block after growing competitive toward each other. After their successful block, Tsukishima and Kageyama end up arguing over whose hand stopped the spike until Daichi angrily shouts at them to stop[5].

   Towards the end of the match, the coach of Aoba Johsai, Irihata, describes Tsukishima as a clever blocker, despite being somewhat lacking in drive. When Oikawa, Aoba Johsai's captain and setter, arrives to pinch serve for their team, Tsukishima is targeted specifically for his weakness in receives[6]. He grows frustrated after continuously failing to receive Oikawa's serve. He becomes even more annoyed when Hinata stands up for him and gives him a speech about being allies. Afterwards, Tsukishima finally makes a save off of Oikawa's serve but ends up sending a free ball back to Aoba Johsai. However, his efforts ultimately give his team a fighting chance, and they are able to capitalize on it to win the match.

   Later when Karasuno is leaving, Oikawa stops them and point out Tsukishima and Hinata's need to work on their receives. He is shown to be uncooperative when Hinata proclaims that they will be doing special training[7].

   Asahi and Nishinoya's Return

   Nekoma Practice Match

   When seeing Hinata and Kageyama racing over who would get to the bath first, Tsukishima mocks them for their behavior. Tsukishima takes part in the practice match between Karasuno and Nekoma as one of the starting players. Halfway into the first set, he is able to score when he uses a feint shot over Nekoma's block. This immediately catches Kenma's attention when he notices that Tsukishima is the opposite of Hinata in which he first thinks things through before taking action. Tsukishima's careful and attentive nature was soon proven when Kenma confirmed the middle blocker was studying him by using a decoy glance to trick him to go one direction only to set to the opposite side.

   As the match progresses, Hinata ends up getting blocked by Inuoka multiple times. Seeing another instance of this, Tsukishima subtly eyes Ukai to tell him that Hinata should get subbed out. However, the coach wants Hinata to learn to adapt on his own. Despite Tanaka and Asahi being supportive of Hinata trying to discover new techniques in the middle of a game, Tsukishima tells him to stop slacking off and threatens to get him benched. Near the end of the second set, Tsukishima is able to block Inuoka cleanly, which leaves the spectators impressed.

   After the practice match, Tsukishima observes Hinata and Inuoka jumping about and babbling in gibberish. When he remarks on their choice of language, Kuroo agrees that they are talking like children before suggesting that Tsukishima should let loose every so often instead of acting stoic all the time, to which Tsukishima replies that acting childish is not his style.

   Interhigh Arc

   Karasuno vs Tokonami

   The match went by relatively quick with Karasuno winning the match.

   Karasuno vs Date Tech

   When Tsukishima is first rotated into the match, he makes the request of a set slightly further from the net from Kageyama with the intention of trying to stay clear of the blockers. Though Kageyama is annoyed by Tsukishima calling him the King, Kageyama agrees to the request. The two nearly start bickering until Tanaka forces them apart when he noticed Daichi was starting to get angry at their behavior. Tsukishima is able to score though Date Tech notices that the quick set he did was not the same as the one Hinata did.

   In the second set, Ukai changes the rotation to keep Hinata from being paired against Aone so much. This results in Tsukishima now being faced against the Date Tech second-year more though he does not feel bothered by it when he tells Asahi that Date Tech will most likely not expect him to be the one to make a flashy game changing point as that is Hinata's job while his role is to hold down the fort as best as he can. He adds that Date Tech will not be paying attention to him as the blockers have already focused their attention on the Karasuno ace.

   Midway into the second set, Asahi tells Tsukishima that his role as a blocker is vital to the team as it will help keep them from losing the lead and being able to defend so well against the famed Iron Wall is an incredible feat. He and Asahi would later prove that Karasuno has their own wall when they block Aone's spike.

   Karasuno vs Aoba Johsai

   For majority of the first set, Tsukishima is not seen much. It isn't until Sugawara is sent into the match as the setter that Tsukishima starts to stand out. He and Sugawara switch blocking positions and Tsukishima successfully blocks Iwaizumi.

   When Tsukishima goes back into the game shortly after Kageyama is subbed back in, it becomes noticeable that Tsukishima is now having trouble hitting Kageyama's spikes. During the time-out, Kageyama questions Tsukishima if he sets were good enough for the middle blocker. Tsukishima is not afraid to tell Kageyama that his tosses basically tell the spikers how to hit and that he'd like for the setter to be consistent since he has his own way of doing things. Tsukishima is surprised when Kageyama agrees to give Tsukishima the sets he wants.

   SzLiTnv Back in the game, Kageyama immediately gives Tsukishima the uniform set he asked for and Tsukishima is able to get a feint shot over the block and score. Tsukishima does another feint shot over Seijoh's block but Watari is able to make the save, resulting in Tsukishima receiving overwhelming praise from Tanaka and Nishinoya. The same thing happens again when Tsukishima once more does a feint and Watari saves it. However, Tsukishima's next attack is a spike that Watari believed was going to be another feint and was therefore too far forward to properly receive. When Karasuno has reached set point, Tsukishima believes that Kindaichi will receive the set but follows when Kageyama sees that Iwaizumi will get the set. Together, the two first years are able to stop the third year and win the set for Karasuno.

   For the first half of the third set, Tsukishima mostly blocks, and communication attempts are made with Kageyama. He is able to once more use the feint shot to get past the blockers and score. After a chaotic rally, Tsukishima is surprised to see Yamaguchi be sent in as the pinch server.

   After Karasuno loses the match and goes to the dinner courtesy of Ukai, Tsukishima, though he does not cry like the others, is shown to be upset.

   Tokyo Expedition Arc

   Shortly after Karasuno was defeated by Aoba Johsai, Takeda announces that, thanks to Nekoma's coach, Nekomata, Karasuno has been invited to join the Fukurōdani Academy Group summer training camps which would give them the opportunity to practice against other teams. However, certain members of the team need to pass their final exams and avoid having to take supplementary classes if they want to join the training camps.

   FirstYears-1 S2E2 Having learned that Tsukishima belongs to one of the college prep classes, Hinata and Kageyama, who are bad at studying, ask Tsukishima to tutor them so they can pass upcoming exams so they wouldn't miss the training camp. Tsukishima initially refused to help, but eventually agreed after Kageyama eventually broke down and begged him to help them. However, Tsukishima only agreed to teach Kageyama and Hinata before and after practices and refused to help any other time they asked. He also eventually stops teaching the two because he claims they were both too stupid to understand the lessons and when the two showed to have better progress from being tutored by Yachi.

   In Tokyo, while the rest of his teammates are trying to individually improve, Tsukishima is shown to have no interest in improving his blocking. One night, through some coaxing by Kuroo, Tsukishima joined (albeit reluctantly) the blocking/spiking practices between Kuroo and Fukurōdani's Kōtarō Bokuto and Keiji Akaashi. He quickly leaves, however, when Kuroo teases him about Hinata possibly surpassing him because he doesn't put in any extra effort. Kuroo observes that Tsukishima, despite being taller and smarter than Hinata, actually feels inferior to the latter.

   Through a flashback, it is eventually revealed that the reason behind Tsukishima's dispassionate attitude towards club activities and inferiority complex towards Hinata is the experience of his older brother, Akiteru, as player for the Karasuno Volleyball Team. Akiteru is shown to have lied to Tsukishima about being the ace player of the volleyball team and tries to prevent Tsukishima from going to any games in hopes of him never finding out. Tsukishima eventually went to one of the games and discovered his brother's deceit which had a great impact on him. After a confrontation with Yamaguchi, however, Tsukishima turns to Kuroo and Bokuto about what motivates them to continue playing and begins to find a new sense of motivation for himself. He begins improving his blocking abilities thanks to Kuroo's guidance and starts to demonstrate his new abilities during the final match of the camp.

   Kei Akiteru s2 e11 During the barbeque, Tsukishima is seen keeping apart from most of the group until Daichi, Kuroo, and Bokuto attempt to get him and Kenma to eat more food despite their polite refusals. After returning home, Tsukishima met with his brother who was visiting home. After talking things through about Akiteru's involvement with volleyball when he was in high school and why he continued to play after graduating, the brothers seem to finally start repairing their relationship.

   Spring High Preliminary Arc

   Karasuno vs Ohgiminami

   During the game, Tsukishima is able to correctly analyze the opponents plays and movements, thus being successful in blocking them many times.

   Karasuno vs Kakugawa

   Before the game begins, Tsukishima overhears the other first years comparing Hinata's height with Hyakuzawa's and replaces Yachi's 15-inches example of "Hiya Kitty" with a black-belly lantern shark, which makes Yamaguchi praise him for his knowledge. During the game, Tsukishima is able to get past Makado, or Kakugawa's defense as a whole, thanks to Hyakuzawa not being in the front row.

   As Tsukishima comes home, he is greeted by his brother, Akiteru, who asks him about his game that day. Despite informing his brother of Karasuno's victory, Tsukishima sounds indifferent as he says so. When Akiteru finds out that they took down a 6'7 player, he speculates that his younger brother naturally thought that they were going to lose to such an advantageous person. After this, he offers to play with his team, the Kaji Wild Dogs. During practice the next day, Tsukishima rejects Hinata's idea of trying to come up with ways to block Ushijima and angers the shorter middle blocker. Following this, he calls Akiteru to accept his offer.

4. #4Atsumu Miya

   Keys: Atsumu Miya

   KANJI 宮 侑 RŌMAJI Miya Atsumu CHARACTER INFO ALSO KNOWN AS Sumu, Tsumu (by Osamu) The Pain-in-the-ass guy (by Saeko) Tsum-Tsum, Miyaa'Tsumu (by Bokuto) GENDER Male DATE OF BIRTH October 5, 1995 Pre-timeskip Post-timeskip AGE 17 (Jan 2013) HEIGHT 183.6 cm (6' 0.3") WEIGHT 73.3 kg (161.6 lbs.) OCCUPATION High School Student (2nd Year, Class 2) - 2012 TEAMS Yako Junior High (Former) Inarizaki High (Former) NUMBER 5 (Junior High 3rd Year) 7 (High School 2nd Year) 1 (High School 3rd Year) POSITION Setter Captain (High School 3rd Year) BACKGROUND INFORMATION FAMILY Osamu Miya (Twin Brother) Mentioned Grandmother Unnamed parents LIKES Fatty Tuna HOME TOWN Hyōgo Prefecture HOME COUNTRY Japan DEBUT INFORMATION IN THE MANGA Monsters IN THE ANIME Perspective SEIYŪ INFORMATION VOICE ACTOR Mamoru Miyano Risae Matsuda (Young) ENGLISH ACTOR Blake Jackson IMAGE GALLERY LESS Back in the day, I remember our old club captain said he didn't like the team motto. I've always liked it, but now I feel like I'm finally 'gettin' it'. In volleyball, the past is gone. There ain't no such thing as memories. All you need is right here. All I need... are my muscles!

   VOLUME 44 CHAPTER 391

   Atsumu Miya (Japanese: 宮みや 侑あつむ, Miya Atsumu) was a second-year student at Inarizaki High and was the starting setter for the Boys' Volleyball Team. He was known as Japan's best high school setter and server. He was invited to the All-Japan Youth Intensive Training Camp.

   As of 2018, he is a member of MSBY Black Jackals, a professional volleyball team in Division 1 of Japan's V. League. He is also a member of the Japan National Volleyball Team and participated in the 2021 Olympics.

   He is the twin brother of Osamu Miya.

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   During childhood, Atsumu is shown to have dark brown hair. Sometime after middle school, Atsumu dyed his hair blond and has a dark undercut. Unlike his twin brother, Osamu, his hair is flipped to the right side. His eyebrows are dark brown, an indication of his original hair color. His brown eyes are large, hooded, and slightly drooping. He can usually be seen wearing a smile or smirk on his face.

   Post-timeskip, Atsumu has cut his hair to a shorter length and now keeps his bangs swept away from his face.

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   Outwardly, Atsumu appears to be a carefree, confident person who's usually seen with a lazy smile on his face, though he enjoys provoking people and giving offhand compliments. He can be quite condescending, and somewhat selfish at times. Osamu has described him as someone who doesn't listen to others, doesn't return what he borrows, and lies habitually.

   He also appears to be a perfectionist who has ridiculously high standards for himself and his spikers, which has caused several teammates to dislike him, but he appears unconcerned about their opinions. He strives to provide the best toss for his spikers, but in turn, expects the spikers to perform at a high standard. If the spikers fail to meet his standards, Atsumu is not afraid to confront them directly and even call them trash, including his own twin brother. He is extremely sensitive when it comes to serving and how much noise is around him; if he's disturbed while serving, his outward personality changes completely, and he becomes intimidatingly angry towards the disturbance.

   Atsumu is a competitive person who hates losing; sometimes, these traits can veer off in a bad direction. Osamu has also noted that his twin brother's mental age drops by five years whenever he's in the middle of a game.

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   Atsumu lives in Hyogo Prefecture, and thus speaks in a Kansai dialect. He is currently a second-year at Inarizaki High School with his twin brother, Osamu. He is recognized as the number one high school setter, as well as receiving the Best Server award during middle school and the Interhigh. Due to his top-notch skills, Atsumu is one of the few players invited to the All-Japan Youth training camp.

   The twins have been playing volleyball since their elementary school days. In the fourth grade, they attended a volleyball workshop where they met their current teammate Aran Ojiro.[1] During the workshop, Atsumu witnessed personally how a skilled setter brought out the potential of their spikers by sending them the best tosses. This piqued his interest in becoming a setter. At first, Osamu was picked as the setter due to being more skilled. However, according to Aran, Atsumu is said to have an irrepressible hunger as he pushes himself to improve. Eventually, Atsumu overtook Osamu as the official setter of the team.

   Atsumu often got into conflicts with his teammates during junior high, especially when they failed to perform to his expectations. As a result, he was detested among his teammates. When asked about it, Atsumu revealed that he couldn't care less about being hated.

   It is known that he and Osamu went to nationals in their first year of junior high and played against Yurisei in their third.[2]

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   Tokyo Nationals Arc

   Preparation for Nationals

   Atsumu s4-e4-3 Atsumu calls Kageyama a "Goody-Two-Shoes". Atsumu is one of the players invited to the All-Japan Youth Intensive Training Camp.[3] During the first practice match, Atsumu chuckles lightly at the sight of Kageyama messing up. Sometime later, during a break, he approaches Kageyama as the latter was talking to Hoshiumi. After Kageyama tells Hoshiumi that he's not really affected by his jumping power, Atsumu laughs and calls Kageyama a cool and collected person. He then bluntly tells the first year that he initially thought Kageyama was an amazing player, but he can now see that Kageyama's just a goody-two-shoes. This annoys the latter, who glares at Atsumu hostilely.

   In the final practice match, Atsumu tosses to Kageyama for the first time.[4] Kageyama spikes it with ease and tells Atsumu later that his tosses are easy to hit. In response, Atsumu simply replies that people who can't hit his tosses are scrubs. He then asks Kageyama if he enjoys spiking more than setting because Kageyama seems to be annoyed when he sets. Kageyama doesn't understand and stresses that he's a setter, and Atsumu leaves it at that. Kageyama questions Atsumu about what he meant by being a goody-two-shoes, and Atsumu replies that he just means Kageyama is obedient and honest.

   As the players head home after the training camp, Atsumu says goodbye to Kageyama while telling him that they'll meet again at nationals.

   Nationals

   Atsumu watches Karasuno's first match against Tsubakihara Academy and notes that Kageyama is completely different from when he was at the camp.[5] He then turns his attention to Hinata, having seen his jumping power and speed, and wonders who he is.

   Karasuno vs Inarizaki

   Atsumu and his team, Inarizaki, face off against Karasuno on Day 2 of the Spring Tournament. In addition to his team being the second seed, Atsumu is revealed to have a twin brother, Osamu, who plays opposite. While the two teams warm up in the sub-arena, Atsumu approaches Kageyama to tell him to give it his all since he hates playing against players who stink, indirectly referring to Hinata. When Kageyama assures him that Hinata is no pushover and will be a handful, Atsumu breaks into an intimidating smile but stops any further taunts.

   Atsumu s4-e13-1 Atsumu silences the crowd. Once the match begins, Atsumu is the first to serve. He silences Inarizaki's orchestra as he requires absolute silence to concentrate. However, two girls not familiar with Atsumu's habit, cheer loudly. Atsumu hits a powerful spike serve that paints the line between Tanaka and Nishinoya. He then harshly glares at the two girls who cheered him on during his first serve, displeased with them for interrupting him. He makes his second serve but hits it out-of-bounds. Later, Atsumu is seen questioning Hinata's max jumping power and his similarity to Kageyama as the type of guy who does as he pleases after Hinata tries experimenting with something during their match.[6]

   As the game progresses, Atsumu shows off his aggressive playmaking by setting off the first touch to Aran, who scores before Karasuno could react. His cool demeanor is finally broken when Karasuno counters with a minus-tempo broad attack as Atsumu can't help but fanboy over the freak quick after witnessing it up close. On his next serve turn, Atsumu hits a floater aimed right at Nishinoya, who fails to save the ball. He observes that Karasuno is not particularly shaken by his serves and instructs Osamu to not mess up the timing of their next attack. Atsumu hits another floater, and this time, Karasuno receives it. Once the ball returns to Inarizaki's side, Atsumu successfully executes a minus-tempo quick with Osamu, taking everybody by surprise. Afterward, Atsumu admits that his accuracy is not as precise as Kageyama's, but he has the urge to imitate flashy moves. The match continues with both teams using their quicks against each other. Atsumu deduces from watching Karasuno's previous matches that Kageyama has a habit of forcing a quick after a botched receive. It appears that Atsumu has informed his team about this beforehand as all three blockers jump at Hinata to shut down his spike.[7]

   Group s4-e15-4 The twins next attempt at another quick attack nearly misses when Atsumu unintentionally sends an improper set to his brother. However, their next try at the quick is successful. Atsumu's incredible skills and sets are complimented by Bokuto and Akaashi. At the same time, Coach Fuki believes that Atsumu is proof to Hinata that there is someone else capable of giving him incredible sets and that the super quick is not as unique as he believes.[8] Atsumu soon predicts that Kageyama will give Hinata a set and attempts to block the younger player only to be caught off guard when Hinata spikes the ball against Atsumu's hand and score. When the score reaches 17-14 with Inarizaki in the lead, Atsumu is up to serve. Although the ball clips the net, Daichi was able to save the ball. This allowed Tsukishima the chance to figure out that Osamu would be the next attacker and completely stop his spike. After Tsukishima is able to score from having used a running approach to reach a higher spiking height, Atsumu silently questions what's happened to Kageyama since the Youth Camp as he appears completely different now than during the camp. As Hinata rotates back into the front row, Atsumu takes the chance to taunt the middle blocker by announcing to his team that Karasuno's wall has weakened and will be their chance to gain points. His confidence is lowered when Hinata surprises him by commit blocking Osamu and blocking his spike. However, Atsumu does not let this upset him and soon watches Osamu easily beat Hinata in a joust at the net.

   Midway into the second set, Atsumu delivers a float serve that Nishinoya is unable to receive. This not only frustrated the Karasuno libero, but it also instilled a sense of dread in the rest of Karasuno; believing that none of them had a chance to make a receive if even Nishinoya couldn't make it. While preparing to serve again, Atsumu realizes that the two people who attempt to receive his serves most are Daichi and Nishinoya. However, during the first set, he saw that Nishinoya had great difficulty in trying to receive the float serves, despite how skilled he is. During a timeout, Atsumu expresses how incredible it feels to score a service ace off a powerful opponent but is quickly taunted by his teammates for his simple thinking. Atsumu serves another jump float and once again gets an ace when Nishinoya attempted to receive like normal, but the ball simply fell to the ground. On Atsumu's third float serve, Nishinoya is able to dive forward and receive but the libero felt that it was a poor receive. Asahi would then force Atsumu to make the first receive of the counterattack, but this did not work well for Karasuno since Osamu was able to cover and Suna was able to get his spike past Tsukishima. Atsumu's serve would end when he accidentally sent his fourth float serve out of bounds.

   At Osamu's next chance to serve, Atsumu instructs his brothers to finish the set as quick as possible before adding that he has a higher service ace count than he does. Osamu unintentionally put too much power into his serve and sent it directly into the scoreboard that Yachi was standing next to. Atsumu scolds his brother about sending his serve out but is quickly scolded himself by Aran for getting Osamu worked up. Once Kita is sent into the game and Aran is subbed out, Atsumu and the rest of Inarizaki begin to play more efficiently. Due to this, Inarizaki eventually went on to win the second set. As the teams are preparing for the final set, Atsumu is questioned by Kita about having switched to a spike serve from a jump float after seeing Kageyama's serve. The Inarizaki captain questioned if Atsumu did this because he was getting tired of doing the jump float and wanted to unleash a powerful serve instead. Atsumu agrees with Kita's suggestion to stay with the float serve since it has been earning Inarizaki so many points as well as giving Nishinoya a hard time. Atsumu's serve starts the third set. At seeing the serve curving, Nishinoya calls it as going out only for the ball to narrowly land in. Atsumu's next serve hits the top of the net. This gives Nishinoya and Asahi the chance to counter and end his serve. When Atsumu is once more up to serve, he again aims his float serve at Nishinoya only to see the libero, with the help of Kinoshita, move forward and make a perfect overhand receive. Eventually, Yamaguchi is moved onto the court.

5. #5Tobio Kageyama

   Keys: Tobio Kageyama

   KANJI 影山 飛雄 RŌMAJI Kageyama Tobio CHARACTER INFO ALSO KNOWN AS King of the Court (by Kitagawa Daiichi) Tobio-chan (by Oikawa) Kageyama the Kalm, Bakageyama, Bateyama-kun, Bakayama, Kalm-geyama, Yamayama-kun, Wearyama-kun, Crappyama, Tired-yama (English) (by Hinata) King, Your Highness/Majesty (by Tsukishima, Kindaichi) Pipsqueak, Brazen Jerk (by Tsukishima) Simpleton Idiot (by Sugawara) GENDER Male DATE OF BIRTH December 22, 1996 Pre-timeskip Post-timeskip AGE 15 - 16 (High School 1st Year) - 2012 HEIGHT 180.6cm (5' 11.1") - Apr 2012 181.9cm (5' 11.6") - Nov 2012 WEIGHT 66.3kg (146.2 lbs.) - Apr 2012 OCCUPATION High School Student (1st Year, Class 3) - 2012 TEAMS Little Falcons (Former) Akiyama Elementary (Former) Kitagawa Daiichi (Former) Karasuno High (Former) NUMBER 12 (Elementary 2nd Year) 12 (Junior High 1st Year) 2 (Junior High 3rd Year) 9 (High School 1st year) 2 (High School 3rd year) POSITION Setter BACKGROUND INFORMATION FAMILY Miwa Kageyama (Older Sister) Kazuyo Kageyama (Grandfather) Unnamed Parents GOAL Be a setter that's the team's control tower Be able to think and toss the ball in a way so that it won't get blocked LIKES Volleyball Milk Yogurt Pork curry with a slow cook egg on top HOME TOWN Miyagi Prefecture HOME COUNTRY Japan DEBUT INFORMATION IN THE MANGA Endings and Beginnings IN THE ANIME Endings and Beginnings SEIYŪ INFORMATION VOICE ACTOR Kaito Ishikawa ENGLISH ACTOR Scott Gibbs IMAGE GALLERY LESS The only ones who get to stay on the court... are the best.

   VOLUME 8 CHAPTER 69 AND SEASON 1 EPISODE 25

   Tobio Kageyama (Japanese: 影山かげやま 飛雄とびお, Kageyama Tobio) is the deuteragonist of the Haikyū!! series. For the majority of the series, he is a first year student at Karasuno High School and plays as the starting setter for the boys' volleyball club.

   He was chosen to train at the All-Japan youth training camp during his first year of high school and joined the V. League as soon as he graduated. He became a part of Japan's national volleyball team at the age of 19, participating in the Rio Olympics in 2016. In November 2018, he was playing as a setter for the Japanese V-League Division 1 team Schweiden Adlers. Currently, he is a member of Ali Roma, an Italian professional team in Italy's Serie A.

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   Kageyama's height and impressively sharp glare are said to be his most prominent physical features and sources of attraction to several female classmates. He is of a lean but muscular build. He often emits an intimidating aura, which is heightened by the almost permanent scowl on his face. His black hair is cropped short, with a fringe that hangs just above his dark blue eyes. His typical attire consists of either his school uniform or practice clothes.

   Post-timeskip, Kageyama has grown to 188 cm. His hair is now parted down the middle, similar to how Kunimi had his. By the end of the series, Kageyama now has short bangs that end just above his eyebrows.

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   Perpetually sullen, arrogant, and undeniably short-tempered, Kageyama originally came off as a typical overbearing perfectionist, caring only about winning and completely disregarding the opinions and well-being of his teammates. His habit of complaining about their performance and barking orders at them eventually led the other players in Kitagawa Daiichi to nickname him the "King of the Court," a constant reminder of the oppressive, egocentric attitude he demonstrated during his volleyball career in junior high.

   Unbeknownst to the majority of his schoolmates and acquaintances, however, he is much more sensitive and childish than he appears to be; he simply does not know how to control his frustration, and hence expresses his thoughts and emotions in an inappropriate way. After everyone in Kitagawa Daiichi became fed up with him and abandoned his side, Kageyama was filled with genuine regret and developed an intense fear of being despised and mistrusted but refused to openly discuss his problem until Tsukishima confronted him about it.

   Despite his inability to properly socialize, he sincerely wishes to do his best and is extremely passionate and dedicated when it comes to volleyball, to the point where he gets overly excited about nearly every successful move he pulls off with Hinata.

   Since joining Karasuno, he has grown to be more respectful of his upperclassmen, as well as more accepting of people whose abilities and/or views differ from his own, and has come to once again understand the importance of teamwork and mutual trust in the sport he treasures so much. Additionally, this has also helped him regain his confidence as a setter. He has also come to realize that he doesn't call the shots on the court and has learned to give up control to Hinata and other spikers.

   During high school, he still gets extremely angry when he is called by his nickname, "King of the Court", but by the Final Arc, he has changed greatly on how he views the nickname.

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   Even shortly after he was born, Kageyama was shown to already have a great love for volleyball when he held on dearly to his older sister's volleyball and refused to let his grandfather take it away from him[2]. When he was around four years old, Kageyama started playing volleyball with his grandfather, Kazuyo, and his older sister, Miwa. He soon found a passion for the sport and became a setter due to it being the position that got to touch the ball the most. During his time at Akiyama Elementary, Kageyama was soon recognized as a prodigy.

   Once he entered Kitagawa Daiichi Junior High, it was clear that his potential would be much higher than the other players on his team, including the current third-year setter Tōru Oikawa. However, Kageyama's exceptional abilities and lack of consideration for others led him to develop a demanding demeanor and an inability to cooperate with his teammates, causing them to refer to him as the "King of the Court". Since the true meaning of this nickname was only known to the players at Kitagawa Daiichi, outsiders simply assumed that it referred to Kageyama's incredible talent. Additionally, he would often practice more than required, which his teammates, Kunimi and Kindaichi, would notice and judge him for and at times try to avoid.

   By his third year of junior high, Kageyama's attitude had already destroyed his relationship with his teammates, to the point where Kindaichi and Kunimi considered asking the coach to bench the setter. Despite the setter's lack of teamwork, Kitagawa Daiichi still managed to be a favorite to win at the Junior High Athletics Meet. It was at the tournament that he would first meet and begin his long-term rivalry with Shōyō Hinata.

   Kageyama s4-e11-1 Kitagawa Daiichi was said to have moved forward with the tournament but lost in the finals; it's hinted that Kageyama may be one of the main reasons for the loss due to his picture being on an article about the match. At some point during the junior high competitions in his third year, Kageyama sent a toss to his teammates in the middle of a game only to find no one behind him. His teammates refused to hit his tosses anymore, showing their clear desire to have him removed from the team. Kageyama was then benched and ended his final game at Kitagawa Daiichi in shame. Not long after this, Kageyama failed to enter Shiratorizawa and his grandfather passed away, which was shown to be deeply affecting him and his sister, Miwa.

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   Kageyama makes his debut appearance during the middle school volleyball tournament when he arrives at the gym with his team, Kitagawa Daiichi Junior High. Its first match was against Hinata's team, Yukigaoka Junior High School. Before the game began, Kageyama went to the bathroom, where he encountered Hinata being bullied by members from Kitagawa Daiichi. Kageyama coldly criticized them before turning his attention to Hinata. Despite Kageyama's mocking of Hinata's lack of height and overly idealistic ambition, Hinata wasn't fazed and challenged Kageyama instead, surprising and irritating the latter. Kageyama accepted angrily before leaving.

   As expected, Kitagawa Daiichi easily overwhelmed Yukigaoka, but Hinata remained determined. Kageyama admired Hinata's high jumps, overall athletic abilities, and determination, but didn't change his poor opinion of the wing spiker. In the end, Kitagawa Daiichi won both sets (25-5, 25-8). As the teams lined up, Kageyama angrily asked Hinata what he had been doing for the past three years before getting called away. Afterward, as they were leaving, Hinata ran up to Kageyama and vowed to defeat him next time they faced each other. Karasuno High Team Formation Arc

   Hinata and Kageyama encounter Hinata and Kageyama encounter each other again at Karasuno. Kageyama arrives at the second gymnasium early and practices serves[3]. Suddenly, the door slams open and Hinata rushes in, loudly asking Kageyama why he's here too. Kageyama recognizes Hinata but doesn't remember his name, prompting the latter to reintroduce himself. Hinata states that Kageyama has probably already forgotten him, but Kageyama denies it, thinking back to Hinata's reflexes, jumping power, and speed. Kageyama instead insults Hinata, leading to an argument. Hinata asks Kageyama why he's here and Kageyama reveals solemnly that he didn't get into the best school in the prefecture. Hinata wonders how since Kageyama's the King of the Upper Court and Kageyama yells at Hinata before getting interrupted by the upperclassmen.

   Daichi, Sugawara, and Tanaka are walking in while talking about Kageyama. They greet Kageyama and talk to him a bit. Hinata loudly greets the third years and Tanaka, taking the attention of Kageyama momentarily. They compliment Hinata for his performance last year and he exclaims that he'll become Karasuno's ace. This causes Kageyama to insult him, reminding him to not waste another three years again. Daichi tries to stop the argument, but the first-year's ignore him, too engrossed in their fight.

   The vice-principal then comes in and the upperclassmen try to cover up the situation, but Hinata and Kageyama end up challenging each other to a mini-match. Hinata exclaims that he's not the same as last year and Kageyama replies with the same words and smiles excitedly, surprising Hinata.

   The match begins and Kageyama does a jump serve that Hinata avoids at the last moment. Kageyama asks if this behavior is any different from last year's and Hinata asks for another try without any hesitation. Kageyama serves again but to his surprise, Hinata moves quickly to where the ball goes. However, the ball bounces off his arms and then his face before flying towards the vice principal. It knocks the vice principal's wig off, silencing everyone in the gym. Coldly, the vice principal asks Daichi to go outside for small talk as Kageyama and Hinata watch on.

   HinataKageyama2 Hinata and Kageyama are kicked out of the gym. When Daichi returns, he rounds everyone up and begins lecturing the first years before getting cut off by Kageyama. The setter criticizes Hinata and blames him for everything and Daichi interjects coldly. He explains Karasuno's goals to go to Nationals before asserting that he doesn't want any players on his team who would fight with one another. He then throws the two first years out. They aren't allowed to join until they begin to view each other as teammates.

   Hinata begs to be let back in while Kageyama stays silent initially. After coming to terms with his situation, he pushes Hinata aside as he claims that he'll be able to work with the latter. Daichi opens the door and asks if he's sure. However, Kageyama replies sheepishly that with Hinata's current skill level, he would rather take on all the roles by himself than work with Hinata. Daichi laughs and asks Kageyama how he would be able to do that in a game where teamwork is so essential.

   The two remain outside the gym. After a while, Kageyama storms away, wondering what he would do since he can't see Hinata as a teammate. He announces arrogantly that he has the potential to make Karasuno better so he has to be allowed on the team. He then proposes to challenge the upperclassmen to a 2-on-2 match. He adds that he doesn't want to be on the same team as Hinata, but they have to cooperate to join. Hinata agrees after thinking it over.

   3-on-3 First Years Match

   Later on in the evening, as the Karasuno members are cleaning up, Hinata and Kageyama announce their challenge. Secretly, Kageyama still refuses to work with Hinata and may have been planning on winning the game with serves and dump shots only. Daichi sternly asks them if they had considered the possibility of them losing and Kageyama replies that they'll take any punishment.

   Daichi agrees and changes the match to a 3-on-3 with the duo against the other two first-years. Tanaka is placed on the duo's team while Daichi joins the other one. However, if the duo loses, as long as the third years are around, Kageyama will never get to play as the setter. A shocked Kageyama tries to reason as Daichi reminds him of his selfish behavior from junior high. Despite Daichi telling him that he can join the club as another type of player, Kageyama exclaims that he is a setter only. Daichi replies that it'll be okay as long as Kageyama wins, and the latter accepts begrudgingly.

   Kageyama leaves angrily with Hinata trailing behind him. The latter remarks that even if Kageyama isn't the setter, he'll be able to play as a regular anyway and exclaims that spikers are cooler than setters anyway.

   This annoys Kageyama, who grabs Hinata and exclaims that a setter is the team's leader since he is the one who handles the ball the most in a match. Hinata timidly responds that setters just seem boring to him and calming down, Kageyama explains the speed at which the setter tosses the ball and how he opens the path for the spiker. Hinata still doesn't seem to understand that well, but Kageyama drops the subject.

   Just as they begin worrying about where to practice, they hear Tanaka discreetly telling them what time morning practice is, allowing them to come up with a plan. They then both leave as they decide to come at 5:00 AM tomorrow.

   The next day, they arrive to find the door locked. Tanaka then appears with the key and they begin to practice. However, Hinata has trouble receiving and Kageyama easily loses his temper[4]. Tanaka starts to lecture them, but the door suddenly opens, scaring the three.

6. #6Tetsurō Kuroo

   Keys: Tetsurō Kuroo

   KANJI 黒尾 鉄朗 RŌMAJI Kuroo Tetsurō CHARACTER INFO ALSO KNOWN AS Scheming Captain, Comb Head, and Rooster Head (by Hinata) Kuroo-senpai (by Tsukishima) Kuro (by Kenma) Pain-in-the-ass Kuroo-san (by Akaashi) Rooster-hair bastard (by Suguru Daishō) GENDER Male DATE OF BIRTH November 17, 1994 Pre-timeskip Post-timeskip AGE 17 - 18 (High School 3rd Year) - 2012 HEIGHT 187.7 cm (6' 1.9") - Apr 2012 188 cm (6' 2") - Jan 2013 WEIGHT 75.3 kg (166.0 lbs) OCCUPATION High School Student (3rd Year, Class 5) - 2012 TEAMS Hikarigayama Fighters (Former) Unnamed Middle School (Former) Nekoma High NUMBER 1 (Junior High 3rd Year) 1 (High School 2nd Year) 1 (High School 3rd Year) POSITION Captain Middle Blocker BACKGROUND INFORMATION FAMILY Unnamed father Mentioned grandparents Unnamed Older Sister GOAL Make the Battle at the Trash Heap happen LIKES Volleyball Grilled Salted Mackerel Pike Mikasa volleyballs Girls with long hair Going to the beach during the summer Dogs HOME TOWN Tokyo HOME COUNTRY Japan DEBUT INFORMATION IN THE MANGA Go, Team Karasuno! IN THE ANIME Decision SEIYŪ INFORMATION VOICE ACTOR Yuichi Nakamura Yuka Komatsu (young) ENGLISH ACTOR Ty Mahany IMAGE GALLERY LESS Remember. We are blood. Never stop flowing. Keep moving. Keep bringing oxygen... So that our 'brain'... can operate at its best.

   TETSURŌ KUROO TO NEKOMA[1]

   Tetsurō Kuroo (Japanese: 黒尾くろお 鉄朗てつろう, Kuroo Tetsurō) was a third-year student at Nekoma High. He was the captain and one of the starting middle blockers for the Boys' Volleyball Team.

   As of November 2018, he is part of the Japan Volleyball Association's sports promotion division.

   Appearance

   Kuroo is noted to be tall and lean with broad shoulders, well-built arms, and a muscular frame. He has narrow, hazel-colored (grey in the manga) eyes with cat-like pupils that make him appear sly and intimidating. His black hair is naturally messy and spikes upwards due to his bed head. He also has a fringe on his right side that partially covers his eye. As a result of his peculiar hairstyle, he is occasionally called "Rooster Head".

   Kuroo is often seen wearing a black shirt, red sweatpants, and the Nekoma High jacket. During official matches, he wears the Nekoma uniform numbered with the number 1.

   Post-timeskip, Kuroo's hair is now slightly shorter in length, and he now wears suits to reflect his position as a sports promoter. Personality

   Kuroo has a laid-back yet scheming personality and is considered a "provocation expert" by many.[2] He would actively provoke others and is unrelenting when dishing out snide remarks. This is demonstrated in the way he angers Tsukishima when the first-year blocker maintained a nonchalant attitude toward volleyball during the summer training camp. However, Kuroo is kinder and more genuine than what his exterior image conveys. After realizing he has overstepped a line, Kuroo seeks out and apologizes to Daichi about the provocation. Later on, proving that while he is a "provocation expert," sportsmanship is still important to him.[2] He also cares and respects his elder coach, Yasufumi Nekomata, immensely, enough to help Karasuno improve to fulfill Nekomata's dream of competing against each other at nationals. As an adult, Kuroo uses flattery on certain players when trying to get them to agree to something, like flattering Oikawa to get him to join the All-Stars match in A Party Reignited.

   According to Kenma, Kuroo was a shy and withdrawn kid who first moved into his neighborhood when he was eight years old.[3] He was quiet in front of strangers and awkward around Kenma at first, despite the two being close in age. Both of them bonded over video games and eventually practiced volleyball together. Slowly, Kuroo began to come out of his shell as the two got increasingly involved in the sport. He became a much louder and energetic person, made new friends at school, and started going out to play soccer with the other kids.

   Kuroo is also shown to be a highly observant and intuitive person when it comes to both volleyball and other people. Even as a kid, he was incredibly mindful of Kenma's quiet, withdrawn personality, and had the sense to not drag him out to do something the boy didn't have any fun in doing.[3] In matches, his attentive nature as a middle blocker proves to be extremely lethal for Nekoma's opponents. He quickly tracks down and analyzes every move of the spikers, allowing him to put up a successful block and destroy the momentum of the opposing team.

   Around his teammates, Kuroo is a reliable, strong captain, often responsible for lifting the spirits of the team when they are feeling down using sly quips. He seems to derive enjoyment from facing strong opponents and hides his frustration with sharp smirks and boisterous remarks, all the while scheming strategies to break down the opposing team.

   Despite seeming sly and cool on the outside, Kuroo possesses a silly side that is on display when he belts out in loud obnoxious laughter and engages in frivolous conversation with Bokuto.[4] Kuroo also seems to either see himself as more of an old man or people only a year or two younger than him as children, as shown when he proclaims "Ah, youth" after seeing Inuoka and Hinata interact together and talking with Tsukishima.[5] Background

   When Kuroo was around eight years old, his family moved next door to Kenma Kozume. During times when his father and grandparent's were out, Kuroo would go to Kenma's house. He was noted to be shyer and more withdrawn than Kenma at the time, so the two had a difficult time getting to know each other at first.[3]

   Initially, Kenma and Kuroo just played video games until one day when Kenma asked him if there's anything he would like to play. Kuroo took this opportunity and introduced volleyball to Kenma. The two ended up playing volleyball outside and grew familiar with each other.

   Kuroo used to be part of a volleyball club and had friends where he previously lived and had trouble adjusting to a new place. So while heading home, Kuroo, not wanting to go to an unfamiliar place alone, invited Kenma to attend a volleyball training camp one weekend. There, they encountered Coach Nekomata for the first time, who told the two that it's important to experience the joy of playing. Kuroo was inspired by Nekomata's words and became more proactive in volleyball and his life in general.

   He joined a volleyball team and made new friends at school. Since there were no volleyball players in the neighborhood, Kuroo would still drop by Kenma's house to watch videos of professional volleyball matches together. He would mimic moves he saw, later showing them to Kenma.[6] When he saw Kenma's interest in volleyball tactics, he urged his friend to become a setter, saying it is a perfect position for a strategist and he would not have to move around much.

   Kuroo and Kenma s1-e12-1 During middle school, Kuroo convinced Kenma to join their junior high's volleyball team and they have played volleyball together since then.[7] When Kenma was debating leaving the team in his first year of high school due to troubled relationships with the upperclassmen, Kuroo encouraged him to stay by telling Kenma he is a big asset to the team and that Coach Nekomata was going to be coming out of retirement to coach the team again.

   Nekoma OVA 5-6 Despite having a good relationship in their third year, Kuroo and Yaku didn't get along with each other for a short while of their first year that Kuroo explains was due to his team having been defeated by Yaku's team during a tournament. The two often got into arguments for everything and Kai, who was the only other first-year in the boys' volleyball club, always had to deal with his teammates quarreling. However, when asked about their goals, Yaku, Kuroo, and Kai all agreed that they aim to win nationals, and this seemed to leave the three players' relationship on good terms.[8] Plot

   Karasuno High Team Formation Arc

   Kuroo first appears at Tokyo Station with Kenma on their way to Karasuno High for the practice match.[9] Sometime later, he heads out to search for Kenma who had gotten split up from the group.

   Nekoma's first practice match is against Tsukinokizawa High. Kuroo walks in as two opponents are criticizing Kenma and corrects that Kenma is Nekoma's backbone. In the end, Nekoma wins 2-0.[10] At the inn that night, Kuroo yells at Yamamoto several times for being too loud.

   When Daichi first meets Kuroo, they shake hands as both of their teams' captains. Despite his friendly attitude, Daichi is still wary of Kuroo as he can tell that he already doesn't like him. Sometime later, Kuroo gives his habitual pep talk of Kenma being the team's "brain". Following this, Kenma complains over Kuroo always saying that, but after positive feedback from their team, Kuroo tells Kenma that he'll keep doing it. After more of Kenma's personality is shown, a flashback of Kuroo encouraging Kenma not to leave the club simply because of their unfair seniors.

   Kuroo Hinata Kuroo teases Hinata. As the score approaches a tie, Kuroo and Kenma perform a quick set, which surprises Karasuno. After focusing most of his attention on Inuoka, Hinata then remarks on Kuroo. In contrast to Inuoka, whom Hinata finds fun to play against, Karasuno's rookie blocker considers Kuroo frightening. After confronting Kuroo, Hinata asks Kageyama for ways to use their quick set against him, but the setter recommends otherwise against such an opponent. Despite scoring past Kuroo in the next rally, the captain isn't worried, but Karasuno isn't too optimistic either, as they find him a problem. Soon after, Kuroo takes part in being a decoy for Fukunaga and later performs a quick set with Kenma.

   Later on, a flashback of Kuroo surprising Kenma by attempting to do a delayed spike is shown. Right after, Kuroo performs a feint to follow with a delayed spike in the present time to score against Karasuno. After this impressive score from Kuroo, Takeda remarks to having felt senses of consistency whenever Kuroo rotated in the front row.

   Daichi 1 After the matches conclude, Tsukishima is seen being puzzled at Hinata and Inuoka's gibberish conversation. Noticing the lethargic rookie, Kuroo reaches out to him and remarks that his companion first-year blockers were hardly having a high schoolers' conversation. Kuroo then tells Tsukishima to relax and that he could have fun with the other rookies as well, but the latter refuses coldly. When parting ways, Daichi shakes hands with Kuroo, and he vows to defeat Nekoma the next time they meet though both are squeezing hard in challenge.

   Tokyo Expedition Arc

   Kuroo meets with Karasuno when they arrive at the training camp.[11] He asks Daichi about Hinata and Kageyama when he notices they're missing and learns they had to stay behind at school as he is leading the group to the gym.

   Later, he sits in the cafeteria and chats with Daichi about all of the third-years having decided against retiring and Nekoma's loss during the Interhigh, revealing that Nekoma had played against the previous year's champion team on the second day and only made it to best eight in Tokyo. Though Daichi remarks that it's still a good position, Kuroo replies that if they don't move forward, then there's no point.

   During the next camp, Kuroo's practicing with Bokuto and Akaashi in the third gymnasium when Tsukishima passes by.[12] He calls Tsukishima over and asks him to do a few blocks for Bokuto though he's shocked when Tsukishima refuses. In response, Kuroo brings up how Bokuto would be good practice for him since he's one of the nation's top five aces and riles him up about his position as a middle blocker enough that Tsukishima decides to join the practice.

   Episode 7- Tsukishima, Kuroo, Bokuto and Akaashi Kuroo practices in the third gymnasium. Kuroo eventually joins Tsukishima in trying to block Bokuto and impresses the younger blocker when he is able to easily stop Bokuto's spike. However, when he warns Tsukishima that Hinata will surpass him if he doesn't start taking his training seriously, Tsukishima grows silent and leaves when the rest of the Nekoma team walks in moments later. When Akaashi and Bokuto point out how Kuroo upset Tsukishima, Kuroo admits that it was unintentional and that he didn't believe Tsukishima would react in such a manner at his comment. When Bokuto questions what he meant by this, Kuroo admits that Hinata is someone to be cautious of despite his lack of experience and short stature, and that Tsukishima, while taller and smarter, actually sees himself below Hinata. The next day, Kuroo approaches Daichi and apologizes for having upset Tsukishima.

   Later, he's practicing with Bokuto and Akaashi again when Tsukishima approaches them. Tsukishima starts by mentioning their teams' strength, annoying Kuroo and Bokuto by saying their teams are 'moderately' strong. When Bokuto interrupts with an off-topic comment, Kuroo goes along with him until Tsukishima is finally able to ask why they put so much effort into volleyball as he believes there's not much point to it.[4] Once Bokuto was able to help Tsukishima get a better understanding of what benefits will come out of hard work, Kuroo helps the ace in dragging Tsukishima into blocking practice as 'payment' for their words of wisdom. During that practice, Kuroo instructed Tsukishima on proper blocking techniques and how to position his hands to give him the best chance to prevent injuries.

   Height s2 e9 Team Cats versus Team Owls. The following night, Hinata and Lev ask to join the practice although Kuroo would question Lev if he was allowed to be there since he was supposed to be working with Yaku on improving his receives. Kuroo then suggests a 3-on-3 with the taller players being on one team and the shorter players as the second team. They were able to play a brief game until Fukurōdani's managers warned them of the cafeteria closing and they would need to end their game or risk not getting any dinner. During another free practice, Tsukishima asks him why he's helping them so much even though they're opponents. When Kuroo tries to play it off as always being kind, Hinata and Tsukishima stare at him in disbelief. Kuroo then reveals that he wants to make the Trashcan Showdown happen since he doesn't know how long Coach Nekomata would stay on the team. In order to make this a reality, Kuroo states that Karasuno will need all the help they can get and he is willing to offer his own assistance to help them get stronger. As they begin another 3-on-3 match, Kuroo continues to instruct Lev and Tsukishima on how to block Bokuto. He eventually joins the two in a triple block when Hinata is given a last hit, an act that Bokuto calls them out on. However, Hinata was able to get the better of them when he performed a block-out against Lev's fingers. Kuroo complimented Hinata on the attack while Hinata tried to explain that his aim normally isn't that great.

   On the final day of the camp, Shibayama presents a list of the present teams and what their total wins and losses are, with Nekoma being the second strongest. The team then watches as Karasuno carries out yet another penalty lap. When Yaku states how serious Hinata, calling him "Shorty", is about the flying lap, Lev teases Yaku for not being much taller than Hinata. Yaku immediately retaliates and Kuroo simply states that he is not able to help Lev since he brought the act on himself. Kuroo is able to take quick peeks at Karasuno's match against Fukurōdani and sees how well Tsukishima is playing.

   During the barbeque, Kuroo brings food to Kenma in the attempt to get him to eat more and later gives descriptions of the country's top three aces to Lev and Hinata.[13] He is part of the group that is present to say goodbye to Karasuno when they depart to head home.

   Spring High Preliminary Arc

   When being asked about blocking stronger opponents, Ukai uses Kuroo as a good example of an experienced blocker with good timing and the person that Tsukishima would best learn from. A few days later, Tsukishima would observe Kuroo block Lev after having waited to bring the block to its peak when Lev began his downward swing. After scoring, Kuroo scolds Tsukishima for being inactive and the rookie blocker joins the practice. Soon after, Kuroo would scold Lev for keeping his arms too wide which allowed Bokuto to score. He explains that a blocker's arms should not be too wide as it would allow a spiker to get by without any problems. Before departing back to Miyagi, Kuroo and Daichi challenge each other, as well as their teams, to a Dumpster Battle at Nationals. Kuroo was present when Kenma announced to the team that Karasuno had advanced to the final round of their qualifier tournament. Although happy for them, Kuroo sympathized that Karasuno now had to face Ushijima.[14]

   Group-Battle of Concepts 1 During a flashback Tsukishima has during the match between Karasuno and Shiratorizawa, Lev had questioned Kuroo if he would be able to block Ushijima. When Kuroo answers that he could possibly block one in every ten spikes, he is given looks of disbelief from Lev and Hinata. Stating that he answered honestly, Kuroo explains that Ushijima would be trickier for him to block since he doesn't know Ushijima's plays as well as he does Bokuto's.[15]

   Kuroo goes on to explain that it's not possible to block a spiker one hundred percent of the time and that, even though the ball would only count for one point, it can feel like one hundred points when someone is able to score during a situation that turns the game around. Unfortunately, Bokuto calls Kuroo out on his theory and Kuroo admits that he confused himself in the process.

   Tokyo Prefectural Qualifiers

   Nekoma vs Fukurōdani

   Nekoma makes it to the top four in the Spring High and faces off against Fukurōdani in the first round.[16] After being informed by Shibayama that their game should start soon, Kuroo prepares a pep talk for his team by telling them to maintain their foundation as they are one step away from nationals.

   Suguru and Kuroo OVA 4-1 As the team is preparing, Suguru Daishō of Nohebi Academy approaches Kuroo and insults his team for just being known as defenders. When Yamamoto gets provoked at this, Kuroo tells him to brush of Suguru's taunt. However, when saying that Kuroo lies about his height due to his unique hairstyle, that's when Kuroo gets annoyed and claims that he does not use sneaky methods to lie about his height. In response, Kuroo brings up that he is aware of Suguru being dumped by Mika Yamaka and is possibly too heartbroken to play in the match.

   When entering the court for their next game, Kenma asks Kuroo if he is nervous, and the captain is not afraid to admit so. Shortly after, Kuroo and Bokuto treat each other to a good game as they shake hands. As a pre-game pep talk, Kuroo preps his team in being prepared to face Fukurōdani, and especially Bokuto, as the ace is undoubtedly their biggest threat. For Nekoma's tradition, Kuroo uses his brain and blood analogies to excite them.

   During the game's first rally, Kuroo and Kenma immediately perform a quick set, which makes the audience speculate that blockers would really hate going up against them. When Bokuto performs a block-out and excites the crowd right away, Kuroo admits he's not surprised. As Bokuto continues to score multiple points, he remarks Kuroo having been quiet for the majority of the game. At this, Kuroo tells the ace that hogging the spotlight isn't always the best move and assures him he'll block Bokuto the next time.

7. #7Wakatoshi Ushijima

   Keys: Wakatoshi Ushijima

   KANJI 牛島 若利 RŌMAJI Ushijima Wakatoshi CHARACTER INFO ALSO KNOWN AS Waka-kun Super Ace The Lefty Miracle Boy (by Tendō) Southpaw Ushiwaka, Ushiwaka-chan, Bastard Ushiwaka (by Oikawa) Mr. Perfect (by Sugawara) Super Volleyball Idiot (by Ōhira) GENDER Male DATE OF BIRTH August 13, 1994 Pre-timeskip Post-timeskip AGE 18 - 2012 HEIGHT 189.5 cm (6' 2.6") - Oct 2012 WEIGHT 84.8 kg (187 lbs.) - Oct 2012 OCCUPATION High School Student (3rd Year, Class 3) TEAMS Shiratorizawa Academy Junior High (Former) Shiratorizawa Academy (Former) NUMBER 1 (Junior High 2nd Year) 1 (Junior High 3rd Year) 1 (High School 3rd Year) POSITION Opposite Hitter Ace Captain BACKGROUND INFORMATION FAMILY Takashi Utsui (Father) Unnamed Mother Unnamed Grandmother GOAL Win the nationals LIKES Hayashi Rice DISLIKES Baseless self-confidence HOME TOWN Miyagi Prefecture HOME COUNTRY Japan DEBUT INFORMATION IN THE MANGA Powerful Opponents IN THE ANIME Formidable Opponents SEIYŪ INFORMATION VOICE ACTOR Ryōta Takeuchi ENGLISH ACTOR Joe Daniels IMAGE GALLERY LESS No matter how capable you lot may be, you'll see that we never weaken.

   WAKATOSHI USHIJIMA TO HINATA AND KAGEYAMA ABOUT SHIRATORIZAWA

   Wakatoshi Ushijima (Japanese: 牛島うしじま 若利わかとし, Ushijima Wakatoshi) is a third year student at Shiratorizawa Academy. He is the captain of the boys' volleyball team. He plays as a wing spiker and is the team's ace. He was the number one ace in Miyagi Prefecture and ranked among the country's top three aces. He is the main antagonist of the second half of the Spring High Preliminary Arc.

   After graduating from high school, he became a member of the Schweiden Adlers, a professional team in the top division of Japan's V.League. He also joined Japan's National Team, participating in the 2014 World League and 2021 Olympics.

   He is currently playing for Orzeł Warszawa, a professional team in Poland.

   ADVERTISEMENT Appearance

   Ushijima has dark olive-brown hair and matching olive-colored eyes. He usually has a stoic expression on his face and often looks rather intimidating. He has a large, muscular yet lean build and is fairly tall.

   His representative team uniform is a sports jacket, gray on the sides but black in the middle. On his left chest is a small nametag with Japan and the Japanese flag.

   Post-timeskip, Ushijima's appearance has changed very little.

   ADVERTISEMENT Personality

   Ushijima is a quiet and stoic individual, not speaking very often, and often maintaining the same fierce expression on his face which often gives him an intimidating appearance. One of Ushijima's most notable characteristics is his tendency to bluntly, but honestly, say what is on his mind, causing him to come off as tactless or rude. Due to his limited social skills and being incredibly earnest, Ushijima can appear awkward and unintentionally funny. He does not seem to be able to read people or certain situations very well, and often takes jokes and figurative language from others literally. Despite this, it is noted that when Ushijima does give actual praise or support, it is completely sincere as he never sugarcoats or minces his words.

   He is immensely confident in his skills and does not ever doubt that he or his team will win to the point that when Oikawa bragged that he and Aoba Johsai would be the one's going to nationals, Ushijima genuinely thought that he was confused and corrected him that only one team is allowed to go. Ushijima seems to believe that cultivating one's talent is the most important thing for a player, as shown when he openly criticizes Oikawa for attending Aoba Johsai instead of the more powerful and successful Shiratorizawa despite his talents, claiming the former is like "infertile soil". Because of this mindset, he hates those with baseless and unfounded confidence, causing him to particularly dislike Hinata due to him declaring that he will beat Shiratorizawa despite his short stature, lack of skill, and attendance at an 'unknown school'.

   When faced with a defeat, Ushijima appears to not let it bother him in the same manner most others would feel. Instead, he accepts any mistakes he makes and looks to improving himself further. He also appears to look forward to matches against challenging players, such as Hinata and Oikawa post-timeskip.

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   Ushijima's father, Takashi Utsui, was a second division volleyball player who used to attend Shiratorizawa; his generation is rumored to have won first place at Nationals[2][3]. However, Ushijima's father had to retire due to an injury and then married Ushijima's mother, taking on her surname in the process. Sometime later, when Ushijima was still very young, his parents divorced, and his father moved overseas; Ushijima staying in Japan with his mother.

   Ushijima family s3-e7-1 Ushijima's father protecting his left-handedness. When he was still a child, Ushijima's mother wanted to change his left-handedness because it was not something that usually occurred on her side of her family. However, Takashi disagreed and implored her to let him keep it, stating that it could become the child's greatest power and even gave up his rights in any other family decisions if she agreed to this one request.

   Ushijima bases his volleyball style now on an encounter with his father back when he was very young. His father told him stories of the ace on his team who gave off a strong feeling of security and strength that boosted the team's morale. Ushijima has stated that he doesn't want to be like his father, but as the ace his father had described. His father also told him to join a strong team and meet new people, encounter new abilities, and grow. But no matter what happens in the future, as long as Ushijima likes volleyball, his father will be happy.

   Ushijima Ushijima during junior high. Taking his father's advice to heart, Ushijima joins one of the strongest volleyball teams in the country, starting with Shiratorizawa Junior High. Even during this time, Ushijima had gained a wide reputation of being a powerful player that seemed unbeatable as he led his team to beat everyone before them, including Kitagawa Daiichi Junior High. Even during middle school, he was rivals with Oikawa and Iwaizumi, although it is not clear how he viewed the two back then as compared to how he does in high school.

   Ushijima1 Besides being the ace of Shiratorizawa High, Ushijima is also an under 19 representative for Japan for the Youth World Championship.

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   Karasuno High Team Formation Arc

   Ushijima gets featured as the number one ace in Miyagi prefecture in a volleyball magazine that the Karasuno High players are reading[4]. He is described by Tanaka as being one of the top high school volleyball players and one of three that are 'especially noteworthy'. Ushijima is also stated to be the number one ace in the Miyagi prefecture with overwhelming power and height.

   Interhigh Arc

   Shiratorizawa vs Ohgiminami

   Shiratorizawa2 At the start of the tournament, Shiratorizawa plays against Ohgiminami and easily beat their opponent in straight sets[5]. The news of their victory was broadcast on location stations that were seen by the Karasuno team and left many surprised at the great point difference Ohgiminami had lost by.

   Shiratorizawa vs Aoba Johsai

   Before the Shiratorizawa vs Aoba Johsai match starts, Ushijima and Oikawa shake hands[6]. Oikawa announces to Ushijima that Seijoh will win the match although Ushijima doesn't seem too concerned with his declaration. However, despite a close match, Aoba Johsai was not able to stop Ushijima's spikes and eventually lost the match. Shiratorizawa claims victory.

   Tokyo Expedition Arc

   Meeting Ushijima s2 e1 Hinata and Kageyama are leaving Yachi's complex after a study session when Kageyama notices that it was close to Shiratorizawa Academy[7]. In the anime, this event is changed to Hinata and Kageyama getting lost after racing each other[8]. Hinata asks him if he was referring to the school with "Ushiwaka" in it, only to hear a voice behind them. The two turn around to see Ushijima himself. Ushijima is out jogging with his entire team, but they were too slow, so he left them behind. He asks Hinata and Kageyama if they have any business with him but when they didn't reply, he starts to leave. Kageyama follows behind Ushijima, stating that he and Hinata came from Karasuno and they want to do some reconnaissance on Shiratorizawa. Ushijima identifies Karasuno as the team that uses a strange quick strike. He tells the two that no matter how capable they are Shiratorizawa never weakens. Ushijima allows the two to go with him to Shiratorizawa only if they could keep up with him while jogging.

   To Ushijima's surprise though, the duo can keep up with him and, not only that, but they can also even do it while talking to one another. When the three arrive in Shiratorizawa, some college students are playing inside the gym. Kageyama introduces himself to Ushijima, who instantly recognizes him from Kitagawa Daiichi. Kageyama said that he failed to get into Shiratorizawa and Ushijima replies coldly that he remembers how Kageyama played during middle school. He states that Shiratorizawa does not need a setter who can't devote themselves to the ace.

   Although amused at first, Hinata brings up Oikawa and states how he is not the type to devote himself to the team ace either. Ushijima replies that Oikawa is an excellent player who should have joined Shiratorizawa. Kageyama asks if Oikawa would devote himself to the ace, and Ushijima replied that Oikawa is a setter who is able to draw out the maximum potential of the team he's on. If the team's potential is low, then nothing will happen. If the team's potential is high, Oikawa will make it higher; that is his talent. Ushijima adds that an excellent seedling requires suitably excellent soil; apart from Oikawa, Aoba Johsai is weak. Hinata counters him, saying that if Aoba Johsai is "barren land", then Karasuno would be concrete. His expression momentarily intimidates Ushijima[9].

   Let's Go To Tokyo!! They are interrupted when a stray ball comes toward them, and Ushijima jumps up to grab it with his hand. However, Hinata, who jumped higher, grabs the ball before Ushijima could catch it. Ushijima is shocked at seeing Hinata suddenly appear right before him with such speed and height. Hinata lands and introduces himself, exclaiming that he and Kageyama are going to beat Ushijima and Shiratorizawa and go to the Spring Tournament[9]. Their conversation officially ends when a teacher nearby discovers the two and kick them out of the school. Before he and Hinata left, Kageyama states that Oikawa is the strongest setter in the prefecture, but that he himself can surpasses that. As the two are walking away, Ushijima repeats their names and grinned in excitement.

   Spring High Preliminary Arc

   On the first day of Spring High, Shiratorizawa, led by Ushijima, enters the Sendai City Gymnasium. Later, as Ushijima exits the bathroom, Hinata bumps into him while running away from Oikawa and Iwaizumi[10]. Ushijima greets Hinata and then the Aoba Johsai players, wishing them luck since the Spring High was the final high school tournament for them. The two then get angry with Ushijima, though he doesn't know why. Hinata tries to step in but the three glare at him simultaneously, scaring him off. Ushijima then leaves, stating that he welcomes all newcomers.

   Shiratorizawa's first match is on Court A against Niikawa (2:0 / 25-15, 25-12).

   Oikawa and Ushijima s2 e25 1 After Aoba Johsai lost to Karasuno, Ushijima approaches Oikawa, who ignored him and tried to walk away at first[11]. Ushijima stops him and states that Shiratorizawa was a better place for Oikawa, but Oikawa's insignificant pride led him to choose Aoba Johsai. Oikawa replies that he never thought he made the wrong decision, and his volleyball career is far from being over. Oikawa warns Ushijima to remember his "insignificant pride." Oikawa continues, stating that his underclassmen, Kageyama, is an idiot but he's on a strong team now; Karasuno could take down an enormous white eagle-like Ushijima.

   Before long, the Karasuno vs Shiratorizawa finals match begins[12]. Ushijima enters the court confidently with the rest of his team behind him. As he's warming up, he accidentally sends a ball over the bleachers, into the arms of a spectator, shocking the entire gymnasium. Right before the game begins, Goshiki comes over and tells Ushijima that he'll prove he's worthy of being the ace. Ushijima nonchalantly tells Goshiki "good luck", angering Goshiki.

   At the beginning of the match, Ushijima dominates using only 70-80% of his strength. His immense strength and left-handedness throw Karasuno off, especially Nishinoya and Tsukishima until Nishinoya finally manages to receive Ushijima's spike. However, by that point, Shiratorizawa's already close to winning the set. Karasuno doesn't give up though and continues pressuring Shiratorizawa. Gaining steadily up to Shiratorizawa, Karasuno initiates several attacks that finally force Ushijima to start receiving the balls, something he'd left to Reon initially.

   Getting serious, Ushijima demands Shirabu to toss all the balls to him. Shiratorizawa soon takes the first set. During the break, Tendō asks Ushijima if he knows Hinata and Ushijima replies affirmatively, describing what Hinata said to him during their encounter. After Tendō comments about Hinata, Ushijima states that he doesn't like him because he's too confident; Ushijima absolutely can't stand baseless self-confidence.

   Group s3-e4-2 Ushijima is blocked. As the game progresses, Ushijima continues dominating, but Karasuno's slowly catching up to him by pushing him into positions where his spikes point towards the libero. His teammates are also targeted heavily, causing Shirabu to lose focus when he becomes heavily stressed. He suddenly makes a mistake with his toss when he unintentionally set the ball too low and Ushijima finally gets blocked by Tsukishima[13].

   Unaffected, Ushijima takes back the third set. Afterward, the two teams change the court. As Ushijima's walking over, he sees Hinata staring at him. Coolly, Ushijima states that after seeing Hinata's movements during their encounter at his school, he thought Hinata would be good at receives and blocks. However, he realized now that Hinata's skills are at an infantile level, this statement stunning the shorter boy.

   Unwilling to let Ushijima think of him that way, Hinata focuses on improving his skills. Ushijima continues scoring point after point and slowly increases the amount of strength he uses, but Hinata can catch up and block him in the fourth set, bringing both teams to a tie. Even though Hinata isn't able to block Ushijima again, he manages to pull off several one-touches, but Ushijima doesn't appear to be worried. When his coach points out Karasuno's improved defense, Ushijima states calmly that there is no such thing as a perfect defense[14].

   Group s3-e6-2 Despite tiring out and making mistakes more often, Karasuno plays to the best of its abilities and gets ahead of Shiratorizawa, but Ushijima easily retakes those points. Kageyama, Tsukishima, and Asahi get together to block him, but he quickly switches to a softer spike to send the ball to the back corner of the court. At this point, everyone is expecting Shiratorizawa to win, especially when it becomes Ushijima's turn to serve. He gets a net-in on the first try, bringing Shiratorizawa to match point. The second time, just as the ball was about to hit the floor, Nishinoya receives it almost perfectly and Karasuno plans its comeback.

   For the next few plays, the ball's given to other players as Hinata's switched back in. Karasuno's coordination is in disarray, but Hinata manages by using his left hand to spike when the toss is too short, winning the set for his team.

   Ushijima and Tendo s3-e7-1 Karasuno gains the upper hand right away in the fifth set when Sugawara is subbed in[2]. As both teams take a quick break, Reon comments on Nishinoya's setting and Ushijima voices his opinion, surprising the former as Ushijima usually doesn't comment on his opponents. Tendō comments on Ushijima's dislike of Hinata and guesses the ace dislikes him because of the latter's unpredictability, which is something that Ushijima is not used to.

   Now that the match's nearing the end, Ushijima's concentration increases rapidly. Tendō tosses to him as he prepares to spike towards the right side of the court. However, Nishinoya is waiting there, expecting the spike, and Ushijima changes the path of the ball completely, surprising Karasuno. As he recovers, he thinks back to what his father had told him about the ace on his team and turns to his teammates. Ushijima smiles uncharacteristically and quotes Tendō to express his feelings about the match.

   It's Ushijima's turn to serve again. He scores immediately with a perfect serve despite it being unstable usually. He continues to score and soon can completely slam past Tsukishima's hand, unintentionally injuring the first-year in the process. Now that Karasuno has weakened without its main blocker, Ushijima seems to relax as well and returns to his unstable serves.

   Karasuno tries attacking with its new formation and gets blocked, but Hinata uses his cheek to receive the ball. He explains to his surprised teammates that he didn't want to injure himself by using his nose and then getting switched out. Ushijima watches with a scowl and thinks back to their first meeting. He notes that when he first heard of Karasuno's freak duo and saw Hinata snatch that ball from his hand, he thought the first-year would be a good player but was proven wrong. However, after seeing the hard work Hinata puts into his plays, Ushijima realizes exactly what makes Hinata so strong despite lacking technique. Ushijima thinks of Oikawa quickly before focusing on Hinata, determined to beat the latter[15].

   Kageyama's soon switched back in and both teams are evenly matched now. Ushijima stays back as his teammates do most of the work initially. When he spikes, Hinata appears out of nowhere and almost seems to catch the ball, shocking Ushijima. It's sent back to Shiratorizawa's side. Goshiki yells at Ushijima for letting the first-year block him, but Ushijima dismisses him.

8. #8Acchan

   Keys: Acchan

   CHARACTER INFO GENDER Male STATUS AGE 15-16 OCCUPATION High School Student (1st Year) at Karasuno High BACKGROUND INFORMATION HOME TOWN Miyagi Prefecture HOME COUNTRY Japan DEBUT INFORMATION IN THE MANGA Endings and Beginnings IN THE ANIME Endings and Beginnings SEIYŪ INFORMATION VOICE ACTOR Shūichi Uchida ENGLISH ACTOR Joel McCray IMAGE GALLERY LESS Acchan is a first-year student at Karasuno High.

   Appearance

   Acchan is a young teen with dark hair swept upwards. He wears large glasses with a blue frame. His usual attire consists of the Karasuno school uniform. Personality

   Acchan appears to have a friendly personality and can most often be seen hanging out with Hinata. However, he does seem to have a timid side as he can be seen backing away from Kageyama when he approaches Hinata at one point. Background

   Acchan previously attended Yukigaoka Junior High and has known Hinata during that time. Acchan is shown to have been one of those Hinata would often ask to help him practice volleyball; at times sneaking up on Acchan when he finished with his own club activities.[1] Plot

   Interhigh Arc

   After Karasuno lost against Aoba Johsai, Acchan attempts to spend the next lunch period with Hinata but Hinata instead had run off in frustration from his team's defeat the day before.[2]

   Tokyo Nationals Arc

   Acchan finds Hinata one morning before class starts. He is still amazed that the boy's volleyball team has made it to nationals and recalls several times that Hinata had asked for his help in practicing his receives between classes. When Hinata asks if it would be possible to get the music club to support the team at the tournament, Acchan tries to keep Hinata from getting his hopes up since he wouldn't have much influence to make that possible.[3]

   Relationships

   Shōyō Hinata

   Acchan is most often seen around Hinata and has helped him practice volleyball back in middle school. They appear to be close friends.

9. #9Ai Nakashima

   Keys: Ai Nakashima

   KANJI 中島 愛 RŌMAJI Nakashima Ai CHARACTER INFO GENDER Female BACKGROUND INFORMATION FAMILY Masayoshi Nakashima (Husband) Isamu Nakashima (Eldest Son) Takeru Nakashima (Second Son) Makoto Nakashima Daughter) Minoru Nakashima (Third Son) Taira Nakashima (Youngest Child) HOME TOWN Miyagi Prefecture HOME COUNTRY Japan DEBUT INFORMATION IN THE MANGA Next IN THE ANIME To the Next SEIYŪ INFORMATION VOICE ACTOR Tomoe Hanba ENGLISH ACTOR Maggie Flecknoe IMAGE GALLERY LESS Ai Nakashima (Japanese: 中島なかしま 愛あい, Nakashima Ai) is the matriarch of the Nakashima family. The Nakashima family often attends Takeru's matches and has grown to be known as Wakutani South's famous "cheering squad family".

   Appearance

   Ai has unruly light brown hair that goes slightly past her ears and thin, short eyebrows. She is of average height and build. She has been shown wearing a long sleeved shirt and a pouch baby sling where she holds her baby. Personality

   Not much is known about her personality, except that she is unabashed when it comes to displaying her affection to her husband. She's usually seen with a kind smile on her face, even when her son lost in his match. Background

   She is currently married to Masayoshi and has five children with him. Plot

   Spring High Preliminary Arc

   Ai first appears with most of her family at the end of the Wakutani Minami vs. Ōgishō match.[1] Holding a megaphone cone, she compliments Takeru for his plays.

   She shows up with her family again for the Karasuno High vs. Wakutani South match. She would cheer her son on often. When Takeru loses, she joins the rest of her family in applauding the Wakutani South players for their performance.[2]

   Relationships

   Family

   Masayoshi Nakashima: She is terribly in love with her husband and often shows her affection for him even in front of their children. When he started crying after Wakutani South lost to Karasuno, Ai comforted him.

10. #10Akane Yamamoto

    Keys: Akane Yamamoto

    KANJI 山本 あかね RŌMAJI Yamamoto Akane CHARACTER INFO ALSO KNOWN AS Cheerleader Captain GENDER Female DATE OF BIRTH March 13, 1999 STATUS HEIGHT 144.3 cm (4' 8.8") WEIGHT 35.4 kg (78.0 lbs.) Pre-timeskip Post-timeskip AGE 13 (Nov 2012) OCCUPATION Junior High Student (2nd Year, Class B) BACKGROUND INFORMATION FAMILY Taketora Yamamoto (Older Brother) LIKES Volleyball Soboro Gohan HOME TOWN Tokyo HOME COUNTRY Japan DEBUT INFORMATION IN THE MANGA Cats vs. Owls IN THE ANIME Land VS Air SEIYŪ INFORMATION VOICE ACTOR Miyu Tomita ENGLISH ACTOR Samantha Stevens IMAGE GALLERY LESS Akane Yamamoto (Japanese: 山本やまもと あかね, Yamamoto Akane) is the younger sister of Taketora Yamamoto. She was a second-year student at Nekoma Junior High.

    Post-timeskip, Akane is a college freshman and a publishing company intern.

    Appearance

    She is an average size for her age and has curly, light brown/reddish hair that is tied in pigtails and a cat clip on her right-sided hair part. Her eyes are light brown, and she wears a sailor girl's uniform from her school. With a striking resemblance to her brother, she has thick, dark eyebrows and long lashes.

    Post-timeskip, Akane's appearance has changed very little. She has gotten taller and now wears her hair in a ponytail. Personality

    Akane is energetic and extremely enthusiastic, like her brother. She goes all out on her cheering squad for Nekoma High and is deeply knowledgeable in volleyball. She is also shown to be dedicated to her research of other teams and their playing styles as well as possible connections between players. Background

    Akane is Yamamoto's younger sister. She often leads Nekoma's cheering squad with a megaphone, much to her brother's embarrassment. Plot

    Spring High Preliminary Arc

    Nekoma vs Fukurōdani

    Akane and Alisa OVA 4-4 Nekoma High makes it to the semifinals against Fukurōdani Academy.[1] Leading the cheering squad in the bleachers, Akane makes her presence known to her brother and the team through her loud cheers. Alisa stands next to her and calls Lev by his pet name, intriguing Akane. She asks the older girl about the meaning and gushes over how cute it is.

    The game soon starts, and Akane's slightly unnerved by Sarukui's vicious jump serve. Bokuto then spikes a ball all the way up to the bleachers, where a shocked Akane catches it. Nekoma retaliates by having Yaku perfectly receive Bokuto's attack. When Alisa assumes that the ball was sent directly to Yaku, Akane corrects her and remarks that Yaku most likely shifted his position in anticipation of the ball's trajectory.

    Throughout the match, Akane cheers on Nekoma while explaining their many tactics to Alisa. When Fukurōdani gains four points ahead of Nekoma, Alisa worries that they'll lose, but Akane explains that Nekoma would always start their games slow and should be processing their attacks now.

    Soon, Lev's switched in. Akane excitedly thinks to herself that Lev's the tallest and probably strongest player Nekoma has ever had. However, Lev completely misses the toss, much to Alisa's embarrassment. Akane reassures her that things like that happen all the time.[2] Lev soon makes up for his mistakes with successful spikes, earning Akane's admiration, though that ends when he messes up his serve.

    Fukurōdani and Nekoma are keeping up with each other. Akane notes that though Fukurōdani is easily keeping up with them, they've at least managed to stop Bokuto. However, Bokuto quickly makes a comeback and scores consecutively. Akane and Alisa cheer on Nekoma, but in the end, Fukurōdani wins.

    Nekoma vs Nohebi

    Akane and Alisa stay for Nekoma's next match against Nohebi Academy, its last chance for nationals.[3] As the players line up, Akane motivates the squad to cheer as loud as it can. Alisa asks Akane about what kind of team Nohebi is, and Akane replies that she doesn't know much other than that Nohebi is similar to Nekoma, except it would try to induce the opposing team's self-destruction.

    Nohebi soon seemingly overwhelms Nekoma. As spectators behind Akane and Alisa comment disappointingly on the match, the two look ahead awkwardly. However, after the referee judges Nohebi in favor of him and a ball gets spiked into Yamamoto's face, Akane starts noticing that the match feels wrong.

    Akane and Alisa OVA 5-2 Yaku then gets injured and is switched out for Shibayama, a less experienced libero.[4] Akane worries about Nekoma because she believes Yaku is Nekoma's guardian, a figure as important as the ace, as well as this being Yaku's last year to play with Nekoma. Sensing the younger's distress, Alisa recalls a match where the ace injured himself and had to be switched out, and despite that, his team still dominated the rest of the nationals. Comforted, Akane wipes her tears and continues cheering on Nekoma. In the end, Nekoma wins 2-0. Happily, Alisa and Akane hug each other and begin to cry.[5]

    Tokyo Nationals Arc

    Nekoma vs Sarukawa Tech

    Group s4-e25-3 Akane leads the cheering section during Nekoma's difficult game against Sarukawa Tech High. She and Alisa happily celebrated when Nekoma was eventually able to win the game in straight sets. Afterwards, Akane is standing outside the stadium when she hears people speaking of how Nekoma might not be able to handle playing against Karasuno in the next round. This angers the young girl, who silently vows that these spectators will soon see Nekoma's true abilities.[6] Later that night, Akane and Alisa run into Saeko and the younger girl feels an instant rivalry with Saeko.

    Nekoma vs Karasuno

    Having encountered Saeko the night before the match and felt an instant rivalry with the older woman, Akane eagerly leads the Nekoma cheering section with the goal of not letting Karasuno's cheer section out-do them. After Hinata scores the first point of the game with the quick attack, she explains to Alisa what a minus tempo is but trails off when she tries to add that speed isn't all to an attack, her demeanor causing Alisa to think that she is trying to hold back her feelings from seeing Lev unable to stop the quick.

    When Lev's serve goes into the net, Alisa believes that it was a mistake, but Akane actually points out that Lev did this on purpose. After Kuroo was able to block Tanaka and tie the score, Akane explains that Lev's serves were targeted to go to Hinata to keep him from doing any attacks. When Nekoma is able to win the first set, Akane leads a cheer for the team to try to win the game in straight sets.

    When Lev is able to pull off a back attack, Akane celebrates the point with Alisa but then tries to comfort the older girl, who was embarrassed when Lev sent his second serve out-of-bounds. When Asahi is forced to make the first touch, Akane is certain that Tsukishima would be the one to get the set since he was the only attacker in the front row, but she would become annoyed when she watched Daichi get the set.

    When Hinata is able to win the second set for Karasuno by receiving Yamamoto's spike, Akane is especially upset by the way that Karasuno was able to win. Alisa would try to keep her in high spirits since there is still another set to play. Nekoma would eventually lose the match, and Akane is seen clapping in support.

    After the match, Akane and Alisa go to a restaurant and are seated with Saeko and other Karasuno supporters. Akane is still upset over Nekoma's loss, but Saeko is able to help her overcome it and the two appear to have started a friendship.[7]

    Final Arc

    During the match between the Schweiden Adlers and the MSBY Black Jackals, Akane appears with Fumi Enaga. She has graduated from Nekoma and is currently a college freshman and an intern for a publishing company[8]. After the match, Akane is seen happily greeting Saeko.

    Statistics

    High School Statistics Power

    1/5 Jumping

    3/5 Stamina

    2/5 Game Sense

    3/5 Technique

    2/5 Speed

    4/5 She is very enthusiastic and knowledgeable about volleyball, but it's unknown if she actually plays the sport. Akane is good at analyzing matches and can discriminate between the diverse types of attacks or serves. She's also well acquainted with the techniques of local teams like Nekoma, Fukurōdani, and Nohebi and has authored a research book on their styles. Relationships

    Family/Nekoma High

    Taketora Yamamoto: Akane has a good relationship with her older brother, and she leads Nekoma's cheering squad, though her loud cheers sometimes embarrass him. She thinks of him as Nekoma's ace and believes him to be a strong player. Yamamoto also tells her a lot about his team and each individual player. Nekoma High: Akane is acquainted with most members of the team and admires them for their plays. At the same time, the players are encouraged by Akane's cheers and are grateful to her for leading their cheer squad. Akane seems to know the team's techniques and playing style well, showing that she may attend a lot of its matches or simply hear a lot from her brother. Alisa Haiba: It's unknown how long they've known each other, but they seem to be very close despite the age gap. Alisa and Akane stood next to each other during Nekoma's semifinals and match against Nohebi in the spring high preliminaries. Akane would explain volleyball concepts to Alisa, while the latter comforted her when she needed it.

11. #11Akifumi Kaikake

    Keys: Akifumi Kaikake

    KANJI 貝掛 亮文 RŌMAJI Kaikake Akifumi CHARACTER INFO GENDER Male STATUS AGE 16-17 (2013) HEIGHT 173.5 cm (5' 8.3") WEIGHT 62.5 kg (137.8 lbs) OCCUPATION High School Student (2nd Year) TEAMS Tsubakihara Academy NUMBER 12 (High School 2nd Year) POSITION Libero BACKGROUND INFORMATION HOME COUNTRY Japan DEBUT INFORMATION IN THE MANGA First Opponent IN THE ANIME Battle Lines SEIYŪ INFORMATION VOICE ACTOR Aoi Ichikawa ENGLISH ACTOR Joe Daniels IMAGE GALLERY LESS Akifumi Kaikake (Japanese: 貝掛かいかけ 亮文あきふみ, Kaikake Akifumi) is a second-year student at Tsubakihara Academy. He is the libero for the Boys' Volleyball Team.

    Appearance

    Kaikake has short dark hair which is slightly spiky. Additionally, he has short bits of hair covering his headband. Personality

    Not much is known about Kaikake's personality but he seems to be a somewhat laid-back person since he was hesitant to receive Yamaguchi's serve. Plot

    Tokyo Nationals Arc

    During the match, Yamaguchi serves, aiming at Teradomari but fails and instead gets to where Maiko and Kaikake are. Maiko tries to receive it but it ends up messy since he hesitated. After this, Ōsado scowls at them for taking so much time.[1] As the match progresses, Kinoshita is sent in as Karasuno's pinch server and not long after Tsubakihara does the same, benching Iwamuro for Himekawa. In the distance, Kaikake is seen supporting his teammate.

    During Himekawa's first serve, he messes up and hits Teradomari's head but when serves once more, he manages to score two service aces in a row, and at his third serve, he is still able to put up a good defense. During this, Tsubakihara gloriously congratulates Himekawa for his success which puts their hopes up to win. After Tsubakihara's loss, Echigo shakes Daichi's hand as they are the two opposing team's captains, and Maruyama, Echigo and Teradomari break into tears. Right after, Ōsado tries to comfort his team by offering them lunch

12. #12Akihiko Seguro

    Keys: Akihiko Seguro

    KANJI 背黒 晃彦 RŌMAJI Seguro Akihiko CHARACTER INFO GENDER Male DATE OF BIRTH September 3, 1995 STATUS AGE 16-17 (Nov 2012) HEIGHT 186.7 cm (6' 1.5") - Nov 2012 WEIGHT 75.3 kg (166.0 lbs.) - Nov 2012 OCCUPATION High School Student (2nd Year, Class 1) TEAMS Nohebi Academy NUMBER 10 POSITION Middle Blocker DEBUT INFORMATION IN THE MANGA Backs to the Wall IN THE ANIME Land VS Air SEIYŪ INFORMATION VOICE ACTOR Subaru Hayama IMAGE GALLERY LESS Akihiko Seguro (Japanese: 背黒せぐろ 晃彦あきひこ, Seguro Akihiko) is a second-year at Nohebi Academy. He is a middle blocker for the Boys' Volleyball Team.

    Appearance

    He has a light-colored buzzcut and large, brown eyes with thick eyebrows. He's also quite tall and has an athletic build. Personality

    Not much is known about Seguro’s personality, but he appears to be a loyal teammate and seemingly has no objections towards his team’s methods. Plot

    Spring High Preliminary Arc

    Nohebi OVA 5-1 During Nohebi's match against Nekoma, Seguro does not seem to join in his teammates' taunts since most of them come from the team’s third-years, but he does play along with their goody-two-shoes act. As the match progresses, Yaku injures his foot, and gets replaced by Shibayama. Seguro tries to block Kuroo but fails.[1]

    Right after Fukunaga scores against Nohebi, Numai yells at them to grab them a ticket to nationals no matter whatever it takes, and his team gets more motivated to win. Seguro’s reaction is the only one who is not shown, along with Hiroo and Kuguri.[2]

    Nearing the end of the match, Seguro jumps up to block Kuroo, but the blocker ends up jumping later than Seguro and spikes the ball, earning Nekoma a point.

13. #13Akinori Konoha

    Keys: Akinori Konoha

    KANJI 木葉秋紀 RŌMAJI Konoha Akinori CHARACTER INFO ALSO KNOWN AS Jack of All Trades, Master of None/Mr. Average All-Rounder (by Fukurōdani) Konoha-san (by Akaashi) GENDER Male DATE OF BIRTH September 30, 1994 Pre-timeskip Post-timeskip AGE 17 - 18 (2012) HEIGHT 178.8 cm (5' 10.4") WEIGHT 65.9 kg (145.2 lbs.) OCCUPATION High School Student (3rd Year, Class 3) - 2012 TEAMS Fukurōdani Academy (Former) NUMBER 7 (High School 3rd Year) POSITION Opposite Hitter BACKGROUND INFORMATION FAMILY Unnamed Older Brother Unnamed Younger Sister LIKES Tatsuta-style Fried Chicken HOME TOWN Tokyo HOME COUNTRY Japan DEBUT INFORMATION IN THE MANGA Room to Grow IN THE ANIME Center Ace SEIYŪ INFORMATION VOICE ACTOR Taishi Murata ENGLISH ACTOR Kory Getman (Season 2) Jacob Eiseman (Land vs. Air OVA, Season 4–Present) IMAGE GALLERY LESS Akinori Konoha (Japanese: 木葉このは 秋紀あきのり, Konoha Akinori) was a third-year student at Fukurōdani Academy. He was a wing spiker for the Boys' Volleyball Team.

    After graduating high school, Konoha became a pharmaceutical company employee in Tokyo and is an outside hitter for the Ehrgeiz Pharma Volleyball Club.[1]

    Appearance

    Konoha stands at 178.8 cm, making him the third shortest in his team. He has neat, medium-length dirty-blonde hair, with narrow eyes and an average build. His eyes are often depicted as nearly the same color as his hair in some art works.

    Post-timeskip, his hair has been cut to a shorter length. Personality

    Like the rest of the team, he knows when to cheer up Bokuto when he's in a bad mood but appears to be one of the most annoyed by it when it happens. He appears to be competitive and into the sport. Konoha is also shown to have a teasing nature during matches as he is seen taunting Kenma and Lev and saying that they don't have a monopoly on working together during the Fukurōdani vs. Nekoma match. Komi, his teammate, states that 'without Konoha, the team cannot function properly.'[2] Plot

    Tokyo Expedition Arc

    Konoha is introduced as a player of Fukurodani during the practice matches. He is shown with Komi and Sarukui trying to cheer Bokuto up after the skimmed win over Karasuno. During the barbeque, he and Komi attempted to approach Kiyoko. Before they could, they were scared off by Nishinoya, Tanaka, and Yamamoto acting as her protection squad.

    Spring High Preliminary Arc

    During the Nekoma match, Konoha was shown to be a stable player capable of covering different positions. He is seen receiving Kuroo's jump serve and being annoyed by how he has gotten the serve game worthy. Shortly after, Konoha makes a near-impossible save after Washio is able to get a one-touch on Lev's spike.

    Konoha promptly taunts Lev and Kenma for not being able to work together as real teammates before he is called by his nickname "Jack of all Trades / Master of None" by one of the Fukurōdani students who is watching the match and he is shown to heavily dislike the nickname, but specifically the second part. When Akaashi was targeted by Nekoma to make first touches, Konoha calls for Sarukui to give him the set. To the annoyance of Nekoma, Konoha does a rebound against the block. Konoha would then make a set to Sarukui after an imitation of Bokuto's signature "Hey, hey, hey!", once Akaashi was again forced to make the first receive.

    According to Komi's unwanted narration, Konoha is noted to be of average play and power but is a valuable player to the Fukurōdani team who may not be able to function properly without him. When Bokuto becomes depressed when he is unable to hit any cross shots, Konoha is shown to be greatly annoyed by this but agrees to follow Akaashi's plan of helping the ace get back on track. He is able to make the receive close to the net which allowed Akaashi to trick Lev in order to get him out of the way to allow Bokuto to score. He later celebrates with his team when they win the game.

    Nationals Arc

    Fukurodani vs Eiwa

    Group s4-e12-3 Late in the first set, Konoha is one of the players to first notice players Bokuto has fallen into one of his slumps. At hearing that Bokuto is upset that they are not playing in the main arena with a larger crowd watching, Konoha and Sarukui become frustrated that they did not foresee this coming. Konoha then regrets having the team watch Nekoma's game in a bigger court. Despite this, he brushes off Bokuto's concern but feels certain that the ace will overcome the problem since these are quite recurring incidents for Fukurōdani. A short amount of time later, Konoha is seen kicking Bokuto out of annoyance.

    When Akaashi is forced to make the first touch, Konoha is called upon to make the set to Sarukui. After Fukurōdani wins the game, Konoha tells Akaashi that he can at times ignore Bokuto when he gets into one of his moods but does admit that he's glad the setter is able to find ways to bring Bokuto back to normal. When Sarukui suggests Akaashi tells Bokuto about finding him cool, Konoha immediately rejects the offer as he's afraid Bokuto's ego would inflate.

    Fukurōdani Academy vs Morikawa High

    Fukurōdani would go on to win the game when Bokuto scores the last point. When the ace notices that Karasuno was able to beat Inarizaki, Konoha shows surprise in Bokuto not noticing given how loud the audience on the B court was. When Fukurōdani's third-years, excluding Bokuto, get back to the hotel, they are shown interacting with one another.

    Fukurōdani Academy vs. Matsuyama Nishi Biz High

    Konoha makes a brief appearance during the game and is mostly seen interacting with the Nekoma and Karasuno players after the match.

    Fukurōdani vs Mujinazaka High

    Just before the match, Konoha questions Bokuto's thinking when the captain declares that he will become the top ace. Shortly after, Konoha laughs as Bokuto gets excited to begin playing. Immediately in the first rally, Usuri starts off with a jump floater. Despite this attempt, Konoha manages an overhand receive. At several points during the match, Konoha is seen making sets to Bokuto and to other players.

    When Akaashi is removed from the game to calm his nerves, Bokuto assures everyone that Akaashi will be fine. Konoha silently admits that Bokuto is able to be persuasive but it is a rare occurrence.[3] After Sarukui is blocked but the ball is still going, Bokuto calls for Konoha to send him the set but Konoha decides against this and sends the set to Sarukui. After this victory, Konoha and Sarukui high five in joy.

    In the second set, Konoha makes a bad pass. Knowing that he doesn't have the ability to set it, Akaashi instead chooses to go for a rebound. After making this, he sends a cold stare as Konoha's way to tell him that he expects easy-to-set passes for the following rallies. After Bokuto smashes the ball and leaves it untouched, he and Konoha happily bump into each other.

    Final Arc

    After high school, Konoha became an employee for a pharmaceutical company in Tokyo and is an outside hitter for the Ehrgeiz Pharma Volleyball Club.[1] He is with Sarukui and Komi at a bar watching the live program of Bokuto play with the MSBY Black Jackals. During a flashback, it is shown that Fukurōdani had made it all the way to the finals of the 2013 Spring Tournament but lost in the final set. Konoha blamed himself for the loss as he believes that the final set he had given to Bokuto prevented the ace from hitting to his utmost capabilities. However, Bokuto assures Konoha that he was not at fault and was, in fact, praised by the captain for having been able to make the set at all. Bokuto instead says he was the one responsible for Fukurōdani's loss as he was not able to make the last hit count, something that he says he should have been able to do as the ace.

    Although Konoha confesses that he always felt Bokuto could be a great pain at times, he is still happy that he got to have Bokuto as a teammate rather than an opponent and it was thanks to him that Konoha even got to play on center court. He encouraged Bokuto to continue moving forward with the promise of supporting and cheering for him without ceasing. True to his promise, Konoha and the others energetically celebrate many plays that Bokuto makes during the game.

14. #14Akira Kunimi

    Keys: Akira Kunimi

    KANJI 国見 英 RŌMAJI Kunimi Akira CHARACTER INFO ALSO KNOWN AS Kunimi-chan (by Tōru Oikawa) GENDER Male DATE OF BIRTH March 25, 1997 Pre-timeskip Post-timeskip AGE 15 - 16 (High School 1st Year) - 2012 HEIGHT 182.8 cm (6' 0") - Apr 2012 183 cm (6' 0") - Dec 2012 WEIGHT 66.1 kg (145.7 lbs.) OCCUPATION High School Student (1st Year, Class 6) - 2012 TEAMS Kitagawa Daiichi (Former) Aoba Johsai High NUMBER 6 (Junior High 3rd Year) 13 (High School 1st Year) POSITION Opposite Hitter Decoy (Junior High) BACKGROUND INFORMATION FAMILY Unnamed Older Sister LIKES Volleyball Salted Caramel DISLIKES Loud, energetic people HOME TOWN Miyagi Prefecture HOME COUNTRY Japan DEBUT INFORMATION IN THE MANGA Endings and Beginnings IN THE ANIME Endings and Beginnings SEIYŪ INFORMATION VOICE ACTOR Atsushi Tamaru ENGLISH ACTOR Mark Laskowski IMAGE GALLERY LESS So, is playing recklessly always the same as playing seriously?

    AKIRA KUNIMI TO KAGEYAMA IN A FLASHBACK[1][2]

    Akira Kunimi (Japanese: 国見くにみ 英あきら, Kunimi Akira) was a first-year student at Aoba Johsai High. He was a starting wing spiker for the Boys' Volleyball Club.

    As of 2018, he is a college student and will be working at a bank in Miyagi upon graduating.

    Appearance

    Kunimi usually has an indifferent expression on his face and doesn't show his emotions often. He has dark hair that is parted into two sides in the middle. He's quite thin, though he has a lean, muscular build. His eyes are dull brown, and he has somewhat delicate features. His eyes make him look very apathetic and tired. He possesses an average height for a volleyball player, standing at 183 cm, and is slightly taller than average for a first-year high school student.

    Post-timeskip, he appears to have let his hair grow out a little longer and keeps most of it swept over to the right side of his head. Personality

    He is a quiet and indifferent person, though it's mostly out of laziness; however, he does smile when needed. He occasionally skips practice as well and doesn't seem to put his full effort into matches; however, his true strength lies in his late game plays because of his "conservative" nature. Kunimi dislikes loud, energetic people and was dismayed when Koganegawa yelled at him to "go all out," which is one of his least liked phrases. He also refers to Hinata, Koganegawa, and Hyakuzawa as the "idiot squad" because of their energy. Kageyama has also mentioned that Kunimi is smart, though it's unknown if that refers to his game sense or general studies. Background

    Similar to many of the current Aoba Johsai team members, Kunimi attended Kitagawa Daiichi Junior High and played on the volleyball team along with Kindaichi and Kageyama. Similar to Kindaichi, Kunimi found himself under the harsh criticism of Kageyama for not putting in more effort during matches. He and Kindaichi agreed that Kageyama was demanding too much of them without giving anything in return, and they are shown in a flashback to having asked their coach to bench Kageyama.

    After graduating junior high, Kunimi enrolled in Aoba Johsai. He joined the volleyball team and became one of the starting wing spikers. Plot

    Kunimi s1-e1-2 Kunimi first appears with the Kitagawa Daiichi Junior High boys volleyball team during the middle school volleyball tournament. In the beginning of the match, Kunimi makes several service aces in a row due to the Yukigaoka Junior High team not being very skilled and therefore missing several receives. Near the end of the second set, Kindaichi is barely able to get a spike in from Kageyama's quick set, and Kunimi questions why the setter is being so serious about the game, only for Kageyama to openly question why he and the rest of the team are not.

    When Kindaichi is able to get a one-touch on Hinata's spike, Kunimi attempts to chase after the ball but does not put much effort into it since he believes that he will not be able to reach it before it lands. Because he did not fully run after the ball, Kageyama yells at Kunimi for his lack of effort. Kitagawa would quickly go on to win the match. Karasuno High Team Formation Arc

    Seijoh s1-e6-1 During the start of the second set, Kunimi gets ready to block, not giving it much thought. However, he gets surprised when he sees Hinata jump impressively high. Even though Karasuno is not able to get the point of this, Kunimi's surprise does not falter as Kageyama apologizes for having tossed too high. Near the end of the third set, Kunimi is subbed out in order for Tōru Oikawa to enter the game.[3] After Aoba Johsai's loss, Kunimi finds Kindaichi having just ended a confrontation with Kageyama. Kindaichi expresses his shock over how Kageyama said 'we' when telling him that Karasuno was going to beat Aoba Johsai, which confuses Kunimi, and he smacks his friend.

    Interhigh Arc

    Aoba Johsai enters the arena, and as it passes by, Hinata suddenly calls Kindaichi by his nickname[4]. Though Kindaichi's confused, Kunimi snickers and remarks that he fits the description. When warming up to go up against Oomisaki, Mizoguchi notices Kunimi slacking off and yells at him.

    Karasuno vs Aoba Johsai

    During the match, Kunimi immediately notices that Hinata is being used as a decoy. Kindaichi falls for the trick, but Kunimi doesn't get to the other side of the net in time before Asahi scores. During the third set, Kunimi saves Asahi's spike after failing to block it and earns a compliment from his teammates. After the rally ends, Oikawa checks up on Kunimi, and as this happens, Kageyama thinks back about how Kunimi ran to get that ball since in middle school he felt so demotivated all the time, which lost them a rally against Yukigaoka because he wasn't willing to run after the ball.

    Kunimi s1-e24-1 Kageyama's surprise furthers when Iwaizumi is used as Aoba Johsai's decoy and Oikawa sets for Kunimi. Additionally, the audience notices that Kunimi has been the one with the most energy during the last few rallies and wonders how he could still be moving so much[1]. When Oikawa sets for him, Kunimi gives a tip to conquer Karasuno's block and win Aoba Johsai's rally. Seeing Kunimi smile after winning made Kageyama afraid because he didn't know how he could be able to beat Oikawa, someone who could make full use of all of his players.

    Aoba Johsai vs Shiratorizawa

    Kunimi is seen joining Kindaichi and Iwaizumi in trying to stop Ushijima. They were unable to stop the powerful ace, as he was still able to get past them and win the match for Shiratorizawa. As a result, Aoba Johsai placed second in the tournament.[5]

    Spring High Preliminary Arc

    Sometime before the qualifiers begin, Kyōtani decides to come back to practice and backs off when getting intimidated by Oikawa, which is something Kunimi compares to having animal instincts.

    Aoba Johsai vs Date Tech

    Aoba Johsai first faces off against Date Tech.[6] Kunimi performs a few efficient blocks. During the second set, Kunimi is getting ready to move as Oikawa sets but ends up pulling a setter dump, and Kunimi is seen with a smug look on his face. When Iwaizumi scores Aoba Johsai's winning point, the whole team comes to congratulate him, but Kunimi silently does so.

    Aoba Johsai vs Karasuno

    Not far into the match, Kunimi is tasked with smashing the ball as Kageyama is about to set but is too slow, and Tanaka scores behind Kageyama. Kunimi would soon be subbed out for Kyōtani and after surprising everyone by interrupting Oikawa's set, Kageyama assumes that he is most likely smart as they subbed him in for Kunimi. When Yahaba explains to him about Kyōtani only listening to Iwaizumi because he has never been able to beat Iwaizumi in any kind of competition, Kunimi compares the team to a wolf pack with Iwaizumi as the alpha.

    Group s2-e22-3 During the third set, Kunimi is subbed back in for Kyōtani to recollect himself. As he is about to attack, Kageyama predicts that he is going to do a tip, which is correct. However, this creates tension between the two. Moreover, Kunimi is subbed out a few rallies later. In the final set, Kunimi is also in the triple block that reads Kageyama's motion to set Hinata, but they still fail to block him. After Aoba Johsai's loss, Kunimi does not go to the ramen shop with his team. Despite this, that night he is seen practicing quietly in his room with a hard stare on his face.

    Tokyo Nationals Arc

    Kunimi s4-e1-1 Johzenji High's Coach Anabara has invited him and several others to participate in a training camp.[7] During the camp, Hinata, and then later Koganegawa, carefully study Kunimi's plays, much to his displeasure. Throughout the camp, Kunimi continues to put minimal effort into his plays, which causes some frustration among others, but he also shows clever tactics that make up for his lack of effort. At the end of the camp, he tries to help Kindaichi put the events of middle school behind him while promising Hinata that Aoba Johsai will defeat Karasuno the next time they play one another. He follows Karasuno's matches at the Spring Tournament and, at times, comments on how Kindaichi seems to be cheering for Karasuno and for Hinata in particular.

    Kindaichi and Kunimi watch Karasuno's match against Kamomedai together. In the third set, Kamomedai gains a three-point lead, and Kindaichi expresses his distress for Karasuno, telling Hinata to do something, and Kunimi tells him to learn to be specific. Sometime later, Hinata uses his minus tempo attack to get through Kamomedai's blockers, which Kindaichi bursts into laughter about but goes quiet when Kunimi reminds him that he'll be the one to have to face him in the following year.

    Final Arc

    Kunimi appears in the Final Arc when he goes to the game between the Schweiden Adlers and the MSBY Black Jackals with Kindaichi. At the time of the game, Kunimi is a college senior and will be working for a bank in Miyagi the following year. At the end of the game, Kunimi agrees to Kageyama's request to play volleyball with him and Kindaichi.

15. #15Akira Saitō

    Keys: Akira Saitō

    KANJI 斉藤 明 RŌMAJI Saitō Akira CHARACTER INFO GENDER Male STATUS OCCUPATION Coach TEAMS Shiratorizawa Academy DEBUT INFORMATION IN THE MANGA Backup IN THE ANIME Greetings SEIYŪ INFORMATION VOICE ACTOR Kenji Sugimura ENGLISH ACTOR Jovan Jackson IMAGE GALLERY LESS Akira Saitō (Japanese: 斉藤さいとう 明あきら, Saitō Akira) is a coach for Shiratorizawa Academy's boys' volleyball team.

    Appearance

    Saitō has an appearance of slightly darker skin and an average height. He has a shaved head and hair that appears dark in color. He also wears glasses similar to those of Tsukishima, and he is usually seen wearing the Shiratorizawa track suit. Personality

    He appears to be a kind and encouraging person. He occasionally helps Washijō try to explain certain things to his team when the older coach is either in a blind rage or cannot find the right phrasing. He also shows concern and sympathy for Shiratorizawa when they lost in the final round against Karasuno to advance to the Spring Tournament. Background

    It is implied that Saitō and Takaaki Anabara were students together and both played on the same volleyball team in high school.

    He is currently a coach for Shiratorizawa Academy. Plot

    Spring High Preliminary Arc

    Karasuno vs Shiratorizawa

    Saitō is first seen when Shiratorizawa walks onto the court for the Spring Finals. He is seen high-fiving his team when they're announced on the court.

    Throughout the game against Karasuno, he is usually seen commenting on plays from both Karasuno and his team. He also remembers how Karasuno's current coach is Ikkei Ukai's grandson. During the fifth set, he comments on Goshiki's spike, noting how he put some force in the spike to make up for failing to receive Yamaguchi's serve.

    He is seen with an upset expression when Shiratorizawa loses. Saitō, along with Washijō, is seen watching as Ushijima and the other third-years retire from the volleyball team, and also when Ushijima gives the remaining players advice of how they can improve themselves and the team overall.

    Tokyo Nationals Arc

    First Year Training Camp

    Saitō is one of the coaches that helps with the First-Year Training Camp. Like everyone present, Saitō was also surprised that Hinata had crashed the camp. He goes out to a restaurant with Anabara where they both talk about the camp and Hinata having been allowed to stay at the camp as a ball boy. Saitō also comments how he had noticed a change in Washijō during the match between Karasuno and Shiratorizawa. Saitō is absent from the next day's practice due to suffering food poisoning from eating oysters. During the Spring Tournament, Saitō can sometimes be seen watching Karasuno's matches.

    Statistics

    Although he is never shown playing, he is stated to have played when he was in school and is able to accurately teach the players of the boys' volleyball team and the First-Year training camp. Relationships

    Shiratorizawa Academy

    Tanji Washijō: Akira & Washijo-S3-E5 The two appear to have known each other for a few years. Saitō appears to highly respect Washijō but is also very honest with him. Due to having worked with each other for so long, Saitō is able to tell what Washijō attempts to communicate but also notices his emotional changes as well. Johzenji High

    Takaaki Anabara: Saitō and Anabara Anabara and Saitō appear to be good friends. It's been implied that they went to the same high school and played volleyball together.

16. #16Akiteru Tsukishima

    Keys: Akiteru Tsukishima

    KANJI 月島明光 RŌMAJI Tsukishima Akiteru CHARACTER INFO GENDER Male DATE OF BIRTH March 8, 1991 Pre-timeskip Post-timeskip AGE 21* - 2012 HEIGHT 185.2 cm (6' 0.9") WEIGHT 79.5kg (175.3 lbs.) OCCUPATION Office Worker TEAMS Amemaru Middle School (Former) Karasuno High (Former) Kaji Wild Dogs (Former) NUMBER 4 (Amemaru Middle School) POSITION Captain (Amemaru Middle School) (Former) Wing Spiker (Former) BACKGROUND INFORMATION FAMILY Kei Tsukishima (Younger Brother) Unnamed Mother LIKES Wasabi leaves in soy sauce HOME TOWN Miyagi Prefecture HOME COUNTRY Japan DEBUT INFORMATION IN THE MANGA Moonrise IN THE ANIME Moonrise SEIYŪ INFORMATION VOICE ACTOR Takahiro Sakurai ENGLISH ACTOR Clifford Chapin IMAGE GALLERY LESS I want to be in a place where I can do my best until I'm satisfied.

    AKITERU TSUKISHIMA TO HIS BROTHER[1]

    Akiteru Tsukishima (Japanese: 月島つきしま 明光あきてる, Tsukishima Akiteru) is the older brother of Kei Tsukishima. He is an alumnus of Karasuno High.

    As of 2018, he works for a stationary company.

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    He has short, honey-blond hair (dirty blond in the anime) and brown eyes. Akiteru stands at 185.2 cm, just a few centimeters shorter than his younger brother. He also has a medium build with broad shoulders and is a good 11.1kg heavier than his younger brother, despite being shorter.

    He is usually seen wearing t-shirts, hoodies, or jackets with jeans, and in the novel, he wears a suit for work.

    During volleyball practice and matches, Akiteru tapes up all his fingers on both of his hands.

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    Akiteru is kind, cheerful, and friendly. However, he seems to try and avoid worrying about those he cares about with his own burdens or problems, brushing it off with casual lightheartedness, only expressing his frustration or sadness when his back is turned. At one point, it had reached a boiling point during high school.

    Despite this, he's determined and doesn't give up easily, having been described as a "dauntless spirit." He doesn't like letting people down, especially himself and his brother.

    He is very motivational and supportive, and he cares about his loved ones greatly. Akiteru can also be rather perceptive, especially toward his little brother. Akiteru can also be a little bit teasing, but unlike his brother, who's more antagonistic in nature, Akiteru's teasing comes across as playful and good-natured.

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    Akiteru Tsukishima S2E8 Akiteru waves to Kei during a match. In middle school, Akiteru was the captain and the ace of the Amemaru Boys' Volleyball club. While there, he was described as "quite the ace" and appeared to have been well-known in the area for his abilities. He makes the decision to go to Karasuno for high school and join the volleyball club with the intention of defeating Shiratorizawa and making it to the nationals. Akiteru spent his first year staying behind after practice every day, as his goal was to become a first-year regular. He was so dedicated that he would ask his mother to make three bentos for him every day—one for after morning practice, one for lunch, and one for before club activities in the afternoon.

    However, no matter how much Akiteru practiced and worked hard, he never made it as a starting member. Akiteru never gave up, but because of how much his little brother looked up to him, Akiteru couldn't bring himself to tell his little brother the truth and told Kei he was playing in matches. One day, when they were practicing in their backyard, Kei asked if he could come to watch a match, but Akiteru told him he'd get too nervous with Kei watching. Kei then asks what position Akiteru still plays and if it's the same one from middle school. Akiteru tells him, "Yes," and Kei assumes he's the ace because of this. Unable to disappoint his little brother, and maybe fearing losing his little brother's unwavering belief in him, Akiteru goes along with it; however, it is implied that Akiteru believed it to be true that he really could become the ace if he worked hard enough.

    He and Kei would talk about volleyball every day, and Akiteru would tell Kei what the coach had scolded or praised him for that day. Akiteru would also describe matches to Kei in detail.

    But as his high school days go by, Akiteru never gets any closer to being a regular, unbeknownst to Kei. When he comes back from a practice match, he tells Kei he hit a lot of spikes; however, the expression he hides from Kei tells us that Akiteru's frustration and pain, as well as the guilt from having to lie to Kei, are starting to take their toll.

    Akiteru1 Kei discovers Akiteru's secret. On Akiteru's last match of his high school career, Kei secretly showed up to the match with Yamaguchi and another classmate whose brother is also part of Karasuno to support Akiteru; however, Kei was quick to learn the truth and spotted his brother across the court in the bleachers, cheering on the team with the rest of the members that didn't make it as regulars either. Akiteru is horrified that his brother discovered how disgraceful he really was.

    After, Akiteru had an emotional breakdown in his room, tearing his posters and knocking his volleyball trophies from middle school off his shelves, as well as several books and magazines and even the chair at his desk. Kei witnessed Akiteru hunched over on the floor of his room, gripping his Karasuno Volleyball Club jacket and sobbing.

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    Tokyo Expedition Arc

    Akiteru first appears in Tanaka's flashback of his sister talking to him about how Akiteru was on the same team as the Small Giant. Sometime later, as Kei's going through his change, he thinks of Akiteru and the agony he went through in high school. Kei remembers his brother tearing his room apart in anger and reveals that he'd learned from Akiteru's experience to never put in so much effort for a simple sport like volleyball.

    A week after the summer camp ends,[2] the day before the Spring High Preliminaries, Kei comes home from practice to find his brother there. Akiteru comments on how much Kei has grown and how he surpassed him a long time ago. The two go outside to talk, and it's revealed that Kei hasn't spoken to Akiteru in a while because whenever Akiteru is home, Kei holes himself up in his room unless it's mealtime.

    Akiteru asks Kei about his trip to Tokyo and if the camp was rough, which Kei denies, but Akiteru can tell by his expression. Silence then falls between them, and Akiteru starts tossing a volleyball against the backboard of the basketball hoop. Both brother's flashbacks to a moment in the past when Akiteru went along with Kei's assumption of him being the ace while doing exactly what they were doing presently weigh heavy on both of them. Eventually, Kei breaks the silence and asks Akiteru if he's still playing. Akiteru tells him yes and reveals that he has a volleyball team that goes to tournaments as well. Despite Kei not saying anymore, Akiteru knew the real question Kei wanted to ask: "Why are you still playing even though it was like that in high school?" Akiteru explains that despite still feeling frustration whenever he thinks about it and how he can't even see it as a good life lesson, what happened in high school didn't discourage him from volleyball; rather, it only motivated him to continue playing, because he already knew what made volleyball "fun." He tells Kei that he wants to be somewhere where he can give his all until he's satisfied, and Kei smiles at that, making Akiteru smile as well, and the brothers share their first peaceful moment in years.

    Akiteru eventually turns back to Kei and asks about his tournament the next day and is impressed at Kei being a first-year regular, but Kei tells him he believes he's only a regular because of his height. Akiteru quickly scolds him and tells him that his height is something to be proud of and can be an advantage since high school boys are still growing and their plays are imperfect because of this.

    Kei makes a smart comment at this, and Akiteru scolds him again for being un-cute.

    Spring High Preliminary Arc

    Akiteru stays at home with his mother while Kei goes to his preliminary matches. When his mother asks him if Akiteru is okay with not watching Kei play, Akiteru tells her he told Kei he was thinking about going, but Kei gave him a sour look. Akiteru then suddenly remembers something and turns to ask his mother about Kei's glasses.

    TsukishimaAkaizawaS2E14 Akiteru with Akaizawa and Kei. When Kei comes home from his match, Akiteru greets him and asks about how the match went and what the opponents were like. After hearing his brother's almost defeatist attitude towards the first year who was over 2m tall because he believed a loss was inevitable against someone like that, Akiteru invites Kei to practice with his team some time. Kei eventually takes him up on his offer. At the training, Kei goes against Gō Akaizawa who teases him for his weak blocks. Akiteru quickly challenges him and assures him that his brother will be able to block Gō. Kei does succeed, annoying Gō and amazing Akiteru.

    Before the play-offs in October, Akiteru gives Kei sports glasses as a gift and encouraging words. Kei thinks of these before he puts his sports glasses on to play.

    Karasuno vs Shiratorizawa

    Despite Kei telling Akiteru to not attend his matches, the latter sneaks into the Shiratorizawa vs. Karasuno match with a disguise on.[3] Saeko quickly spots him and exposes his disguise though, causing Kei to glare at his brother from the court. Akiteru quickly ducks behind the railings, avoiding Kei's line of view. It's unknown if Kei really did realize Akiteru was there at this time. He then sits with Shimada, Takinoue, Yachi, and Saeko as the teams start to line up and cheer on Karasuno.

    During the announcements for the starting lineups for Shiratorizawa and Karasuno, Saeko calls out Kei's name when he's announced for Akiteru. Akiteru whispers at her to stop, out of fear that his brother might notice him there. As the game starts, Akiteru confirms with the others that Karasuno will have to play five sets, and they start worrying about the team's stamina. Saeko quickly exclaims that they can't lose faith already.

    Kei calls out to Tanaka to receive the ball, but he says it too quietly for Tanaka to hear, resulting in a campfire with him and Asahi. Akiteru scolds Kei to be louder, although it seems as if Akiteru is saying it to himself as he's still trying to not let Kei know he's there.

    Saeko notices Ushijima is left-handed, and Takinoue explains Ushijima's position as an "opposite hitter." Akiteru comments, rather solemnly, that in the past they used to give the title of "Super Ace" to those in Ushijima's position.

    Kei misses a block, and a spectator makes an insulting comment, causing Akiteru to growl and shoot him a dirty look, leaving the spectator surprised that Akiteru even heard him despite being four rows ahead.

    When Saeko expresses concern that a spike from Ushijima is impossible to receive if Nishinoya can't do it, Akiteru explains that it's hard to receive a ball hit by a lefty compared to a righty due to the difference in ball rotation and how the slightest bit of difference will produce a huge shift. When Saeko and Yachi express concern about facing a left-handed spiker with those who are used to "righties," Akiteru tells them that Kei isn't the sort of player who moves on instinct because he doesn't trust in his own strength or senses. Saeko scolds him for saying such a thing about his brother, but Akiteru replies that he means it is an effective way, proudly boasting about his brother's dispassionate personality and how because of that, the only thing Kei trusts is the information he has in front of him.[4]

    When Nishinoya is finally able to receive the ball, Akiteru expresses awe, describing him as amazing. He is also impressed by Daichi's strategy of rebounding off the blocker's hands. When Hinata is rotated onto the court, Akiteru comments that he really is a "small giant," which Saeko corrects as "more like a small giant in the making." Akiteru also expresses disbelief when he witnesses Tendō's blocking ability. Combining that with Ushijima's ability, Akiteru claims Shiratorizawa really does feel like "an opponent beyond all reason." Kei is finally put on the court, and when he blocks Tendō's spike, Akiteru cheers proudly with the others, and again when Kei puts in the final piece of the "total defense" towards the end of the second set. However, he seems to become concerned again when Shiratorizawa catches up and equalizes the score again. Akiteru begins to start noticing a change in Kei's attitude and behavior, although he can't quite put his finger on what it is exactly. Yachi notices his concern and tells Akiteru that Kei seems to be more fired up than usual when he usually acts so cool. Akiteru is inwardly surprised that Kei seems to have other friends at school besides Yamaguchi. Later on, Akiteru becomes impressed when Tanaka performs a block-out and concerned, but just as impressed when Reon made a strong serve at this point in the game like it was nothing. Karasuno gets ahead, and after a timeout, Kageyama messes up the serve, and Akiteru expresses inward concern that if Karasuno loses this set, they'll be in a really tight spot. After seeing Kageyama and Hinata in action in a really improbable situation, he comments that when it comes to things beyond all reason, their own side is no different.

    When Kei manages to block Ushijima for the first time,[5] winning the second set for Karasuno, Akiteru is proud. After Karasuno cheers for and praises Kei, Akiteru bursts into tears. Saeko assumes it's because he's happy his little brother made a block like that, but Akiteru reveals he's happy that Kei is finally fitting in with his team. After he recovers, he notes that Kei was able to block Ushijima because Shirabu's toss was probably off, and Kei was the one who may have caused that disruption, meaning it wasn't a split-second super play like Saeko claimed she thought it was, but something Kei had been planning and anticipating. Yachi then comments on how Kei is smart, so he always seems like he's thinking about things, in both volleyball and life in general. Akiteru apologizes for his younger brother's eccentricities, which others may find weird, but inwardly blames himself for them. However, Yachi adds that just now, Kei must have only been thinking about stopping that one spike singlemindedly, as if he were solving a tricky question on a test. Akiteru thoughtfully agrees, reassured by Yachi's words.

    Shiratorizawa starts well in the 3rd set, and Saeko wonders if they're "revving up again." Akiteru explains that it's more like they've levelled out, returning to their own pace from the fast rhythm Karasuno had pulled them in. Towards the end of the 3rd set, Akiteru overhears a spectator comment that it really is impossible for Karasuno, but he rebuts it, saying Karasuno's offensive power is just as good; the only thing left is pulling off a break somehow.

17. #17Alisa Haiba

    Keys: Alisa Haiba

    KANJI 灰羽 アリサ RŌMAJI Haiba Arisa CHARACTER INFO GENDER Female DATE OF BIRTH April 5, 1993 Pre-timeskip Post-timeskip AGE 19 (Nov 2012) HEIGHT 178.5cm (5' 10.3") WEIGHT 56.5 kg (124.6 lbs.) OCCUPATION College student BACKGROUND INFORMATION FAMILY Lev Haiba (Younger Brother) LIKES Sushi (Sea urchin) HOME TOWN Tokyo HOME COUNTRY Japan DEBUT INFORMATION IN THE MANGA Cats vs. Owls IN THE ANIME Land VS Air SEIYŪ INFORMATION VOICE ACTOR Mao Ichimichi ENGLISH ACTOR Mariam Albishah IMAGE GALLERY LESS Alisa Haiba (Japanese: 灰羽はいば アリサ, Haiba Arisa) is Lev Haiba's older sister. At the time of her introduction, she was a college student.

    As of 2021, she is a model.

    ADVERTISEMENT Appearance

    She is tall with a slender figure and has long, sandy blonde hair. Her green eyes are big and adorned by thick, long lashes. Lev, Yaku, and many others have noted her as being beautiful. She is normally seen wearing stylish clothing and small green earrings.

    Post-timeskip, Alisa has changed her appearance very little but has let her hair grow to a longer length. Personality

    Since the moment of her debut, Alisa has acted as lively and bubbly, but also as innocent, as her brother. She is very supportive of Lev, affectionately referring to him as "Lyovochka" and cheering him on during his matches. It's also been implied that she's a bit of an imaginative romantic, which was shown when she quickly jumped to the conclusion that Akane was in love with Lev.

    However, when seeing her brother make mistakes, Alisa is quick to become embarrassed, usually hiding her face, and feels the need to apologize to those around her for Lev's behavior. She is still supportive of those close to her, as can be seen when she helps Akane stay positive when Yaku was injured and removed from the game against Nohebi. Background

    She is Lev Haiba's older sister and is half-Russian and half-Japanese. She appears to be able to speak some Russian, as she has a Russian pet name for her brother, which is Lyovochka. She also appears to watch some volleyball, as she had used a previous game as an example to help Akane overcome her worry when Yaku had to be removed from the game against Nohebi.[1] Plot

    Spring High Preliminary Arc

    Nekoma vs Fukurōdani

    Akane and Alisa OVA 4-4 Alisa comes to support her brother during Nekoma's match against Fukurōdani Academy in the semifinals of the Spring High playoffs.[2] Standing next to Akane in the bleachers, Alisa calls out to her brother by using his nickname. Akane excitedly asks her about it as the players soon line up, both unaware of Yaku and Yamamoto admiring Alisa's beauty.

    Throughout the match, Alisa cheers on Nekoma and Akane occasionally explains certain events to her. When Lev messes up initially, she hides her face in embarrassment and apologizes to those around her. Lev soon recovers and performs a successful spike, impressing Akane. Alisa watches her admire her brother and mistakes it as infatuation. She begins wondering about what things she and Akane would do as sisters if Akane and Lev were to ever get married. Her thoughts are quickly cut short when Lev sends his serve into the net and Alisa notices Akane's expression at his blunder before apologizing to the crowd on behalf of her brother.

    When Yamamoto deflects a spike off Konoha to put Nekoma in the lead, Alisa praises his abilities, but Akane is more humble about her brother's talent and strength. As the match continues, Alisa begins to notice that Bokuto isn't scoring as much as he did in the early stages of the game. Akane explains that Bokuto is starting to become more concerned about the ground defense and that this is leaving him to be caught by the blockers. Near the middle of the second set, she watches as Akaashi unleashes a plan that allows Bokuto to return to peak condition.

    Despite Nekoma trying their best, Alisa watches as Fukurōdani eventually claims victory.

    Nekoma vs Nohebi

    Alisa stays for Nekoma's match against Nohebi Academy and gets more involved with the cheering squad Akane leads. Like most of the spectators, Alisa is initially tricked by Nohebi's false sportsmanship and worries for Nekoma after seeing the members fall behind their opponents. However, she soon starts to realize that there's something wrong with the game.

    When Yaku gets switched out due to an ankle injury, Akane sadly remarks that Yaku is one of the most important players on the team and this is his last chance to get into nationals. Alisa replies with a story of her own about how she watched on TV a match at the Nationals one year where an ace was injured and was subbed out. Despite that, his team still won, leaving a deep impression on her. This shows how hope and possibility are both born from bad luck and misfortune, cheering Akane up.[1]

    Nekoma wins in the end and Lev calls out to Alisa from the court. As the players line up, she cries happily with Akane.[3]

    Tokyo Nationals Arc

    Nekoma vs Sarukawa Tech

    Group s4-e25-3 Alisa mostly appears in the stands, supporting the team during the game. She does show worry when Nekoma is struggling with Sarukawa's method of trying to wear down Kenma. When Nekoma eventually wins the match, Alisa and Akane excitedly celebrate. After the match, Alisa and Akane go out and accidentally stay out longer than planned. Due to this, the two bump into Saeko and Akane begins a rivalry with the older woman.[4]

    Nekoma vs Karasuno

    Alisa attends Nekoma's match against Karasuno. As she helps set up Nekoma's banner, she is spotted by Takinoue who refers to her as a model before questioning if she is related to someone on Nekoma's team.

    Alisa is taken by surprise at seeing Hinata's quick attack. Akane explains to her that the attack was at a minus tempo but is unable to continue her explanation, causing Alisa to think that Akane is trying to hold back her emotions from seeing Lev not being able to stop the attack. Later, when Lev's serve goes into the net, Alisa apologizes to those around her in embarrassment. She later greatly cheers for her brother when he is able to score a spike past Kageyama and Tsukishima. After Kuroo is able to tie the score by blocking Tanaka's spike, Alisa learns from Akane that Lev's serve, while still shaky, was aimed at Hinata to keep him from attacking.

    In the second set, Alisa and Akane celebrate when Lev executes a perfect back attack, but Alisa is once again embarrassed when Lev sends his second serve out-of-bounds. When Hinata is able to receive Yamamoto's spike and win the set, Alisa is stunned like many others and then tries to cheer up Akane when the younger girl is upset that Hinata was able to win the set by making a receive. When Karasuno has reached match point, Alisa watches as Lev is able to block Hinata's direct spike attempt with a tearful expression.

    When Nekoma loses the match, Alisa is seen tearfully clapping for the team. Afterwards, Alisa and Akane go to a restaurant and are seated along with some of the Karasuno supporters. Alisa does not appear too upset about Nekoma's loss but does appear joyful when she witnesses Saeko help Akane overcome her distress.[5]

    Final Arc

    Like Lev, Alisa has become a model. Her final appearance is on a billboard in Shibuya advertising perfume.[6]

    Statistics

    High School Statistics Power

    3/5 Jumping

    3/5 Stamina

    3/5 Game Sense

    2/5 Technique

    2/5 Speed

    1/5 She doesn't seem to have a lot of experience with volleyball and has to rely on Akane's explanations to understand Nekoma's tactics. However, she has indicated that she possibly watches some volleyball when she recalls a past game to inspire Akane.[1] Relationships

    Family/Nekoma High

    Lev Haiba: Alisa and Lev are very close and seem to have similar personalities, though Alisa's quieter and more delicate with her gestures. She seems to be used to her brother messing up during plays and gets embarrassed every time he does, apologizing frantically to those around her. Akane Yamamoto: Akane and Alisa OVA 5-2 It's unknown if they've known each other before the Spring High, but they appear to be good friends despite the age gap. Alisa acts as an older sister and cheers up Akane whenever something happens to Nekoma, but Akane is the one who explains the techniques used in the matches. When Alisa thought Akane liked her brother, she accepted it happily and thought of ways they could bond if they became in-laws one day. Nekoma High: Alisa is acquainted with most of the members but doesn't appear to be close with any of them. Both Yaku and Yamamoto find her to be attractive, but it's unknown what the others think of her. At one point in the match against Nohebi,[7] Alisa excitedly cheered on Taketora with Akane by calling him "oni-chan."

18. #18Aoi Himekawa

    Keys: Aoi Himekawa

    KANJI 姫川 葵 RŌMAJI Himekawa Aoi CHARACTER INFO GENDER Male DATE OF BIRTH January 19th, 1997 STATUS AGE 16 (2013) HEIGHT 173.2 cm (5' 8.2") WEIGHT 61.5 kg (135.6 lbs) OCCUPATION High School Student (1st Year, Class 5) TEAMS Tsubakihara Academy NUMBER 14 (High School 1st Year) POSITION Wing Spiker Pinch Server BACKGROUND INFORMATION LIKES Tekkadon HOME TOWN Kanagawa Prefecture HOME COUNTRY Japan DEBUT INFORMATION IN THE MANGA Offense and Defense IN THE ANIME A Chance to Connect SEIYŪ INFORMATION VOICE ACTOR Yūki Inoue ENGLISH ACTOR Ry McKeand IMAGE GALLERY LESS Being nervous simply means that you desperately want to be able to show the fruits of your labor.

    AOI HIMEKAWA TO HIMSELF

    Aoi Himekawa (Japanese: 姫川ひめかわ 葵あおい, Himekawa Aoi) is a first-year student of Tsubakihara Academy. He plays as a wing spiker and pinch server for the Boys' Volleyball Team.

    ADVERTISEMENT Appearance

    Himekawa has a gentle face with large dark eyes and an average build. He appears to have short light brown hair. He wears Tsubakihara's uniform with the number 14 on it. He also wears knee pads and the Tsubakihara headband around his forehead.

    ADVERTISEMENT Personality

    Himekawa seems to be a timid and shy person, similar to Yamaguchi. He is hardworking and wants to improve his skills. Though he's passionate about his abilities, he's also considerate of others and was initially afraid to play due to sympathy for an upperclassman he was replacing. Plot

    Tokyo Nationals Arc

    Himekawa is one of the reserves during Tsubakihara's match against Karasuno. He is startled after seeing Coach Ōsado gesturing for him. Soon enough, Himekawa is subbed in as a pinch server, in place of Iwamuro, after Karasuno has already reached set point for the first set. Himekawa steps onto the court, visibly nervous, and draws sympathy from Karasuno's pinch servers, Yamaguchi and Kinoshita.[1]

    Himekawa s4-e11-2 Before he serves, Himekawa attempts to calm himself but struggles after realizing that their regular pinch server, Tsukioka, is watching. He begins worrying about messing up and quickly tells himself to instead think of this as an opportunity to prove himself. After the referee blows the whistle, Himekawa does an unexpected underhand serve but hits the ball wrong and drives the ball into the back of Teradomari's head, earning Karasuno the final point to win the first set.[2]

    The crowd starts to laugh at the botched serve as several spectators suspect that Himekawa would be having nightmares of this moment for the rest of his life. Himekawa attempts to apologize to his teammates for his error and is surprised to see that his teammates do not hold grudges against him. Echigo tries but fails to hold back his laughter at Teradomari's misfortune. Teradomari grows flustered and warns Himekawa to hit someone else if he messed up his serve again. Meanwhile, the others reflect on their own subpar serves during the first set.[2]

    Shortly after the match resumes and reaches the midway point, Ōsado calls Himekawa to get ready to be subbed back in to serve. Before going in, Tsukioka glares at him and tells Himekawa not to worry about him as he feels confident that they will make it to the next round where he can have the chance to play and says that Himekawa should make the best of the chance he has now.

    While Himekawa waits to be subbed in, Ōsado tells him to think about pinch-serving as a low-risk high-reward opportunity. He assures Himekawa that the team will not blame him if he messes up, but Himekawa will become a hero if he scores. Ōsado encourages Himekawa to succeed and reminds him that he has a big ally. Himekawa steps onto the court more composed and determined than before.

    Himekawa s4-e11-5 Himekawa uses an underhand serve once more and executes a perfect ceiling serve. The Karasuno players are forced to look up and find themselves blinded by the ceiling lights. As a result, Daichi fails to receive the ball properly. Himekawa scores a service ace for Tsubakihara, and his teammates happily celebrate. Himekawa recalls his coach's words and realizes that the stadium ceiling is his biggest ally.

    On his second ceiling serve, both Daichi and Asahi call for the ball but hesitate when they saw the other moving to receive. The hesitation allows the ball to land and gives Himekawa another service ace.[3] However, at his third serve, Asahi is able to get the ball up. Despite this, Himekawa is able to dig Daichi's tip when Maiko and Atema attempted to block him. Teradomari spikes past Hinata and Daichi to keep Tsubakihara in the lead. Karasuno calls a time-out to regroup. Meanwhile, Tsubakihara is invigorated by Himekawa's service aces and feels the momentum is on their side. Himekawa receives encouragement from Tsukioka to land another serve.

    Once the match resumes, Himekawa is determined to continue his serve streak. However, he is quickly intimidated after noticing the composure of the Karasuno defenders. He pulls off another ceiling serve. However, this time, the serve flies toward Karasuno's reliable libero, Nishinoya, who cleanly receives the serve with ease. Karasuno immediately goes on the offensive with their synchronized attack. Himekawa is overwhelmed by the sheer number of attackers and stands frozen in place while Asahi slams the ball down right next to him. Himekawa stares at Karasuno in awe as he personally experiences the caliber of a team at nationals. Now that his serve streak has ended, Himekawa is subbed out for Iwamuro. As he leaves the court, Echigo tells him to prepare for a possible upcoming third set. However, this would not come to pass as Karasuno claims victory and removes Tsubakihara from the tournament.

19. #19Aran Ojiro

    Keys: Aran Ojiro

    KANJI 尾白 アラン RŌMAJI Ojiro Aran CHARACTER INFO GENDER Male DATE OF BIRTH April 4, 1994 Pre-timeskip Post-timeskip AGE 18 (Jan 2013) HEIGHT 184.7 cm (6' 0.7") WEIGHT 80.2 kg (176.8 lbs.) OCCUPATION High School Student (3rd Year, Class 5) - 2012 TEAMS Inarizaki High (Former) NUMBER 4 (High School 3rd Year) POSITION Outside Hitter Ace On-Court Captain BACKGROUND INFORMATION FAMILY Unnamed Younger Brother[1] LIKES Ritz Crackers HOME TOWN Hyōgo Prefecture HOME COUNTRY Japan DEBUT INFORMATION IN THE MANGA Day 2 IN THE ANIME The Second Day (Episode) SEIYŪ INFORMATION VOICE ACTOR Jun Kasama Sayaka Fukui (Young) ENGLISH ACTOR Camryn Nunley IMAGE GALLERY LESS Aran Ojiro (Japanese: 尾白おじろ アラン, Ojiro Aran), also romanized as Alan Ojiro, was a third-year student at Inarizaki High School. He played as the wing spiker and ace for the volleyball team. He was known as one of the top five aces in Japan.

    As of November 2018, he is an outside hitter for the Tachibana Red Falcons, a professional volleyball team in Division 1 of Japan's V.League. He is also a member of Japan's National Volleyball Team and participated in the 2021 Olympics.

    Appearance

    Aran has a dark-brown clean-cut and thick eyebrows. He's fairly tall and has a muscular, athletic build. His eyes are almond shaped and have foxlike pupils. In the manga, his eyes are colored gold/brown and in the anime, they're a greyish green.

    Post-timeskip, Aran is slightly taller and now appears to have a short goatee. Personality

    Aran is shown to be a mature, third-year student. Despite his mature appearance, Aran is often stuck dealing with his teammates' antics and, as such, is roped into playing a "tsukkomi"—straight man—like in mansai comedy routines, as he reacts to whoever is acting as the "boke," or funny man; he is always quick to react to nonsensical things his teammates say with comebacks, such as "What does that even mean?!"

    Aran believes that you don't need logic to feel things such as happiness, and he's quick to snap that at Kita when he wonders whether him becoming the captain is just a side effect of his everyday actions or is a result, saying that "You don't need a reason to feel what you feel, if you're happy you're happy, and that's that."

    While Aran is known for being mature and levelheaded most of the time, he is shown to occasionally become too fired-up when playing in a match which tends to result in him rushing a play or putting too much power into an attack. Despite this, he does show that he can quickly calm himself when he is getting too riled up.

    It's also shown that Aran makes references to old movies or series, as seen in his introduction post-timeskip when he makes a joke about Sazae-san, an animated TV series from 1969. Background

    Around fifth grade, Aran took part in a volleyball workshop where he first met the Miya brothers, Osamu and Atsumu, who were both fourth graders at that time. He had overheard them talking of how they thought he was cool but quickly heard that they actually thought his foreign sounding name was cool. Over the years, Aran would witness the competitive nature of the Miya twins though admits that Atsumu seemed to be the more frightening one of the two. Plot

    Tokyo Nationals Arc

    Aran s4-e13-1 Aran plays in the match between Inarizaki and Karasuno as the court captain. During Karasuno's meeting the night prior to the match, Ukai states that Aran is Inarizaki's top scorer who, like Bokuto, is one of the top five aces in the nation but is able to surpass that when he is on top of his game.

    During the warmups, Aran's power is witnessed by the Karasuno team though Aran himself is amazed at seeing how high Hinata is able to jump. He assists in joining Osamu and Suna in trying to block Hinata only to be completely surprised when Hinata forgets to hit the ball. Aran is the first person that Atsumu sets to in the game and he is able to score right away though reveals that Atsumu's set caught him off-guard. Aran next tries to block Hinata when he does a wide broad attack but is unable to block in time. For his first serve of the game, Aran is able to land a no-touch service ace. His second serve is received by Tanaka and cut off when Hinata is able to score. When Atsumu and Osamu were able to pull off Hinata and Kageyama's super quick, Aran states that this was done due to the faith the twins have in each other though Osamu would silently disagree.

    Aran next tries to receive Asahi's serve but is unable to receive properly and seems to start a rivalry with Karasuno's ace. When Yamaguchi is later sent in as a pinch server, Aran is targeted by the first-year in order to try to keep the ace contained. Though Aran was unable to pick up the first jump float, he was able to receive the second one and Inarizaki is able to stop Yamaguchi. Late in the set, Aran attempts to score past a triple block but Karasuno's blockers are able to get the ball in the air before Kageyama tries to push the ball over the net and past Aran. However, Akagi is able to save the ball and Aran is given the chance to spike again. He gets past Tanaka and Tsukishima but Asahi makes a receive with his shoulder. On his third attempt, Aran is finally able to land a spike.

    When Sugawara is subbed in when Tsukishima is up-to-serve, Aran becomes the target of Sugawara's serves. It is revealed that Karasuno would use certain serves to target Aran with the plan of wearing down his knees. Sugawara's first serve succeeds in getting Aran to drop to one knee to make the receive and therefore keeps him from joining the attack. Kageyama then forces Aran to make the first touch when the setter sets the ball directly at him. Despite this, Aran still calls for the set. His spike is blocked but the ball landed out-of-bounds. Coach Ōmi calls out to Aran to keep his composure.

    During another rally when Aran is preparing to get another set, Ukai is aware that when Aran becomes hyperaware of the opposing blockers or lets himself get a little agitated, his play becomes affected. It's at this point that Aran puts too much power into his cross shot and the ball lands out. He makes up for this lost point in the next rally when Osamu sets to him and he lands his spike past Karasuno's blockers. When Osamu misses his serve, Aran scolds Atsumu for it due to 'spouting garbage'.

    When Asahi mistakenly touches the net during a block, Kita is sent onto the court and Aran is brought. Shimada guesses this is due to Inarizaki guessing that they have the second set practically in the bag and they want to rest their ace for the third set. In a brief flashback, Aran is shown trying to help Kita understand that he does need to concern himself with every small detail and to better understand his feelings only to be surprised when Kita laughs. Aran returns to the game in the third set. He accidentally sends his first serve of the set directly at Nishinoya, thus allowing Hinata to spike and end Aran's serve.

    Group s4-e21-4 In a flashback, Aran is revealed to have met the Miya twins when he was in fifth grade and the twins were in fourth grade. Aran first felt flattered when he overheard the twins talking about how cool he is only to learn that they thought his foreign sounding name was cool, then becoming annoyed when they tried to give themselves foreign sounding names. Over the years, he would come to know the twins, their behavior towards each other and others, and witness several fights they would get into as well as seeing that Atsumu had more drive when it came to volleyball than Osamu.

    At one point, Aran nearly lands a powerful spike but Hinata surprises everyone when he is able to receive the spike, though Inarizaki would eventually get the point for themselves.[2] For majority of the rest of the set, Aran mostly partakes in serves, spikes, and blocks. When Inarizaki eventually loses the game, Aran is shown simply looking exhausted and does not show much emotions.

    As the team was heading to the changing area, Aran listens as Kita scolds the twins for trying to apologize in how quickly their time at the tournament ended while the captain himself is only upset that he can no longer boast of how amazing his teammates are. Hearing this, Aran becomes emotional.

    Final Arc

    Schweiden Adlers vs MSBY Black Jackal

    Aran and Kita make an appearance when Inarizaki beats Karasuno in the Spring Tournament. In 2018, Aran has become an outside hitter for the Tachibana Red Falcons, a Division 1 team of Japan's V-League. He later joins the Japan's Men's National team for the 2021 Olympics and is seen scolding Atsumu on television.

    A Party Reignited

    Aran is shown participating in the All Stars match as part of Team A.

20. #20Aritaka Shishio

    Keys: Aritaka Shishio

    KANJI 鹿尾 有敬 RŌMAJI Shishio Aritaka CHARACTER INFO GENDER Male STATUS AGE 39 TEAMS Sarukawa Tech High POSITION Coach BACKGROUND INFORMATION HOME TOWN Ishikawa Prefecture HOME COUNTRY Japan DEBUT INFORMATION IN THE MANGA Meanwhile, the Laziest Cat... IN THE ANIME Cats vs. Monkeys SEIYŪ INFORMATION VOICE ACTOR Kentarō Tone ENGLISH ACTOR Cyrus Rodas IMAGE GALLERY LESS Aritaka Shishio (Japanese: 鹿尾ししお 有敬ありたか, Shishio Aritaka) is the coach for Sarukawa Tech High's Boys' Volleyball Club.

    Appearance

    Shishio is one of the younger coaches known throughout the series. He has thick eyebrows and short, dark spiky hair. Personality

    Shishio seems like a reliable person. Additionally, he was able to put his team's spirits back up as Nekoma was gaining an advantage. Background

    Not much is known about Shishio's background, but he was a former trainee of Nekomata, which is thought to be the origin of Sarukawa Tech High's tight defense.[1] Plot

    Shishio is first shown when the announcers praise Sarukawa's great defense and speculates it may be because of him being a former trainee of Nekomata's. Soon later, Shishio refers back to Sarukawa's strategy of making Kenma a liability through tiring him out since he would most likely not fall to mental pressure. Shishio then remembers that Nekomata always gives defense the most important role, so targeting the setter would be the wiser choice. Following Nekoma's victory, Shishio shakes hands with Nekomata and praises his former teacher for sharpening his team's skills so greatly. Relationships

    Nekoma High

    Yasufumi Nekomata: Shishio was a former student of Nekomata's. Although their interactions are minimal throughout the match, after Nekoma wins, Shishio praises his former mentor for his team so it can be assumed that they always had a good relationship.

21. #21Asahi Azumane

    Keys: Asahi Azumane

    KANJI 東峰 旭 RŌMAJI Azumane Asahi CHARACTER INFO ALSO KNOWN AS The Revived Ace Negative Goatee (By Kōshi Sugawara) Maneazu (By Bokuto) Beard-kun (by Oikawa) Goatee Guy "Big Gun" Samurai Guy Man Bun (by various in anime) GENDER Male DATE OF BIRTH January 1, 1995 Pre-timeskip Post-timeskip AGE 17 - 18 (High School 3rd Year) - 2012 HEIGHT 184.7 cm (6' 0.7") - Apr 2012 186.4 cm (6' 1.4") - Nov 2012 WEIGHT 75.2 kg (165.8 lbs.) OCCUPATION High School Student (3rd Year, Class 3) - 2012 TEAMS Sekodai Junior High (Former) Karasuno High NUMBER 10 (High School 1st Year) 3 (High School 3rd Year) POSITION Outside Hitter Ace BACKGROUND INFORMATION FAMILY Unnamed Older Sister[1] GOAL To not give up To not cause inconvenience to the team Possess the self-awareness of an ace LIKES Volleyball Tonkotsu Ramen HOME TOWN Miyagi Prefecture HOME COUNTRY Japan DEBUT INFORMATION IN THE MANGA Storm (briefly seen) The One Known as the Ace (proper) IN THE ANIME He Who Is Called "Ace" SEIYŪ INFORMATION VOICE ACTOR Yoshimasa Hosoya ENGLISH ACTOR Orlanders Jones IMAGE GALLERY LESS Volume 3 Chapter 21 and Season 1 Episode 9

    TO STRIKE PAST ALL OBSTACLES...THAT'S THE ACE!

    Asahi Azumane (Japanese: 東峰あずまね 旭あさひ, Azumane Asahi) was a third-year student at Karasuno High. He was a wing spiker and ace for the boys' volleyball club.

    As of 2018, he is working as an apparel designer in Tokyo.

    ADVERTISEMENT Appearance

    He has long hair which is usually styled as a bun behind his head and dark brown eyes matching his hair as well as his eyebrows. He also appears to be growing a short scruff on his chin. His overall appearance makes him look older than he is which causes others to be afraid to approach him because of his intimidating appearance.

    In Season 2, he is shown wearing his hair in a loose bun in addition with a sports hairband, which had been suggested to him by Kiyoko. In the Spring High Nationals arc, Asahi reverts back to wearing his hair in a high bun. Due to the animation style change in Season 4, Asahi's eyes are more lidded; similar to Ennoshita.

    Post-timeskip, Asahi's hair is still slightly past shoulder length, but he now wears it down. He also wears red framed glasses.[2] Personality

    In contrast to his appearance, Asahi is rather quiet and gentle and has difficulties accepting that he is Karasuno's ace, as he initially doesn't see himself as the ace. Asahi is said to have a "Glass Heart", taking everything that is said about him to heart, and becoming depressed because of it at times. He shows to be weak-willed at the beginning when he leaves the team before the first-years joined the team as he felt that he let down his entire team when they lost against Date Tech even though the team thought otherwise.

    After coming back to Karasuno, he realizes that his will and desire to play volleyball is much stronger than he thought, and with the help of his teammates, he acknowledges his position as Karasuno's ace, even though he is still mocked sometimes by Daichi for not having any "ace-like presence", and gains self-confidence. While he still feels insecure about a lot of things and seems to be quite a scaredy-cat, he clearly states that he has no intention of letting anyone take his ace position away from him in later chapters, showing his development from the beginning. Background

    Asahi attended Seikoudai Junior High where he played as a wing spiker. Even before he entered Karasuno, he already had a reputation of spiking like a high schooler.[3]

    Asahi is known as Karasuno's ace, but there was a time when he pushed away his title. During the Karasuno vs Date Tech match back during his second-year, all of his spikes were blocked, causing Asahi to feel disappointed in himself and blame himself for his team's loss. One night, as the team was closing up the gym, Asahi asked his teammates why they weren't blaming him, angering Nishinoya.

    Asahi storming off Asahi storms off after breaking the broom. The libero said that he wouldn't blame Asahi if he couldn't score, but he would not forgive him if he would give up so easily. As they were arguing, Nishinoya pushed Asahi backwards and Asahi broke a broom by stepping on it. Even now, the broom is still in the storage room.

    The next day Asahi didn't come to practice and Nishinoya approached him by Asahi's classroom. They started arguing again and this time, Nishinoya broke a vase in front of the vice principal's office, causing him to get a one week suspension from school and one month break from club activities. Asahi decided to leave the team.[4]

    A month later, Kageyama and Hinata convinced him to rejoin the team after much persistence, mostly from Hinata. Since then, Asahi has accepted his position as the Karasuno Volleyball Team's Ace. Plot

    Karasuno High Team Formation Arc

    Asahi and Nishinoya's Return

    Asahi isn't mentioned until Nishinoya arrives and asks if Asahi had returned to the club. When Daichi says he hasn't come back, Nishinoya storms out, saying "a coward will remain a coward". Nishinoya agrees to come back to practice but says that he won't play until Asahi returns. When Kageyama and Hinata ask Nishinoya who Asahi is, he says that he was the Ace of Karasuno, or should be. Later, Sugawara approaches him and tells him that Nishinoya has returned — and he asks him to return as well. When leaving his classroom along with Sugawara, he comes across Kageyama and Hinata and tells them to do their best. When they ask him why he doesn't return despite being the Ace, he replies by saying "Sorry, I'm no Ace", and leaves. When Kageyama asks Sugawara if Asahi injured himself, he replies by saying that Asahi started to grow away from volleyball after he wasn't able to score against Date Tech High and lost all his self-confidence.

    The next day, when Kageyama and Hinata once again approach Asahi to implore him to come back to the club, he asks why they are so persistent on him returning. Hinata says that he wants to see the real Ace of Karasuno in action and says the upperclassmen aren't satisfied without Asahi. Asahi replies by saying he isn't able to get past high blocks anymore. When Hinata describes he's now able to get past high blocks with the help of Kageyama, Asahi is tempted to return and recalls how he used to feel while playing volleyball. When Hinata and Kageyama are about to leave, Kageyama tells Asahi that even he recently realized that volleyball doesn't depend on one player, but on the team of six players.

    Haikyuu8 As Asahi leaves school that day, he stops by the gym and sees Kageyama and Hinata practicing. He stares at his hand and realizes how much he misses volleyball. He overhears Hinata and Kageyama speaking about their upcoming match with Nekoma High School, and when Asahi expresses his surprise, Daichi catches him loitering. When Daichi asks him to return, Asahi says what might Nishinoya and Sugawara think, to which Daichi replies by saying they'll keep quiet about it, and if he still loves volleyball, that's reason enough for Asahi to return. Later, when Asahi thinks about it while sitting in a grassy area, he gets up, hinting that he has made a decision.

    On the day of the Neighborhood Association scrimmage, Hinata catches sight of Asahi peering through the gym window, and Ukai angrily asks him what position he plays. Surprised, Asahi answers that he is a wing spiker and Ukai tells him to play for the Neighborhood Association team as they're short a player. Sugawara feels more confident when Asahi returns and joins the Neighborhood Association's side, just so that he can toss to Asahi again. After a few minutes of the match, Asahi realizes how dependable and mature Sugawara has become in his absence. In a flashback it is revealed how Nishinoya and Asahi fought when Asahi, frustrated, asks why none of them are blaming him for not scoring points during the Date Tech match. Nishinoya yells at him, just as frustrated, and got suspended the next day after pushing the Vice Principal over at the news that Asahi was leaving the team.

    During the practice game against the Neighborhood Association, Asahi tells Nishinoya that no matter how many times he gets blocked, he will still try to score points. He tries to score with sheer force and is still blocked. He's visibly disappointed at being blocked, but Nishinoya saves the ball at the last second and says that as long as he is there, Asahi doesn't need to worry about the blocks. The ball goes up in the air and Sugawara is unable to decide who to toss to, despite the fact that Kageyama tells Sugawara to toss to Asahi until he can score. When somebody else calls for the ball, Asahi finds his resolve, calling loudly for Sugawara to toss him the ball while telling himself that he is not fighting alone — and that he is indeed the Ace of Karasuno. Sugawara tosses to him, and he smashes it with all his power, causing everyone on the court to be shocked and amazed by his prowess. During the match, Asahi watches Hinata and Kageyama's quick and realizes that Hinata wasn't exaggerating about Kageyama's tosses.

    Hinata and Asahi s1-e10-1 After a while, Asahi scores the final point, and wins the match for the Neighborhood Association. After the match, Hinata approaches Asahi and says that he'll create the pathway for the ace and become the strongest decoy. Asahi replies that no matter what anyone's position is, the player whom the enemies fear the most is the coolest, and Hinata happily agrees. Asahi nervously adds that he'll do his best too, if he's allowed back into the team. Sugawara laughs at him and Daichi remarks that they finally have their libero and ace back.

    Nekoma Practice Match

    Asahi makes the first receive of the match. When it is too short, Nishinoya scolds him that those are the results after slacking off for a month. After smashing past Nekoma's defense, Nekomata becomes impressed at Karasuno's foundation. In the second set, Hinata apologizes for failing his every attempt to open his eyes when doing his quick set. Despite this, Tanaka is supporting of his junior and assures that he and Asahi would carry his weight. Near the end of the second set, Asahi is rotated in the front row, which makes Nekomata slightly worry because of his intimidating appearance for a high schooler. Nekomata's worry is not proven to have been useless once Asahi's spike turns it a free ball as Yaku struggles to bump it well.

    Shibayama Asahi s1 e13 After the match, he attempts to help first-year Shibayama take down the net equipment but the younger teen was instantly terrified by Asahi's presence that he didn't notice the third-year was trying to help him and tried to do it all himself. Their interaction is noted by Daichi to look like a kidnapper and a scared child.

    Interhigh Arc

    Karasuno vs Tokonami

    Karasuno's match against Tokonami goes by relatively quick and Karasuno is able to win with little trouble. Early in the match, Asahi overhears people in the stands comment how he must be an adult playing against teenagers or must have been held back several years. Sugawara had attempted to help the ace ignore the comments.

    Karasuno vs Date Tech

    Haikyuu17 Prior to Karasuno's game against Tokonami, the team had encountered Date Tech and Asahi was right away targeted by Aone. Though he had put on a brave appearance at the time, Asahi shows to be nervous about facing the team again. He does not stand out much during most of the first set due to Hinata and Kageyama gaining Date Tech's caution with their super quick attack. However, when Karasuno is at set point and Aone had tried to block Hinata, Asahi is able to score the winning point for the first set.

    Before the second set, Ukai reveals that he will be moving the rotation two places ahead in order to keep Hinata from being paired against Aone. Asahi talks about how they shouldn't always rely on Hinata's role as the decoy in order to score and he will do more to play like the team ace. Back on the court, he apologizes to Tsukishima as the new rotation means that he will be faced against Aone more than anyone else though Tsukishima does not seem bothered by this as he claims that the blockers will not pay such close attention to him and instead have put all their attention on the ace.

    Asahi is able to score Karasuno's first point of the second set even though Aone was nearly able to stop him after having jumped to block when he thought Hinata would get the set. Halfway into the second set, Asahi tells Tsukishima that his role as a blocker for Karasuno is as important as when Hinata and Kageyama can manage their quick attack, stating that being able to defend so well against Date Tech is an amazing thing to do and will help lead the team to victory.

    The last half of the second set starts to put pressure on Asahi when the Date Tech blockers are able to start blocking him more. Asahi is still determined not to let the Iron Wall break him again. Near the end of the set, Aone beats Asahi in a joust at the net but because Nishinoya was able to save the ball with his foot and give Karasuno another chance to attack, Asahi is able to make his spike count and win the match for Karasuno.

    Karasuno vs Aoba Johsai

    Early in the first set, Asahi mostly is seen receiving or looking ready to attack. He eventually is able to deflect a spike off Kunimi's arm. Later, Asahi is unable to receive several of Kindaichi's serves and realizes the Seijoh first year was aiming for the spot where the setter would move from the back row to the front. He is able to get the receive up and to Kageyama. He then is mostly seen trying to receive and block for a while until he is able to save a set that Tsukishima was unable to spike.

    After Sugawara was subbed into the game to allow Kageyama to cool down, Asahi attempts a back attack but Hanamaki is able to receive the spike. Shortly before Sugawara is taken out of the game, Asahi asks for the next set with the promise that he will make his next spike count. He is able to keep his promise when he scores past Kindaichi.

    Half-way into the third set, Asahi is able to bring the score to a tie after Kageyama nearly gave the set to Hinata. Like his team, Asahi is surprised when Aoba Johsai suddenly stops marking Hinata when he attempts his wide broad attack and is stunned with Oikawa lands a setter dump during their hesitation. He and Kageyama would later hesitate to make a receive and barely get the ball back over to Seijoh's side. When Yamaguchi is subbed into the game when Hinata is up to serve, Asahi tries to assure the first year to take it easy though he himself is incredibly nervous for Tadashi since he's going into an official game for the first time and is sure to be on edge. After Yamaguchi's serve failed to go over the net, Asahi felt himself more at ease and began to play like usual.

    When Karasuno eventually lost the match, Asahi is seen being upset and later, with Daichi and Sugawara, questions what they will do now that Karasuno is out of the tournament. At the dinner Ukai treats the team to, Asahi begins crying like the others.

    Loss and Decisions

    Haikyuu25 After Karasuno lost to Aoba Johsai, Asahi reveals that he would be planning to stay on the team instead of retiring like most other third-years. When Daichi believes he should retire from the team and let the second-years take over, Asahi confesses that he does not intend to go to college after high school and will continue with the club but would leave if the second and first-years asked him to. Takeda spoke with him and the other third-years about whether they should stay with the team or not as they may want to use the time to plan for their futures.

    Asahi ultimately decides to stay on the team with the shared hope of making it to the Spring Tournament. Not long after informing the rest of the team that the third-years will continue to stay, they learn from Ukai that Shiratorizawa Academy beat Aoba Johsai in the final round of the Interhigh. With the Spring Tournament now taking place in January instead of March, the third-years will be able to have one last chance to make it to the tournament but they and the team realize they need to first beat Shiratorizawa and Seijoh in order to get there.[5] As if to help, Takeda rushes into the gym to announce that Karasuno has been invited to the training camps help by the Fukurōdani Academy Group thanks to Coach Nekomata. Now having more teams to practice against in order to better themselves, the players are faced with the more pressing concern of passing all of their final exams in order to make it to the camp.

22. #22Asuka Hirama

    Keys: Asuka Hirama

    KANJI 平間 あすか RŌMAJI Hirama Asuka CHARACTER INFO ALSO KNOWN AS Yuko GENDER Female STATUS OCCUPATION High School Student BACKGROUND INFORMATION HOME COUNTRY Japan DEBUT INFORMATION IN THE MANGA Vs. the Great King: Part 2 IN THE ANIME Oikawa Tōru is not a Genius SEIYŪ INFORMATION VOICE ACTOR Ai Kakuma ENGLISH ACTOR Katelyn Barr IMAGE GALLERY LESS Asuka Manaka (Japanese: 平間 あすか, Hirama Asuka) is a minor character in the Haikyū!! series.

    Appearance

    Hirama has dark hair and metallic blue eyes. She is usually seen wearing comfortable clothing. Personality

    She is one of Oikawa's many fans and often cheers for him during his plays. Since she doesn't know volleyball very well, she gratefully accepts when someone offers an explanation of things that take place. She will also give genuine support to other teams when she sees that they put in a great deal of effort into their plays. Background

    Plot

    First appearing during Seijoh's first match against Karasuno, Hirama is joined by Manaka Ujiie and another friend is cheering for Oikawa.

    When Kindaichi began scoring points with his serves, Hirama questioned how he was able to do this since Kindaichi did not appear as strong a server as Oikawa. Takinoue offered to explain by informing them how the setter, Kageyama, has to be positioned a bit further forward than the others in the back row. When the serve takes place and he moves to set, he unintentionally causes confusion when someone goes to receive the ball where he just was. Even though the play can become predictable, it sometimes will be too late by that point.

    About halfway into the second set, Hirama and Ujiie ask for Takinoue's help in understanding time limits and score differences when they notice how the plays and scores have been going back and forth. The match eventually moves into the third set, and Hirama continues to support Oikawa as he plays. When Watari performs a libero set, Hirama comments on his good skills, but Takinoue points out that Watari's setting skills are more impressive than they suspect. He then details all of the restrictions Libero players have to follow but specifically mentions how Liberos are able to set so long as it is behind the attack line; otherwise, it is not allowed.

23. #23Atsumu Miya

    Keys: Atsumu Miya

    KANJI 宮 侑 RŌMAJI Miya Atsumu CHARACTER INFO ALSO KNOWN AS Sumu, Tsumu (by Osamu) The Pain-in-the-ass guy (by Saeko) Tsum-Tsum, Miyaa'Tsumu (by Bokuto) GENDER Male DATE OF BIRTH October 5, 1995 Pre-timeskip Post-timeskip AGE 17 (Jan 2013) HEIGHT 183.6 cm (6' 0.3") WEIGHT 73.3 kg (161.6 lbs.) OCCUPATION High School Student (2nd Year, Class 2) - 2012 TEAMS Yako Junior High (Former) Inarizaki High (Former) NUMBER 5 (Junior High 3rd Year) 7 (High School 2nd Year) 1 (High School 3rd Year) POSITION Setter Captain (High School 3rd Year) BACKGROUND INFORMATION FAMILY Osamu Miya (Twin Brother) Mentioned Grandmother Unnamed parents LIKES Fatty Tuna HOME TOWN Hyōgo Prefecture HOME COUNTRY Japan DEBUT INFORMATION IN THE MANGA Monsters IN THE ANIME Perspective SEIYŪ INFORMATION VOICE ACTOR Mamoru Miyano Risae Matsuda (Young) ENGLISH ACTOR Blake Jackson IMAGE GALLERY LESS Back in the day, I remember our old club captain said he didn't like the team motto. I've always liked it, but now I feel like I'm finally 'gettin' it'. In volleyball, the past is gone. There ain't no such thing as memories. All you need is right here. All I need... are my muscles!

    VOLUME 44 CHAPTER 391

    Atsumu Miya (Japanese: 宮みや 侑あつむ, Miya Atsumu) was a second-year student at Inarizaki High and was the starting setter for the Boys' Volleyball Team. He was known as Japan's best high school setter and server. He was invited to the All-Japan Youth Intensive Training Camp.

    As of 2018, he is a member of MSBY Black Jackals, a professional volleyball team in Division 1 of Japan's V. League. He is also a member of the Japan National Volleyball Team and participated in the 2021 Olympics.

    He is the twin brother of Osamu Miya.

    Appearance

    During childhood, Atsumu is shown to have dark brown hair. Sometime after middle school, Atsumu dyed his hair blond and has a dark undercut. Unlike his twin brother, Osamu, his hair is flipped to the right side. His eyebrows are dark brown, an indication of his original hair color. His brown eyes are large, hooded, and slightly drooping. He can usually be seen wearing a smile or smirk on his face.

    Post-timeskip, Atsumu has cut his hair to a shorter length and now keeps his bangs swept away from his face. Personality

    Outwardly, Atsumu appears to be a carefree, confident person who's usually seen with a lazy smile on his face, though he enjoys provoking people and giving offhand compliments. He can be quite condescending, and somewhat selfish at times. Osamu has described him as someone who doesn't listen to others, doesn't return what he borrows, and lies habitually.

    He also appears to be a perfectionist who has ridiculously high standards for himself and his spikers, which has caused several teammates to dislike him, but he appears unconcerned about their opinions. He strives to provide the best toss for his spikers, but in turn, expects the spikers to perform at a high standard. If the spikers fail to meet his standards, Atsumu is not afraid to confront them directly and even call them trash, including his own twin brother. He is extremely sensitive when it comes to serving and how much noise is around him; if he's disturbed while serving, his outward personality changes completely, and he becomes intimidatingly angry towards the disturbance.

    Atsumu is a competitive person who hates losing; sometimes, these traits can veer off in a bad direction. Osamu has also noted that his twin brother's mental age drops by five years whenever he's in the middle of a game. Background

    Atsumu lives in Hyogo Prefecture, and thus speaks in a Kansai dialect. He is currently a second-year at Inarizaki High School with his twin brother, Osamu. He is recognized as the number one high school setter, as well as receiving the Best Server award during middle school and the Interhigh. Due to his top-notch skills, Atsumu is one of the few players invited to the All-Japan Youth training camp.

    The twins have been playing volleyball since their elementary school days. In the fourth grade, they attended a volleyball workshop where they met their current teammate Aran Ojiro.[1] During the workshop, Atsumu witnessed personally how a skilled setter brought out the potential of their spikers by sending them the best tosses. This piqued his interest in becoming a setter. At first, Osamu was picked as the setter due to being more skilled. However, according to Aran, Atsumu is said to have an irrepressible hunger as he pushes himself to improve. Eventually, Atsumu overtook Osamu as the official setter of the team.

    Atsumu often got into conflicts with his teammates during junior high, especially when they failed to perform to his expectations. As a result, he was detested among his teammates. When asked about it, Atsumu revealed that he couldn't care less about being hated.

    It is known that he and Osamu went to nationals in their first year of junior high and played against Yurisei in their third.[2] Plot

    Tokyo Nationals Arc

    Preparation for Nationals

    Atsumu s4-e4-3 Atsumu calls Kageyama a "Goody-Two-Shoes". Atsumu is one of the players invited to the All-Japan Youth Intensive Training Camp.[3] During the first practice match, Atsumu chuckles lightly at the sight of Kageyama messing up. Sometime later, during a break, he approaches Kageyama as the latter was talking to Hoshiumi. After Kageyama tells Hoshiumi that he's not really affected by his jumping power, Atsumu laughs and calls Kageyama a cool and collected person. He then bluntly tells the first year that he initially thought Kageyama was an amazing player, but he can now see that Kageyama's just a goody-two-shoes. This annoys the latter, who glares at Atsumu hostilely.

    In the final practice match, Atsumu tosses to Kageyama for the first time.[4] Kageyama spikes it with ease and tells Atsumu later that his tosses are easy to hit. In response, Atsumu simply replies that people who can't hit his tosses are scrubs. He then asks Kageyama if he enjoys spiking more than setting because Kageyama seems to be annoyed when he sets. Kageyama doesn't understand and stresses that he's a setter, and Atsumu leaves it at that. Kageyama questions Atsumu about what he meant by being a goody-two-shoes, and Atsumu replies that he just means Kageyama is obedient and honest.

    As the players head home after the training camp, Atsumu says goodbye to Kageyama while telling him that they'll meet again at nationals.

    Nationals

    Atsumu watches Karasuno's first match against Tsubakihara Academy and notes that Kageyama is completely different from when he was at the camp.[5] He then turns his attention to Hinata, having seen his jumping power and speed, and wonders who he is.

    Karasuno vs Inarizaki

    Atsumu and his team, Inarizaki, face off against Karasuno on Day 2 of the Spring Tournament. In addition to his team being the second seed, Atsumu is revealed to have a twin brother, Osamu, who plays opposite. While the two teams warm up in the sub-arena, Atsumu approaches Kageyama to tell him to give it his all since he hates playing against players who stink, indirectly referring to Hinata. When Kageyama assures him that Hinata is no pushover and will be a handful, Atsumu breaks into an intimidating smile but stops any further taunts.

    Atsumu s4-e13-1 Atsumu silences the crowd. Once the match begins, Atsumu is the first to serve. He silences Inarizaki's orchestra as he requires absolute silence to concentrate. However, two girls not familiar with Atsumu's habit, cheer loudly. Atsumu hits a powerful spike serve that paints the line between Tanaka and Nishinoya. He then harshly glares at the two girls who cheered him on during his first serve, displeased with them for interrupting him. He makes his second serve but hits it out-of-bounds. Later, Atsumu is seen questioning Hinata's max jumping power and his similarity to Kageyama as the type of guy who does as he pleases after Hinata tries experimenting with something during their match.[6]

    As the game progresses, Atsumu shows off his aggressive playmaking by setting off the first touch to Aran, who scores before Karasuno could react. His cool demeanor is finally broken when Karasuno counters with a minus-tempo broad attack as Atsumu can't help but fanboy over the freak quick after witnessing it up close. On his next serve turn, Atsumu hits a floater aimed right at Nishinoya, who fails to save the ball. He observes that Karasuno is not particularly shaken by his serves and instructs Osamu to not mess up the timing of their next attack. Atsumu hits another floater, and this time, Karasuno receives it. Once the ball returns to Inarizaki's side, Atsumu successfully executes a minus-tempo quick with Osamu, taking everybody by surprise. Afterward, Atsumu admits that his accuracy is not as precise as Kageyama's, but he has the urge to imitate flashy moves. The match continues with both teams using their quicks against each other. Atsumu deduces from watching Karasuno's previous matches that Kageyama has a habit of forcing a quick after a botched receive. It appears that Atsumu has informed his team about this beforehand as all three blockers jump at Hinata to shut down his spike.[7]

    Group s4-e15-4 The twins next attempt at another quick attack nearly misses when Atsumu unintentionally sends an improper set to his brother. However, their next try at the quick is successful. Atsumu's incredible skills and sets are complimented by Bokuto and Akaashi. At the same time, Coach Fuki believes that Atsumu is proof to Hinata that there is someone else capable of giving him incredible sets and that the super quick is not as unique as he believes.[8] Atsumu soon predicts that Kageyama will give Hinata a set and attempts to block the younger player only to be caught off guard when Hinata spikes the ball against Atsumu's hand and score. When the score reaches 17-14 with Inarizaki in the lead, Atsumu is up to serve. Although the ball clips the net, Daichi was able to save the ball. This allowed Tsukishima the chance to figure out that Osamu would be the next attacker and completely stop his spike. After Tsukishima is able to score from having used a running approach to reach a higher spiking height, Atsumu silently questions what's happened to Kageyama since the Youth Camp as he appears completely different now than during the camp. As Hinata rotates back into the front row, Atsumu takes the chance to taunt the middle blocker by announcing to his team that Karasuno's wall has weakened and will be their chance to gain points. His confidence is lowered when Hinata surprises him by commit blocking Osamu and blocking his spike. However, Atsumu does not let this upset him and soon watches Osamu easily beat Hinata in a joust at the net.

    Midway into the second set, Atsumu delivers a float serve that Nishinoya is unable to receive. This not only frustrated the Karasuno libero, but it also instilled a sense of dread in the rest of Karasuno; believing that none of them had a chance to make a receive if even Nishinoya couldn't make it. While preparing to serve again, Atsumu realizes that the two people who attempt to receive his serves most are Daichi and Nishinoya. However, during the first set, he saw that Nishinoya had great difficulty in trying to receive the float serves, despite how skilled he is. During a timeout, Atsumu expresses how incredible it feels to score a service ace off a powerful opponent but is quickly taunted by his teammates for his simple thinking. Atsumu serves another jump float and once again gets an ace when Nishinoya attempted to receive like normal, but the ball simply fell to the ground. On Atsumu's third float serve, Nishinoya is able to dive forward and receive but the libero felt that it was a poor receive. Asahi would then force Atsumu to make the first receive of the counterattack, but this did not work well for Karasuno since Osamu was able to cover and Suna was able to get his spike past Tsukishima. Atsumu's serve would end when he accidentally sent his fourth float serve out of bounds.

    At Osamu's next chance to serve, Atsumu instructs his brothers to finish the set as quick as possible before adding that he has a higher service ace count than he does. Osamu unintentionally put too much power into his serve and sent it directly into the scoreboard that Yachi was standing next to. Atsumu scolds his brother about sending his serve out but is quickly scolded himself by Aran for getting Osamu worked up. Once Kita is sent into the game and Aran is subbed out, Atsumu and the rest of Inarizaki begin to play more efficiently. Due to this, Inarizaki eventually went on to win the second set. As the teams are preparing for the final set, Atsumu is questioned by Kita about having switched to a spike serve from a jump float after seeing Kageyama's serve. The Inarizaki captain questioned if Atsumu did this because he was getting tired of doing the jump float and wanted to unleash a powerful serve instead. Atsumu agrees with Kita's suggestion to stay with the float serve since it has been earning Inarizaki so many points as well as giving Nishinoya a hard time. Atsumu's serve starts the third set. At seeing the serve curving, Nishinoya calls it as going out only for the ball to narrowly land in. Atsumu's next serve hits the top of the net. This gives Nishinoya and Asahi the chance to counter and end his serve. When Atsumu is once more up to serve, he again aims his float serve at Nishinoya only to see the libero, with the help of Kinoshita, move forward and make a perfect overhand receive. Eventually, Yamaguchi is moved onto the court.

    Group s4-e21-6 After a few counterattacks from each team, Akagi tried to get the ball to Atsumu but the receive was too low. However, Atsumu would manage to lunge low enough that he would be able to get under the ball and set with both hands, rather than doing an underhand set. This move caught the attention of several present setters and Ukai even applauded the maneuver while wondering how many of people watching actually realized how incredible Atsumu's set was. Atsumu is given great praise by his own team, but they are also surprised that Atsumu would perform such a move to be able to make a set. Atsumu explains that it's his job as the setter to do what he has to in order to give his hitters the best set possible. He further explains that doing an underhand set would not have allowed him to make the set with the same precision as it would if he had set with his hands. When Inarizaki is in the lead at 13-12, the Miya twins stun everyone by performing a reverse version of the minus-tempo quick attack.[9] While Karasuno is left in shock at what they just witnessed, Atsumu remarks to Osamu how the set was low and the two begin a debate of whether or not they should attempt another move they've been working on.

    When Akagi later managed to receive Kageyama's serve, Atsumu is spotted by Kageyama and Tsukishima doing what he appears to be a setter dump. When Tanaka and Hinata block him, the referee calls the point to go to Inarizaki. Kageyama and Kenma quickly figure out that Atsumu made the switch on purpose as he knew it would result in Karasuno getting a foul. After Atsumu's serve was countered by Daichi's receive, Hinata serves next. When Tsukishima was able to block the counter, Atsumu made the first receive instead of Akagi and directly set to Osamu. As Tsukishima and Asahi rush to block Osamu, the wing spiker instead sets the ball to Aran on the opposite end where only Daichi is ready to block. Atsumu finds great enjoyment in Inarizaki having been able to fool Karasuno but it would not last long when Hinata steals the spotlight by making a perfect receive of Aran's spike. Thanks to Hinata's receive, Asahi tried to score but Atsumu was able to dig the spike. During another attempt to end the rally, Atsumu tries to send the last hit over. As Karasuno stepped back to be in position, the ball hit the net and fell in the front row before anyone could save it.

    A timeout is called as it becomes clear that Karasuno was feeling the devastating effect of their hard work having gone to waste. As Hinata lightened the atmosphere, Atsumu hears Osamu make another comment about food. Atsumu questions his brother on why he has been talking about food so much during the game and listened as Osamu explains how Hinata's love for volleyball is similar to that of someone eating a good meal and how it can be contagious to others. When Asahi soon lands a service ace that earns him the praise of Inarizaki's cheer squad, Atsumu deduces that the ace had started out the match using roughly eighty percent of his power and gradually increased it during the match. Atsumu and Osamu would attempt another reverse quick attack, but Osamu sends the set slightly too high and Atsumu was unable to hit the ball. Fortunately for the two, Kita was able to cover and get the ball over. When Hinata moves into the front row, Atsumu catches Karasuno by surprise by doing a setter dump and put Inarizaki in the lead at 23-22. Inarizaki and Karasuno each reach match point several times. Hinata was able to tie the score when he and Kageyama performed their quick attack. Atsumu finally sees that Hinata simply doesn't have total trust in Kageyama as his setter but rather that he just expects the ball to come to him. At this realization, he silently gives Kageyama his sympathy for having such a fearsome partner.

    Group s4-e25-2 Eventually, Karasuno reached match point again. He and Osamu again tried their super quick but were ultimately blocked by Hinata and Kageyama. This results in Karasuno claiming victory over Inarizaki. As Karasuno celebrates their victory, Atsumu comes to realize that he and Osamu did not take things seriously enough. After the teams shake hands, Atsumu calls out to Hinata. He makes a declaration that he will set to the middle blocker one day but warns him and Kageyama that he will beat them at the next Interhigh tournament. Atsumu returns to his team to thank their supporters and is called out by one of the older supporters for his facial expression, saying that the team doesn't deserve their praise since they lost but is firmly told that a well-played match is indeed worthy of applause.

    When the players are moving out of the main arena, Atsumu tries to apologize to Kita only for his upperclassman to stop him on the belief that apologizing will make them feel better. Kita goes on to tell them that he felt they were right to have tried the quick attack at the end of the match but adds that the twins can sometimes be difficult when they start getting ahead of everyone else. Still, Kita admits that he would have liked to have continued with the team for a while longer so he could say that his teammates are amazing. Many of the players begin to tear up at this as Atsumu and Osamu promise that they will become the kind of juniors that he could proudly boast about.[10]

    Karasuno vs Kamomedai

    When Kageyama aims his serve right at Hakuba, baiting the Kamomedai right into a campfire, Atsumu watches in irritation and expresses that he's always thought that Kageyama was a goody-two-shoes that didn't think before he acted. Atsumu is frustrated because Kageyama is way different from how he was at the Youth Camp they attended together. Soon after, Osamu notices Asahi's stress after getting blocked multiple times despite being the ace and feels bad for him. At this, Atsumu complains to his brother to just tell Karasuno to get themselves together.

    Kageyama sets for Asahi and Osamu praises him for this, which irritates his brother. Despite this, they both break into laughter once Asahi finally surpasses Kamomedai's blockers. Atsumu is also awed but surprised by Sugawara setting perfectly to Asahi. After Hinata does his minus tempo attack, jumping even higher and faster than before, Atsumu is impressed, but out loud he yells that Hinata is a freak and insults Kageyama's setting again, saying that he could have set that as well. Into the third set, despite the spectators knowing that Kamomedai has to process a lot of information to be able to produce effective blocks, they are still able to do so and be composed. While watching, Atsumu is frustrated because he just wants Kamomedai to be a normal team and be plain and boring. However, upon hearing this, Kita says that he's always liked Kamomedai because they're plain good.[11]

    After this, Atsumu notices that there was something that rubbed him the wrong way with Kamomedai, and not only because of Hoshiumi and Hirugami, but also because the whole team reminds him of Kita, who Atsumu sees as a successful perfectionist. Atsumu also gets annoyed when seeing Hoshiumi being able to set so easily. Soon after, Hirugami fails to block Asahi's spike since it waterfalls, but he manages to dig it. This impresses Kita, which leads to Atsumu saying that he and Osamu played against Yurisei in middle school, but he said that at the time he was still really good but was acting more "possessed" in a way.[2]

    Despite having insulted Kageyama for the duration of the match, Atsumu brags for Kageyama being able to set to Hinata perfectly for both times he scores impressively. Atsumu also bursts into laughter once Hinata can jump sideways to be used as a decoy. Atsumu then adds that Kageyama must be having a blast using Hinata in such manners to make blockers do whatever he wants. When Hinata leaves the court because of his fever, Atsumu comments that it took Inarizaki, Nekoma, and Kamomedai to finally take Hinata down. After Karasuno loses, Kita asks Atsumu that if all he cares about are results, then that would mean all of Karasuno's third-years are losers, and since Kita is going to stop playing volleyball after high school, so that would mean he would just go "poof". Following this, Kita tells Atsumu that what matters is playing a good game and feeling good about yourself.

    Final Arc

    Schweiden Adlers vs MSBY Black Jackal

    Atsumu is currently playing for the MSBY Black Jackals and is teammates with Hinata, Bokuto, and Sakusa.[12] On the way to the first game of the season, Atsumu and Hinata briefly watch part of a match featuring Heitor before watching a curry commercial that Kageyama stars in. The two quickly find how hilarious Kageyama's performance is when he delivers his lines in a flat tone and even manages to lose sight of the camera for a moment.

24. #24Chikara Ennoshita

    Keys: Chikara Ennoshita

    KANJI 縁下 力 RŌMAJI Ennoshita Chikara CHARACTER INFO ALSO KNOWN AS Director Ennoshita GENDER Male DATE OF BIRTH December 26, 1995 Pre-timeskip Post-timeskip AGE 16 - 17 (High School 2nd Year) - 2012 HEIGHT 175.4 cm (5' 9.1") - Apr 2012 176.1 cm (5' 9.3") - Nov 2012 WEIGHT 66.4 kg (146.4 lbs.) OCCUPATION High School Student (2nd Year, Class 4) - 2012 TEAMS Karasuno High NUMBER 10 (High School 1st Year) 6 (High School 2nd Year) 1 (High School 3rd Year) POSITION Outside Hitter Captain (3rd Year) BACKGROUND INFORMATION FAMILY Unnamed little brother LIKES Sea pineapple Volleyball HOME TOWN Miyagi Prefecture HOME COUNTRY Japan DEBUT INFORMATION IN THE MANGA Rookie Nerves IN THE ANIME Karasuno High School's Volleyball Club SEIYŪ INFORMATION VOICE ACTOR Toshiki Masuda ENGLISH ACTOR Adam Noble IMAGE GALLERY LESS Chikara Ennoshita (Japanese: 縁下えんのした 力ちから, Ennoshita Chikara) was a second year student at Karasuno High. He played as a substitute wing spiker for the Boys' Volleyball Team. In his third year, he became the team captain.

    As of 2018, he is working as a physical therapist.

    Appearance

    Ennoshita is an average-looking guy with slightly down-turned eyes, causing him to have a somewhat sleepy look on his face. He has medium-length dark brown hair kept parted near the middle. His eyebrows and eyes are the same brown color. He doesn't usually attract much attention and often goes unmentioned even when he's on court.

    Post-timeskip, Ennoshita's appearance appears to have not changed much but his hair seems slightly longer. Personality

    He's usually quiet, reserved and can sometimes be seen with a gentle smile on his face, but he can also behave boldly towards the other second-years. Ennoshita is the only second-year who's able to control Tanaka and Nishinoya. He has the ability to understand and relate to different people and has been noted to be a stabilizing presence for the underclassmen; this trait makes him a good candidate to be a captain. Despite this, Ennoshita lacks confidence in himself, mostly because of his lack of experience in matches, and initially had trouble while subbing in for Daichi in the match against Wakutani Minami. Ennoshita's also smart and has never received a failing mark before. Background

    Ennoshita is currently a second-year at Karasuno High. He joined the boys' volleyball club in his first year, but after the original coach, Ikkei Ukai, returned, he couldn't keep up with the grueling practices and started skipping, along with Kinoshita and Narita. Eventually, he realized how important volleyball was to him and returned to the team, but by that time, Ikkei had been hospitalized again. Because of this brief period of hiatus, he, Narita, and Kinoshita began calling themselves "The Ungrateful Second Years".

    While Asahi and Nishinoya were gone from the team, Ennoshita filled in their spots. After their return, he now cheers from the bench during games. Plot

    Karasuno High Team Formation Arc

    Ennoshita Kinoshita Narita s1 e3 Ennoshita first appears along the sidelines during the 3-on-3 first-years match.[1] Like many of the other current team members, Ennoshita was amazed and somewhat intimidated at the variety of abilities the first-years displayed. He later helps with welcoming the first-years to the team.

    Aoba Johsai Practice Match

    During the match, Hinata messes up Daichi's receive, which results in Ennoshita having to cover it. Hanamaki serves, and Ennoshita is easily able to receive it, which reminds Sugawara that Aoba Johsai's serves are supposedly strong and assumes that Karasuno is handling them well. During the second set, Tsukishima and Kageyama are both rotated in the front, as well as Ennoshita. Noticing the tension building between the two first-years, Ennoshita attempts to keep things peaceful but is ultimately ignored. Following this, as the three players jump up to block Iwaizumi, Ennoshita still has a look of worry on his face as his teammates continue to frustrate each other. Later on, Irihata acknowledges that even though Kageyama and Hinata are to be wary of, Karasuno's other players are still threats, describing all their strong points, but leaves out Ennoshita, who then expresses that he feels left out.

    Asahi and Nishinoya's Return

    Upon Asahi and Nishinoya's return to the team, Asahi is given a position as one of the starting line-up players and thus Ennoshita is no longer a starter. For a while, he stood on the sidelines cheering the team on in official matches with the other benched players, having never missed a game despite not playing.

    Nekoma Practice Match

    Karasuno starts the training camp leading up to the match against Nekoma. After Nishinoya mentions that Asahi took Ennoshita's spot on the team, the second-year reminds them that he ran away from the team once; puzzling Hinata and Kageyama.[2] The two later ask him about it and Ennoshita tells them about the time he, Kinoshita, and Narita left the team. The three would admit that they were part of the club for fun and the captain at the time was kind and was not too concerned about winning status. This changed when Ikkei Ukai returned to coach the team and everything became stricter and about winning matches. Because of this, the three and several others left the club as they were no longer enjoying it or were unable to keep up with the grueling training. However, the three decided to return when they realized how much they truly enjoy volleyball and promised the first-years that they would all be doing their best from then on.

    Interhigh Arc

    While changing in the clubroom with Tanaka, Ennoshita asks about the latter's frustrated expression.[3] Tanaka remarks that if some girls told them good luck and gave them charms, he would be even more fired up and Ennoshita coldly responds that he only thinks that way because he's a regular. He then chides Tanaka, saying that if Tanaka continues to think about such things, he would take his spot on the team.

    Karasuno vs Aoba Johsai

    While Kageyama's switched out in order to collect himself and Hinata points out how Sugawara is supportive of the others, Ennoshita explains that Sugawara doesn't compliment the players simply to "get along", but rather to check on their conditions so he can figure out how to set to them.[4] Ennoshita adds that Sugawara is doing this more with Tsukishima since Sugawara doesn't know him as well as the third- and second-years. From this, Ennoshita is able to help Kageyama realize that he should try to communicate better with his hitters since everyone is different and therefore needs different sets in order to perform at their best.

    Ennoshita continued to support the team as the match went on and looked upset when they eventually lost. During the dinner Ukai treats them to, Ennoshita began crying along with the others. The following day, he joins the other second-years in discussing the upcoming tournament to qualify for nationals. After learning from Ukai that Shiratorizawa won the Interhigh tournament, Ennoshita joins his teammates in wanting to get stronger so that they can make it to the Spring Tournament.

    Tokyo Expedition Arc

    When Takeda reminds the team that exams are approaching and how a single failed mark and taking make-up exams will prevent them from joining the upcoming summer training camps in Tokyo, Ennoshita catches Tanaka and Nishinoya when they attempted to escape.[5] Ennoshita, Kinoshita, and Narita go to Tanaka's house to help him and Nishinoya study where Ennoshita tries to help them improve their study methods while also being firm and preventing them from slacking off. He is also seen helping in welcoming Hitoka Yachi to the team as the new manager.

    Though Ennoshita mostly is seen cheering for the team during the practice matches and carrying out the penalties, he does join the free practices due to wanting to perfect the timing of the synchronized attack. His want to do this caused Tanaka to feel as if his fellow teammate was wanting to take his spot.

    Spring High Preliminary Arc

    Karasuno vs Wakutani Minami High

    Ennoshita s2 e17 5 Ennoshita feeling pressured. After Daichi has to be switched out because of an injury in the match against Wakutani Minami, Ennoshita replaces him.[6] He's pressured initially because of the position he's filling and does not feel that he can match Daichi's leadership but is surprised when his teammates reveal that they expected him to come on. When Tanaka apologizes, Ennoshita responds that Daichi might've had to be removed from the game, but at least Tanaka isn't hurt as well.

    At first, he has trouble in the match but after remembering his past when he left the team, he loudly yells at Wakutani Minami to bring it on and receives the next ball. Yamaguchi's switched in as well and Ennoshita covers up his mistakes. When Ukai returns, angry at Yamaguchi's serves, Ennoshita steps up for the first-year and remarks that Yamaguchi knows better than anyone what he did wrong.

    During the third set of the match, Tanaka is able to see that Ennoshita is trying to play and lead like Daichi but tells him to just be himself. This allowed Ennoshita to finally be able to fit himself into the game and formulate a plan to counter Nakashima's block-out spikes.

    Ennoshita s2 e18 7 Despite winning the match and getting complimented by Daichi, Ennoshita still has regrets and rushes off to the bathroom by himself. He notes that half of his spikes missed and only put in the effort with receives in the second half. But, after reminding himself that he needs to think about his next match, he regains his motivation.[7]

    Aoba Johsai vs Date Tech

    After Karasuno's match against Wakutani Minami ends, Ennoshita watches the game next to Sugawara. When Oikawa scores a service ace, Ennoshita concludes that Aoba Johsai is going to win the match.

    Karasuno vs Aoba Johsai

    In Karasuno's rematch against Seijoh, Ennoshita is back with the other waiting players but joins in Karasuno's early celebrations of their new attacks working against their opponent. In the second set, Kentarō Kyōtani is switched in to help give Seijoh an advantage. After several plays, Ennoshita is the one who sees that Kyōtani and Tanaka were having a rivalry with one another and pointed out that the two have been purposely aiming at and ricocheting several spikes off one another. When Karasuno eventually won the match, Ennoshita joins the team in celebrating having gotten their revenge.

    Karasuno vs Shiratorizawa

    During the middle of the first set, Ennoshita bandages Tsukishima's finger. Near the end of the third set, Asahi has a hard time saving the ball from out of the court and Sugawara compares it to how Ennoshita saved the ball during the Wakutani Minami match. Shortly after, Ennoshita is surprised when he sees that Hinata is about to jump extremely high to block Ushijima instead of spiking. After this, Hinata is shown to have remembered what Ennoshita had told him about starting a good jump with a good approach.

    Tokyo Nationals Arc

    When the players were discussing their new height measurements, Ennoshita teases Hinata for this being the time his math is on point when he is able to right away figure out the differences since their last measurements. Ennoshita is present when the team receives news of Kageyama being invited to the All-Japan Youth Camp and expresses his amazement of how the team has been able to play alongside such a talented person. After this, he is seen informing the rest of the team that Hinata had crashed the First Year Training Camp at Shiratorizawa Academy. From then, he is mostly seen during the team practices and the practice match against Date Tech.

25. #25Chizuru Sasaki

    Keys: Chizuru Sasaki

    KANJI 佐々木 千鶴 RŌMAJI Sasaki Chizuru CHARACTER INFO ALSO KNOWN AS Aya GENDER Female DATE OF BIRTH 1994 - 1995 STATUS AGE 17 - 18 (2012) OCCUPATION High school student (3rd Year) TEAMS Karasuno High Girls' Volleyball Club NUMBER 11 (High School 3rd Year) POSITION Wing Spiker BACKGROUND INFORMATION HOME COUNTRY Japan DEBUT INFORMATION IN THE MANGA Winners and Losers IN THE ANIME Winners and Losers SEIYŪ INFORMATION VOICE ACTOR Hyang-Ri Kim ENGLISH ACTOR Allison L. Sumrall IMAGE GALLERY LESS Chizuru Sasaki (Japanese: 佐々木ささき 千鶴ちずる, Sasaki Chizuru) is a third-year at Karasuno High. She is a wing spiker for the Girls' Volleyball Team.

    After the Interhigh, she retired from the club.

    ADVERTISEMENT Appearance

    1/2

    Sasaki is one of the shorter girls on her team, with a small and thin build. She has light skin and light brown eyes. Her hair is short and light brown, and it's often seen with the right-side bangs pulled behind her ear and secured with hairclips. The other side is left free. After retiring from the volleyball club, she grew her hair to shoulder length.

    Sasaki is seen in her volleyball uniform, which consists of a black #11 jersey with white details, black shorts with a white stripe down each side, black kneepads, and red-and-white volleyball shoes. She is also seen in her school uniform, which is the same Karasuno girls' uniform as all the other girls at the school.

    Chizuru-sasaki-170042 Sasaki in her casual clothes. When she accompanied Yui Michimiya and Mao Aihara to Karasuno's match against Shiratorizawa, she wore a white long-sleeve blouse with a light brown collar and a medium-brown vest. She also carried a purple purse.

    ADVERTISEMENT Personality

    Sasaki is a quiet and sweet girl who is often unsure of her own abilities and tends to quickly blame herself for any mistakes. Plot

    Interhigh Arc

    In the girls' first match of the tournament, Sasaki failed to make several receives of spikes and serves from the opposing team. Even as Michimiya attempted to help her gain confidence of her receives, Sasaki remained doubtful of her abilities until Michimiya was able to get through to her with the belief that they should not give up so easily.

    Unfortunately, the girls' would eventually lose the match. Sasaki is seen tearfully blaming herself for their loss as she voices how the other team knew she was a weak receiver and had gained many points from targeting her. Even as Michimiya tried to ease her pain, Sasaki continued to blame herself.

    Sasaki later joined the team in going to watch the boys' team play against Date Tech. Upon arriving, she was surprised to see the quick attack by Hinata.

    Spring High Preliminary Arc

    When the boys' team managed to win their way to the final around of the tournament, Sasaki joins Michimiya and Aihara to support the team. She witnessed as Michimiya had nervously given Daichi a charm for luck during the match. During the match, she would give as much support as she could but also showed great worry during moments when it seemed like Shiratorizawa would win.

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    Karasuno High Girls' Volleyball Team

    Mao Aihara and Yui Michimiya: Sasaki appears to be close friends with Michimiya and Aihara. She has great respect for Michimiya as the team captain and admires how she always tries to keep everyone in high spirits.

26. #26Tsubakihara Academy

    Keys: Tsubakihara Academy

    KANJI 椿原学園 RŌMAJI Tsubakihara Gakuen TEAM CAPTAIN Sakae Echigo COACH Tatsumi Ōsado COLORS Blue / Yellow Tsubakihara Academy (Japanese: 椿原つばきはら学園がくえん, Tsubakihara Gakuen) is a private high school in Kanagawa Prefecture.

    ADVERTISEMENTSCROLL TO CONTINUE WITH CONTENT ADVERTISEMENT Volleyball Club

    The boys' volleyball team is considerably strong. All members are solid at receiving and serving, and can pull off high-level plays, such as wipes, aiming serves, and feints.

    The current generation has gone to Spring Tournament twice as Kanagawa's second representative.[1] However, during their first nationals, nerves got the better of them and they lost in the first round.

    The following year, they were able to return to nationals once more. Unfortunately, although the team improved mentally, they still lost their first match to Karasuno.

    Tsubakihara's most notable players are the captain Echigo, ace Teradomari and pinch server Himekawa. Echigo is levelheaded and able to calm his teammates when they are nervous. As the team's ace, Teradomari uses a variety of powerful attacks and can spike despite difficult setups. His 190 cm height also allows him to spike above blocks. Although inexperienced, Himekawa is capable of scoring through ceiling serves and is skilled at defense.

    All members wear the same headband with the school's full name on it. The writing on the headband was not present in the anime. ADVERTISEMENTSCROLL TO CONTINUE WITH CONTENT ADVERTISEMENT Members

    Name Position Year Status Tatsumi Ōsado Coach 38 Active ? Coach ? Active Name Number Position Year Status Kazuki Maruyama #1 Wing Spiker / Outside Hitter 3rd Year Active Sakae Echigo #2 Captain / Setter 3rd Year Active Chiharu Tsukioka #3 Pinch Server 2nd Year Active Motoki Teradomari #4 Wing Spiker / Outside Hitter / Ace 3rd Year Active Dai Mikawa #5 Pinch Server 2nd Year Active ? #6 ? ? Active ? #7 ? ? Active Tōgo Iwamuro #8 Middle Blocker 2nd Year Active Yoshitomo Atema #9 Middle Blocker 2nd Year Active Yūshi Maiko #10 Wing Spiker / Opposite Hitter 2nd Year Active ? #11 ? ? Active Akifumi Kaikake #12 Libero 2nd Year Active ? #13 ? ? Active Aoi Himekawa #14 Wing Spiker / Pinch Server 1st Year Active

27. #27Daichi Sawamura

    Keys: Daichi Sawamura

    KANJI 澤村 大地 RŌMAJI Sawamura Daichi CHARACTER INFO GENDER Male DATE OF BIRTH December 31, 1994 Pre-timeskip Post-timeskip AGE 17-18 (High School 3rd Year) - 2012 HEIGHT 176.8 cm (5'9.6") - Apr 2012 176.7 cm (5'9.6") - Nov 2012 WEIGHT 70.1kg (154.5 lbs.) OCCUPATION High School Student (3rd Year, Class 4) - 2012 TEAMS Izumitate Junior High (Former) Karasuno High NUMBER 1 (Junior High School 3rd Year) 11 (High School 1st Year) 1 (High School 3rd Year) POSITION Captain Outside Hitter (Junior High) Opposite Hitter BACKGROUND INFORMATION FAMILY Unnamed Mother Two Unnamed Younger Sisters Two Unnamed Younger Brothers[2] GOAL Go to nationals Raise the underclassmen Increase the number of new club applicants LIKES Shoyu ramen Volleyball HOME TOWN Miyagi Prefecture HOME COUNTRY Japan DEBUT INFORMATION IN THE MANGA Endings and Beginnings IN THE ANIME Endings and Beginnings SEIYŪ INFORMATION VOICE ACTOR Satoshi Hino ENGLISH ACTOR Justin Doran IMAGE GALLERY LESS We'll never win if we don't believe we can.

    DAICHI SAWAMURA TO HAYATO IKEJIRI[1]

    Daichi Sawamura (Japanese: 澤村さわむら 大地だいち, Sawamura Daichi) was a third-year student at Karasuno High. He was the captain and a starting wing spiker for the Boys' Volleyball Team. During the period when the original coach, Ikkei Ukai, was hospitalized, he was one of the captains who had to act as the team's coach.

    As of 2018, he is currently part of the Miyagi Prefectural Police in the Community Safety Division.

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    Daichi has short dark hair and dark brown eyes. He is not particularly tall among volleyball players and possesses a muscular build. It's been noted by many players that he seems "big" up close, to which most of the time Daichi believes he is being called fat. Daichi has a reassuring appearance that immediately gives off the aura of a captain and mature individual. He is usually seen with a gentle smile on his face, but when he gets angry, his eyes glaze over intimidatingly.

    Post-timeskip, he has let his hair grow out to a slightly longer length that he keeps styled upward similar to Ukai's.

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    Haikyuu-ep-2-05 Daichi becoming irritated at Hinata and Kageyama. Daichi is a very caring and responsible captain who always puts his team first. He is also very patient and understanding, but becomes terrifying when angry, though he only shows this side when necessary. He becomes very strict when his teammates are out of line, as shown when he locked out Kageyama and Hinata from the gym when they argued and refused to listen. Nevertheless, his actions have always been for the best interest of the team. Due to his devotion to his team and his command, he is both well-respected and feared by his team.

    Outside of his traits as a captain and team player, Daichi is incredibly mature and independent. During his first year at Karasuno, Daichi naturally emerged as a leader among him, Asahi, and Sugawara. He would suggest ways for improvement as well as recruiting Kiyoko as a manager even though the Karasuno team was left in disarray without a coach or a strong leader figure.[3] He has been noted to not give off the impression of a high school student because of his mature personality. Despite that, Daichi occasionally has moments where he displays childish behavior, such as when he got in trouble for accidentally setting off the emergency bell while struggling with the captain of the boys' basketball team during the lunchtime rush.[4]

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    Daichi S1E16 Daichi at Izumitate Junior High. Daichi went to Izumitate Junior High with Hayato Ikejiri and Yui Michimiya.[5] He and Ikejiri played on the same volleyball team with Daichi as captain. In their final tournament, they won the first match but were up against a powerhouse in the second. Almost everyone in the team started to lose hope, but Daichi never gave up and did what he could to motivate his teammates. He was the only one to run and chase after the ball with all his might, even until the very end. However, they lost anyway. While the rest of the team all saw that coming and therefore were less upset, Daichi was the one most affected as he believed that they had at least a slight chance to win.

    In the last year of junior high, Daichi made a promise with Ikejiri, since they were going to different high schools, that they would continue playing volleyball and one day meet each other on the court again.

    Daichi then enrolled in Karasuno High and joined the Boys' Volleyball Club.[3] By then, Coach Ikkei Ukai was already retired and the team had been left with a teacher advisor. As Daichi introduced himself, he announced his reason for joining Karasuno when he saw them play at nationals. The entire team went silent, but the captain complimented Daichi excitedly, announcing his goal to win the nationals.

    As time went by, Daichi got closer to Sugawara and Asahi. One day, after practice, they were discussing their team's lack of practice matches. Hiroki Kurokawa commented that other teams didn't want to waste their valuable time on them since they were no longer a champion team. Daichi thinks to himself that he'd known Karasuno wasn't the same as it used to be, but he thought as long as they practiced hard, there would be a day when they would rise again. However, as the days went by, it became clear that Karasuno wasn't going to change.

    Refusing to give up, Daichi started staying after practice, inspiring the other first-years to do the same. Along with Sugawara and Asahi, Daichi started researching volleyball tactics and improving his receive.

    In the end, Karasuno lost their first match of Interhigh. Before the third-years graduated, the captain announced that they had unified too late. Tearfully, he notes that Karasuno might not ever be strong again or it might be many years later but no matter what, if an opportunity comes along, the first-years must grab it.

    However, the team ran into more problems next year when Asahi started losing confidence in himself as the ace. During the match against Date Tech, he stopped asking for tosses in the middle of the game and Daichi had to cover for him. In the end, he was blocked and Karasuno lost the match. That night, Asahi and Nishinoya had a huge fight, leading to the former storming out of the gym.[6]

    As Sugawara cleans up the mess, Daichi reassures him that it isn't his fault, knowing well how his teammate feels as the setter. He explains that Asahi was overburdened, but there are instances where they can only rely on the ace. They're inexperienced and lacking as a team, but they don't have any other plan at the moment except to keep practicing.

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    Karasuno High Team Formation Arc

    Daichi attends Kitagawa Daiichi's match against Yukigaoka with Sugawara and Tanaka to see how the "King of the Upper Court" plays.[7] Throughout the match, Daichi is impressed by Hinata's high jumps and notes that if Yukigaoka had a proper setter, Hinata would become an incredible asset. On the other hand, Kageyama seems to not make good use of the players around him and appears to be playing the match completely on his own.

    On the first day of school, Daichi receives the first-years' registrations from Kiyoko and remarks with disappointment that there aren't that many this year. As he looks over them, he suddenly stutters in shock as he recognizes one of them.

    First appearance Sugawara, Daichi, and Tanaka greet the first-years. Daichi, Sugawara, and Tanaka walk to the gym together for practice after school while talking about Kageyama and wondering why he's at Karasuno. As he arrives, he sees the first-year in the gym and greets him. Daichi thanks Kageyama for coming and then asks him about his height. As they talk, they neglect Hinata, who loudly calls for their attention. Surprised by his presence, Daichi quickly looks through the registrations and remarks that he's surprised they both came to Karasuno.

    Suddenly, Kageyama insults Hinata, which leads to a small argument. Daichi tries to tell them that since they're teammates now, they should get along, but the two are too busy arguing to hear him. Their fight ends up catching the Vice Principal's attention and Daichi tries to explain that they're just passionate about volleyball. However, the two first-years then challenge each other to a mini-match and Daichi has to yell at them. Despite that, they continue anyway and end up knocking the vice principal's wig off his head and onto Daichi's head.

    KageyamaDaichiHinata S1E2 Daichi gets angry at the first-years. The vice-principal gravely tells Daichi to go outside with him and, thirty minutes later, Daichi returns to inform them that the vice-principal won't punish them on the condition that they stay silent about his toupée. Before he can continue, Kageyama starts yelling at Hinata. Angrily, Daichi cuts in and starts to explain Karasuno's past and their current status as "Flightless Crows". He wants to end that reputation and go to nationals again. Kageyama points out that there are a lot of other teams with the same goal and Daichi acknowledges that. However, he's serious about his aim. He doesn't need the two first-years to be friends, but he needs them to be teammates so, despite their talent and determination, he can't have guys who fight on the team.

    Example of the combination of Hinata and Kageyama Daichi explains his goals of going to nationals. With that said, he slams the first-years' registrations into their faces and kicks them out of the gym with the declaration that they will not be allowed back in until they can at least work together as teammates. Sugawara asks Daichi if he's sure about his decision and Daichi angrily affirms it, explaining that they can't practice the way they are now.

    Suddenly, Kageyama exclaims that he'll work with Hinata and Daichi opens the door to see if he's serious. Sheepishly, Kageyama replies that he'd rather play by himself and Daichi responds that in a game like volleyball that focuses so much on teamwork, Kageyama can't be by himself and needs to learn to rely on others.

    3-on-3 First Years Match

    Nearing the end of practice, Tanaka wonders if the two first-years will try to challenge them to a match for their admission. Daichi replies that if the two do return, he wonders if Kageyama will use his true talent. Just then, the two first-years outside call for Daichi.

    Karasuno-2 S1E2 The first-years challenge Daichi. Tanaka opens the door to the first years still standing outside. They then challenge the upperclassmen to a match. Daichi goes to the door and asks them what they would do if they lose and Kageyama confidently replies that they'll accept any punishment. Daichi accepts and turns the match into a 3-on-3 with the other first-years. He easily persuades Tanaka to join Hinata and Kageyama's team and proposes that if Kageyama loses, he won't be allowed to play as a setter while the third-years are still here.

    Seeing Kageyama's outrage, Daichi explains that the way Kageyama is right now won't help them win. Kageyama yells that he's a setter only and Daichi replies that as long as he wins, it should be okay. Resigned, Kageyama accepts it and the upperclassmen go back to practicing.

    As they reenter the gym, Sugawara wonders why Daichi's being so rough on the first-years and the captain explains that Kageyama's talented, but he needs to fix his self-centered personality if he's going to play on the team. However, if Kageyama plays together with Hinata, they may be able to form an incredible combo.

    On the day of the 3-on-3, Daichi joins the other first-years' team, much to Hinata's dismay.[8] As the match begins, Tsukishima tries to provoke Hinata and Kageyama and an amused Daichi remarks that he has a bad personality.

    The match starts and Daichi shocks Hinata and Kageyama with his superb receiving skills. Daichi calls to Kageyama and reminds him that as an upperclassman, he has been practicing his defensive abilities much longer.

    A little while into the match, Tsukishima picks on Hinata and Kageyama again. Tanaka rushes to his teammates' defense, but to his confusion, Daichi stops him.

    When Hinata and Kageyama pull off their first quick strike,[9] Daichi's shocked when he realizes Hinata had his eyes closed. Tsukishima asks him to explain and Daichi says that Hinata had hit the ball while trusting Kageyama completely. He notes that it's hard to understand how Hinata can trust someone like that, especially his rival.

    In the end, Daichi's team loses. Tanaka approaches him and Sugawara and asks incredulously if they'd known Hinata and Kageyama would team up like that. Daichi admits that he thought Hinata would be able to match Kageyama, but the two exceeded his expectations completely and ended up creating an amazing combo.

    He then goes to Tsukishima and asks him how he felt about the match. Tsukishima responds that he doesn't particularly care and knew he would lose to Kageyama. Daichi points out that Tsukishima still got pretty serious during the match.

    ACowardsAnxiety1 The upperclassmen welcome the first-years into the club. At that moment, Hinata and Kageyama run over to Daichi and hand in their registrations. Daichi accepts them and asks Kiyoko if the jackets came in. She brings over the boxes with the jackets and after the first-years put them on, the upperclassmen officially welcome them into the club.

    As the first years are celebrating with Tanaka, Daichi sighs and remarks to Sugawara and Kiyoko that things are finally settled for now. He watches the underclassmen with Tanaka and says to Sugawara that he and Tanaka helped, and Sugawara begins panicking, afraid that Daichi discovered the secret practices.

    Aoba Johsai Practice Match

    After practice, the team heads down to the Sakanoshita Market. Along the way, Kageyama brings up the practice match against Aoba Johsai and apologizes to Sugawara. When Sugawara replies that he'll be happy to see Kageyama defeat his former teammates, Daichi adds that they would dominate as a team.[10]

    He later discusses the lineup with the team after asking Kageyama about his feelings towards a set with Hinata. Though the team is reluctant about Hinata's success with his attacks, Daichi confidently insists that they will still try.

    Season 1 Episode 5-vomit However, Hinata proves to be more nervous than Daichi anticipated. The match starts poorly as Hinata makes all sorts of mistakes, culminating in him serving into the back of Kageyama's head. However, Tanaka and Kageyama resolve the issues, surprising Daichi who remarks that it's a relief to have them here.

    Karasuno wins the first set and Sugawara remarks that he's glad Aoba Johsai doesn't have a server like Kageyama. Daichi agrees, noting that their defense isn't good enough. Just as they say this, the official setter for Aoba Johsai arrives.

    Daichi s1 e6 1 Oikawa proves to be a much stronger server than Kageyama and aims for Tsukishima, taking him off-guard. Daichi quickly steps in, expanding his sphere of defense, but there are still holes. The ball gets past him, but it's saved and sent to the first-year duo, who scores and wins the match.

    Despite the victory, Daichi is uneasy and remarks that Kageyama and Hinata are strong, but overall, the team is still lacking. Oikawa suddenly appears and agrees with Daichi, pointing out Karasuno's shortcomings. He leaves after a comment on Karasuno's preparation for the upcoming Interhigh. Kageyama apologizes for Oikawa, but Daichi doesn't seem faltered. He agrees that there's not a lot of time left for them, but a crucial member of their team is returning.[11]

    Asahi and Nishinoya's Return

    After the team returns to the school, Daichi heads home with the others. As they're discussing their role, Daichi states that they are lacking a lot in terms of positions and coaching. Sugawara adds that Karasuno isn't a powerhouse, but they're not weak by any means. If they could reunite their members and combine the first-years' prowess, they could go to Nationals.

    The next day, Daichi arrives at the gym to see Nishinoya, who's returned to the club. The team catches up for a little bit until Nishinoya asks about Asahi. When he realizes that Asahi's still missing, he storms out, leaving the third-years with troubled expressions.

    After Hinata brings Nishinoya back to practice, Daichi explains to Takeda that if Nishinoya comes back, it'll be encouraging because of his large presence. Sugawara later remarks that they have the strongest team because of the first-year combo and Daichi hopes that it'll be a change for the better. Sugawara then scolds him for his weak-spirited comment.

    Later on, during practice, Takeda asks if Karasuno is still doing the Golden Week Training Camp and Daichi affirms, stating that they need a lot more practice.[12] He's surprised when Takeda announces that they will have a practice match against Nekoma at the end. Daichi then ends practice with a short motivational speech.

    He's approached by Nishinoya, who tells him that he won't be participating. Daichi asks if it's because of Asahi and Nishinoya apologizes for being selfish, but Daichi reassures him that he understands, but tells him to come to the training camp anyway.

    The next day, Daichi heads to practice and sees Asahi standing outside the gym. Knowing why he's there, Daichi simply states that they have a practice match set up. When Asahi's scared by it, Daichi yells at him and stops him from running away. He asks if Asahi's heard that Nekoma's coming. He remarks that from their perspective, it's like hearing folklore, but this match will be something like a revival for them.

    Asahi sadly replies that he can't face Sugawara or Nishinoya. Daichi teases Asahi, calling him wimpy for someone with that build. However, he reassures Asahi that the others would accept him back. It doesn't matter what Asahi's done so far; as long as he still likes volleyball, then it's enough of a reason for him to return.

    On the day of the practice match against the Neighborhood Association, Ukai notices that Nishinoya isn't playing and starts interrogating him. Daichi quickly steps in and tries to reason with Ukai, but Nishinoya is forced into the game anyway.

    Sugawara plays on the opposite team and impresses the underclassmen with his sets. Daichi eagerly brags about Sugawara's skills. He's later seen looking on proudly as Asahi finally recovers and can openly call for a toss again.[6]

    As the second set starts, Tanaka happily calls Daichi over to look at Asahi after his powerful spike. Daichi remarks that with Asahi's revival, it's going to be harder for them, but he seems pleased by it.

    At the end of the match, Daichi tells Sugawara that he's made a comeback too. Sugawara teasingly apologizes for being hesitant and timid all the time and Daichi replies that he's never said those things.[13] He then welcomes Nishinoya back before turning his attention to Asahi, calling him a greenhorn wing spiker who's only an ace in name.

    Nekoma Practice Match

    Sometime prior to the match, Daichi hears running in the halls and scolds Hinata and Kageyama for their behavior. The next day, when receiving their uniforms, Daichi informs Hinata that they hadn't been done yet in the match against Aoba Johsai. Shortly after, when Hinata gets upset that he received a number lower than Kageyama's, Daichi tells him that it was the number the Little Giant wore during his second year of high school.

    Haikyuu11 Karasuno meets Nekoma. Upon meeting Kuroo at the end of the training camp,[14] Daichi immediately gets on guard and speculates him to have a "nasty" attitude despite both of their friendly natures. Shortly after, when giving his team a pep talk, Daichi admits that they are all basically strangers who just met but uses the analogy of that being a wall that they would have to climb. During the match's second set, Daichi is able to receive Hinata getting blocked by Inuoka, Nekoma's own rookie blocker.

    When Tsukishima response to Hinata's apology rivals that of the team's other hitters, Daichi disagrees with the taller blocker and shows his support for Hinata, as well as for Asahi. Daichi reassures Hinata to try out his new techniques since they'll be right behind him, defending his back.[15] True to his word, Daichi recovers the next spike that Hinata misses, allowing Karasuno another chance to attack. He keeps an eye on Hinata, making sure to reassure him to not strain himself and lose sight of the bigger picture. Sometime later, when noticing Hinata getting impatient with Inuoka, Daichi reminds him not to lose his temper.

    Daichi 1 Daichi shaking hands with Tetsurō Kuroo. Following the matches' conclusions, Daichi notices Asahi intimidating Shibayama. Although he does not directly tell the ace, Daichi gets mad at him for taking an intimidating approach despite his intentions being good. Kai notices this and defends Asahi saying that from his perspective, it looks like a conversation between father and son rather than Daichi's thinking of looking like attempted kidnapping. When parting ways, Daichi shakes hands with Kuroo, and he vows to defeat Nekoma the next time they meet as they both are putting as much strength into the handshake as possible.

    Interhigh Arc

    Before the Interhigh starts, Daichi is approached outside class by Michimiya, who asks him if he's thought about his speech yet.[16] They chat for a bit before Daichi notices that Michimiya is lacking confidence in herself. Immediately, he lectures her to go into her matches with the mindset that she'll win but apologizes when he realizes her mood. She reassures him with a quote he told her back in junior high and Daichi warmly acknowledges it, but states that he doesn't listen to what others tell him anyway.

    On the first day of the Interhigh, the third-years meet on the way to school. As Asahi starts to say something sentimental, Daichi and Sugawara cut him off with Daichi stating that they're going to win all their matches, so there's no need to have a sentimental talk at the moment.

28. #28Izumitate Junior High

    Keys: Izumitate Junior High

    KANJI 泉館中学 RŌMAJI Izumitate Chūgaku TEAM CAPTAIN Daichi Sawamura (Former) COLORS Green / White Izumitate Junior High (Japanese: 泉館いずみたて中学ちゅうがく, Izumitate Chūgaku) is a middle school in Miyagi Prefecture. It was formerly attended by Daichi Sawamura, Hayato Ikejiri, and Yui Michimiya.

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    According to Ikejiri, Izumitate's volleyball team wasn't that good and would usually lose in the first round. In the final tournament of Ikejiri and Daichi's middle school career, they got past their first match by luck, but lost badly in the second round. It's most likely that they have a girls' volleyball club, with Michimiya being a former member.

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    The following information is from Daichi Sawamura's third year.

    Name Number Position Year Daichi Sawamura #1 Captain / Wing Spiker / Outside Hitter 3rd Year ? #2 ? ? ? #3 ? ? ? #4 ? ? Hayato Ikejiri #5 Wing Spiker 3rd Year ? #7 ? ? ? #10 Libero ? Girls' Club

    Name Number Position Year Yui Michimiya ? ? 3rd Year

29. #29Karasuno High

    Keys: Karasuno High

    KANJI 烏野高校 RŌMAJI Karasuno Kōkō TEAM CAPTAIN Daichi Sawamura Rinko Sudō Yui Michimiya (former) Chikara Ennoshita (2013-14) Tadashi Yamaguchi (2014-15) Hidemi Tashiro (former) Hiroki Kurokawa (former) MANAGER Kiyoko Shimizu Hitoka Yachi COACH Ittetsu Takeda (Head coach) Keishin Ukai (Assistant coach) Ikkei Ukai (Former) COLORS White / Orange / Black LESS Karasuno High (Japanese: 烏野からすの高校こうこう, Karasuno Kōkō) is a high school located in Miyagi Prefecture.

    Uniform

    Karasuno Uniform Male Uniforms as worn by the volleyball team. Karasuno, like most Japanese schools, has a dress code which includes wearing a uniform. The male uniform consists of the classic black gakuran, white collared shirt, cream sweater and black pants. The women have a different uniform, which consists of a white blouse, red ribbon, cream sweater, black blazer, and a grey skirt[1]. However, since many students are often seen without the cream sweater and wearing t-shirts instead of the collared shirt, it is assumed that the dress code isn't strictly enforced.

    The boys' volleyball club's uniform consists of a black tracksuit with white details. The members wear white t-shirts and black shorts during practice matches and often don a yellow sports bib on top. During official matches, the majority of players don a black jersey and shorts with orange details. The libero has a contrasting jersey in orange with black details.

    The girls' volleyball club uniform consists of a black jersey and shorts with white details. The shoulder area and lining is white as is the team name boldly depicted at the front. The body and side-stripes of the uniform are black, and their backs have small white triangles highlighting the shape of the shoulders. The libero has a contrasting jersey in white with black details. Academics

    Each grade has five classes with classes 4 and 5 being college-preparatory classes. Periods are 50 minutes long with a 10-minute break in between. Subjects taught include English, modern Japanese literature, math, and physical education. After graduation, students generally either continue on to higher education or work.

    The passing grade for exams is 40 points. Students who fail their final exams must take weekend supplementary classes and a supplementary exam for each failed subject. These may sometimes be held during summer vacation. The passing grade for supplementary exams is 80 points, and students must take them until they pass. Faculty

    Vice Principal Ittetsu Takeda – Modern Japanese Literature teacher Minaho Ono – English teacher Volleyball Club

    Karasuno banner s4-e10-1 The school's Boys' Volleyball Club was founded many years ago and has often been associated with crows due to the school's name. Its banner, in fact, reads "Fly" which alludes to crows. It was said that Coach Ikkei Ukai had a ferocious pack of crows during Karasuno's glory days.

    As a former powerhouse of Miyagi, Karasuno has represented the prefecture at the Spring High National Tournament nine times. One of those occasions was under the guidance of Coach Ikkei Ukai and Tenma Udai, also known as the "Small Giant" ("Little/Tiny Giant" in the anime English dubbing), and was famous throughout Miyagi. However, after the initial success, Karasuno failed to pass its prefecture's preliminaries in future tournaments and therefore received the derogatory nicknames "The Fallen Champions" and "The Flightless/Wingless Crows". It wasn't until five years later did the team finally return to Nationals.

    For a while, Karasuno did not have a coach due to Ikkei's hospitalization after a few months of coaching the previous year. Daichi Sawamura then took on both the captain and the coach's duties until Ikkei's grandson, Keishin Ukai, became the new coach. The managers of the team consist of Kiyoko Shimizu, a third-year and the original manager, and Hitoka Yachi, a first-year recruited by Kiyoko after the first tournament.

    Karasuno1 A team photo with the official banner in the back. The main starting lineup is composed of Daichi Sawamura, Asahi Azumane, Ryūnosuke Tanaka, Yū Nishinoya, Shōyō Hinata, Tobio Kageyama, and Kei Tsukishima. Karasuno is currently famous for its quick attack performed by Kageyama and Hinata and its unique members: Kitagawa Daiichi Junior High's "King of the Court," Kageyama; Chidoriyama's champion libero, Nishinoya; and the 164cm-tall middle blocker, Hinata.

    Karasuno's main rivals within the Miyagi Prefecture are Aoba Johsai High, Date Tech High, and Shiratorizawa Academy. The club's "destined" rival is Nekoma High, which Karasuno has always lost to. Because their animal representatives (cat and crow) are usually found by the dumpster, their matches are called the "Battle at the Garbage Dump". In the English dub, it is referred to as 'The Trashcan Showdown'.

    Karasuno's strongest attribute is its offensive power, with a heavy focus on attacks such as the quick strike, pipeline, and synchronized attacks using tempo. It also utilizes uncommon techniques like the Calculated One-Point Two-Setter, the jump float serve, and a libero toss to throw off opponents.

    They won the 2012 Miyagi Qualifiers Tournament against Shiratorizawa and advanced to the Spring Nationals. When they got there, they managed to rank in the top 8 of all of Japan after losing to Kamomedai.

    They earned two consecutive participations at the Tournament for the next two years. In 2014, they placed in the Top 16 after losing in the third round to Inarizaki. In 2015, they played on center court against Itachiyama in the semifinals, and lost, ranking third nationally. Members

    2012-2013 Team

    Name Position Year Status Ikkei Ukai Coach Graduate Retired Keishin Ukai Coach Graduate Active Ittetsu Takeda Faculty Advisor / Head Coach Teacher Active Kiyoko Shimizu Manager 3rd Year Active Hitoka Yachi Manager 1st Year Active Name Number Position Year Status Daichi Sawamura #1 Captain / Wing Spiker / Opposite Hitter 3rd Year Active Kōshi Sugawara #2 Vice-Captain / Setter / Pinch Server 3rd Year Active Asahi Azumane #3 Wing Spiker / Outside Hitter / Ace 3rd Year Active Yū Nishinoya #4 Libero 2nd Year Active Ryūnosuke Tanaka #5 Wing Spiker / Outside Hitter 2nd Year Active Chikara Ennoshita #6 Wing Spiker / Outside Hitter 2nd Year Active Hisashi Kinoshita #7 Wing Spiker / Pinch Server 2nd Year Active Kazuhito Narita #8 Middle Blocker 2nd Year Active Tobio Kageyama #9 Setter 1st Year Active Shōyō Hinata #10 Middle Blocker / Decoy 1st Year Active Kei Tsukishima #11 Middle Blocker 1st Year Active Tadashi Yamaguchi #12 Middle Blocker / Pinch Server 1st Year Active Former Players

    Name Number Position Age Ikkei Ukai #5 ? 69 Yūsuke Takinoue #9 Middle Blocker 26 Makoto Shimada #11 Wing Spiker / Pinch Server 26 ? #1 ? ? ? #4 Libero ? Keishin Ukai #2 Setter 26 Akiteru Tsukishima #5 Wing Spiker 22 Kawada ? Wing Spiker 22-23 ? ? ? 22-23 ? #1 ? ? ? #3 Setter ? ? #4 Libero ? ? #5 ? ? ? #6 ? ? ? #7 ? ? ? #8 ? ? ? #9 ? ? Tenma Udai #10 Wing Spiker / Ace 21 ? #2 Libero 20-22 ? #11 ? ? ? #12 ? ? Hidemi Tashiro #1 Captain 19-20 ? #2 ? 19-20 ? #9 ? ? Hiroki Kurokawa #2 Wing Spiker / Captain 18-19 ? #? ? 16-17 ? #? ? 16-17 Later Players

    These players joined the Karasuno High School Boys' Volleyball team in school year 2013-2014.

    Name Number Position Age Tokita ? ? 15-16 Shoji ? ? 15-16 Yaotome 4 Libero 15-16 Girls Club

    2012-2013 Team

    Name Number Position Year Status Yui Michimiya #1 Wing Spiker / Captain 3rd Year Retired Mao Aihara #2 Vice-captain / Wing Spiker / Ace 3rd Year Retired Rinko Sudō #3 Captain 2nd Year Active Moe Kikuchi #4 ? 2nd Year Active Manami Aoki #5 Setter ? Active Nozomi Watabe #7 Libero ? Active Chizuru Sasaki #11 Wing Spiker 3rd Year Retired

30. #30Daiki Ogano

    Keys: Daiki Ogano

    KANJI 小鹿野 大樹 RŌMAJI Ogano Daiki CHARACTER INFO ALSO KNOWN AS Broccoli/Broccoli Head (by Gōra) Broccoli #1 (by Kageyama) GENDER Male STATUS AGE 18 (2012) OCCUPATION High School Student (3rd Year) TEAMS Shinzen High NUMBER 1 (High School 3rd Year) POSITION Captain Wing Spiker BACKGROUND INFORMATION HOME TOWN Saitama Prefecture HOME COUNTRY Japan DEBUT INFORMATION IN THE MANGA Let's Go to Tokyo!! For Real!! IN THE ANIME Center Ace SEIYŪ INFORMATION VOICE ACTOR Chihiro Suzuki ENGLISH ACTOR Gabriel Regojo IMAGE GALLERY LESS Daiki Ogano (Japanese: 小鹿野おがの 大樹だいき, Ogano Daiki) is a third-year at Shinzen High. He is the captain and a wing spiker for the Boys' Volleyball Club.

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    Ogano has narrow eyes that are slanted slightly upwards. His hairstyle is curly and puffy enough to resemble a broccoli floret. Both his hair and eyebrows are a chestnut brown. Personality

    Ogano is generally an expressive person. As part of the Fukurōdani Academy Group, he gets along with the other captains, especially Masaki Gōra from Ubugawa High. The two do not hesitate to tease about the other's appearance, calling each other "Broccoli Head" and "Fish Lips".[1] He is someone easy to get a reaction out of when teased and is also quick to boast when he and his team succeed. Background

    Not much is known about his background other than the fact that he currently attends Shinzen High, located in Saitama Prefecture in the region of Kantō. He eventually becomes the captain in his third-year. Plot

    Tokyo Expedition Arc

    Ogano's debut appearance comes during the training camps held by the Fukurōdani Academy Group.[2] Ogano and the Shinzen team were originally able to play against Karasuno without much trouble due to the fact that Hinata and Kageyama were absent for the first few matches. When the two first years eventually arrived, Shinzen would play against Karasuno for their final game of the first day and were suddenly not able to keep up with Karasuno; specifically, the freak quick attack. Seeing how quick Hinata is, Ogano had Eikichi try to mark Hinata, but Chigaya was only able to graze the ball. After Karasuno won the match, Gōra taunted the Shinzen captain on their loss as Ogano tried to defend himself that Gōra wouldn't be able to do any better against the quick attack.

    When Shinzen plays against Ubugawa, Ogano is unable to properly receive Gōra's serve but is able to regain a point for Shinzen when the team performs the synchronized attack. During the barbecue, Ogano later notices how Yachi was frozen in fear when several players tried to help her after she ate a burnt piece of meat before he would openly admire the rest of the female managers. Ogano is present to say good-bye to the Karasuno team when they leave.

    Tokyo Nationals Arc

    Ogano goes to watch the Karasuno vs Nekoma match with Eikichi Chigaya and Masaki Gōra. They arrive to the match right after Hinata scores the first point of the game. At witnessing Nishinoya successfully perform a jump set, Ogano comically remembers how Nishinoya would miss several jump sets during the summer training camp. Ogano appears to be one of the few to catch on that Nekoma would use their blockers to direct where Karasuno spikers should send their spikes when he watches Lev and Kai force Tanaka to send his spike directly where Yaku is waiting.[3] When Kageyama was up to serve and Chigaya comments how he and Kageyama became close friends during the All-Japan Youth training camp, Ogano questions if Kageyama even knows Eikichi's name which causes Eikichi to nervously hope that Kageyama does know his name. Like many others, Ogano is surprised at seeing Kenma rush to make an overhand set as they were not used to seeing the setter put in more effort than necessary. He later jokingly comments how they might see Nishinoya start spiking after Daichi scores with a back attack.

    Statistics

    He seems to be good at spiking. He's strong enough to cleanly receive Gōra's serve, who is an excellent server himself. Relationships

    Shinzen High

    Eikichi Chigaya: Ogano and Chigaya are often seen hanging around one another both on and off the court, suggesting they are good friends. The two attended the third day of the Spring Tournament together along with Masaki Gōra. Ubugawa High

    Masaki Gōra: During the Training Camp arc, Ogano and Gōra appear to be bitter rivals, often mocking one another about certain plays and calling each other insulting nicknames; Ogano calling Gōra 'Fish Lips' or 'Ponytail' and Gōra calling Ogano 'Broccoli Head'. This mostly appears to just be a simple rivalry as the two are later seen watching the match between Karasuno and Nekoma along with Eikichi and appear to get along rather nicely.

31. #31Eikichi Chigaya

    Keys: Eikichi Chigaya

    KANJI 千鹿谷 英吉 RŌMAJI Chigaya Eikichi CHARACTER INFO ALSO KNOWN AS Broccoli #2 (by Kageyama) GENDER Male DATE OF BIRTH October 19, 1996 Pre-timeskip Post-timeskip AGE 16 (High School 1st Year - Dec 2012) HEIGHT 193.2 cm (6' 4.1") - Dec 2012 WEIGHT 78.5 kg (173.1 lbs.) - Dec 2012 OCCUPATION High School Student (1st Year, Class 5) - 2012 TEAMS Shinzen High (Former) NUMBER 7 (High School 1st Year) POSITION Middle Blocker BACKGROUND INFORMATION FAMILY Unnamed Older Brother and Sister LIKES Yakitarako Onigiri HOME TOWN Saitama Prefecture HOME COUNTRY Japan DEBUT INFORMATION IN THE MANGA Room to Grow IN THE ANIME Center Ace SEIYŪ INFORMATION VOICE ACTOR Shōta Chōnan (Season 2 - Season 4) Masahide Yamaguchi (2024 - Present)

    ENGLISH ACTOR Kyle C. Jones IMAGE GALLERY LESS Eikichi Chigaya (Japanese: 千鹿谷ちがや 英吉えいきち, Chigaya Eikichi) was a first-year student at Shinzen High. He was a middle blocker for the Boys' Volleyball Team.

    As of 2018, he's a college student and plays as a middle blocker for VC Kanagawa, a V.League Division 1 volleyball team.

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    He has curly black hair with the slightest navy tint, cropped closely to his head. His eyes are dark blue and are quite big. Standing at 193 cm during his first year of high school, he is exceptionally tall for someone his age.

    Post-timeskip, his appearance has stayed mostly the same, but he has grown his hair out more in a similar style to Ogano's and appears to have been dyed a lighter color.

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    Eikichi appears to be a friendly person. During the All-Japan Youth Camp, he was around Kageyama most and tried to be friendly and start conversations with the setter but found himself at a loss when Kageyama proved to be a challenge to speak to. He also went out of his way to take Kageyama to the train station after the training camp, so that he wouldn't get lost along the way. Background

    Eikichi currently attends Shinzen High, located in Saitama Prefecture in the region of Kantō. Plot

    Tokyo Expedition Arc

    Eikichi first appeared at the Fukurōdani Academy Group training camp. During Shinzen's final practice match against Karasuno, he was appointed to try to block Hinata in an attempt to stop the freak quick attack but was only able to graze the ball since Hinata was too fast for him to keep up with.[1] Despite this, Eikichi was silently regarded as a threat by Hinata since he was able to keep up with the quick attack during the second half of the practice match despite never having seen it before.

    Tokyo Nationals Arc

    Group s4-e4-1 Before the Spring High National Tournament, he has been invited to join the All-Japan Youth Training Camp. He tries to make friends with Kageyama since he is the only person he knew at the camp but found difficulty in this as Kageyama was not very talkative. As they have dinner, he reveals that Shinzen got to the finals to represent Saitama but eventually lost in straight sets. Shortly after, Eikichi witnesses Kageyama's first encounter with Sakusa wherein Sakusa wanted to know why Shiratorizawa lost to Karasuno and was shocked when Kageyama expressed he felt that Sakusa did not live up to his reputation. After Sakusa left, Eikichi voices how surprised he is at how bold the setter was toward one of the top three aces and how everyone present at the youth camp is incredibly talented, specifically pointing out Kōrai Hoshiumi.

    Group s4-e4-3 During a later day, Eikichi plays against Kageyama's team during practice, which includes Atsumu Miya. Eikichi would be close by Kageyama when Hoshiumi approached the first-year setter to question if he had ever seen him play before and then become upset that Kageyama didn't seem impressed with his skills. Eikichi would then watch as Atsumu approached Kageyama and called him a Goody-Two-Shoes when he plays.

    At the end of the camp, Eikichi offers to show Kageyama the way to the train station when the setter admits that he forgot where it was.

    Later on during nationals, Eikichi, Daiki Ogano, and Masaki Gōra from Ubugawa High went to watch the Nekoma vs Karasuno match where he would claim to be a close friend of Kageyama's but is actually uncertain if Kageyama sees him as a friend.[2]

    Final Arc

    Eikichi's final appearance is when he is watching the game between the Schweiden Adlers and the MSBY Black Jackals. He is a college senior and is playing for the V.League Division 1 team VC Kanagawa as a middle blocker

32. #32Eita Semi

    Keys: Eita Semi

    KANJI 瀬見 英太 RŌMAJI Semi Eita CHARACTER INFO ALSO KNOWN AS Semi-Semi (by Satori Tendō) GENDER Male DATE OF BIRTH November 11, 1994 Pre-timeskip Post-timeskip AGE 17-18 (2012) HEIGHT 179.5 cm (5' 10.7") - Oct 2012 WEIGHT 70.5 kg (155.4 lbs.) - Oct 2012 OCCUPATION High School Student (3rd Year, Class 1) - 2012 TEAMS Shiratorizawa Academy NUMBER 3 (High School 3rd Year) POSITION Setter Pinch Server BACKGROUND INFORMATION FAMILY Unnamed Younger Sister LIKES Tekka Maki HOME TOWN Miyagi Prefecture HOME COUNTRY Japan DEBUT INFORMATION IN THE MANGA Links IN THE ANIME Greetings SEIYŪ INFORMATION VOICE ACTOR Takuma Terashima ENGLISH ACTOR Alan Brincks IMAGE GALLERY LESS I want to show my abilities. This desire is too strong. Although I know that the current Shiratorizawa does not need such a setter, this desire is uncontainable. But when I'm serving, I am free.

    VOLUME 21 CHAPTER 181 AND SEASON 3 EPISODE 8

    Eita Semi (Japanese: 瀬見せみ 英太えいた, Semi Eita) was a third-year student at Shiratorizawa Academy. He was a setter and pinch server for the Boys' Volleyball Team.

    In 2018, he is a civil servant as well as a musician in a band.

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    Semi has thick and messy ash blonde hair with dark grey tips. His eyebrows are black, contrasting his hair. His eyes are brown and sharply shaped, and he's often seen with a small scowl on his face. He has a lean but muscular build.

    Post-timeskip, Semi's hair appears slightly longer, and his clothing reflects that he is now a musician, wearing black clothing with fur trimming and minor pieces of jewelry.

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    He appears serious and stoic, but is actually hotheaded and competitive, partially towards Shirabu, who had become the team's regular starting setter. Despite that, Semi acknowledges the strength and abilities of his teammates and those of his opponents. He also cares about his teammates and is occasionally sincere and nice. However, he does tend to show annoyance when Tendō calls him by his unwanted nickname "Semi-Semi". Background

    Like most members of the Shiratorizawa Boys' Volleyball Team, Semi got into the school through a sports scholarship. He was a famous setter during his time at middle school and was the main setter for Shiratorizawa before being replaced by Shirabu.[1] Plot

    Interhigh Arc

    Shiratorizawa wins against Ohgiminami (2:0 / 25-10, 25-6) and then goes on to face off against Aoba Johsai for the last match. Shiratorizawa wins the finals as well.[2]

    Spring High Preliminary Arc

    Shiratorizawa vs Karasuno

    During a timeout in the second set, Semi calls Shirabu from the side and advises him to carefully think of how to support Ushijima, but Shirabu brushes him off, which annoys the third-year.[1] The game resumes, and Shirabu unexpectedly performs a dump shot, shocking the entire gymnasium. Semi quietly admits that Shirabu isn't that bad.

    Semi2 Semi serves the ball as a pinch server. Near the end of the second set, the score reaches a deuce and Semi is sent into the game while Tendō is brought out. Semi would unleash a powerful serve that threw Karasuno into disarray. When the ball returned to Shiratorizawa, Shirabu gave Semi the ball to set and he, in turn, gave the final hit to Goshiki who easily got his spike between Daichi and Hinata. Semi's next serve was received by Daichi and, even though it was off, Kageyama and Hinata were still able to perform their super quick, shocking the entire arena in the process.

    In the fourth set, Semi is subbed in for Shirabu when the score is 21-21. However, due to Goshiki hesitating to block, Hinata and Kageyama were able to get a quick attack in and end his serve. Early in the fifth set, Semi warns Shirabu that he's setting to Ushijima too much. Taichi believes that Shirabu is doing this because Tsukishima has been so persistent in his blocking.

    Semi returns to the game during the fifth set. While preparing to serve, Semi understands that he is not the type of setter that Shiratorizawa needs as he is aware of his need to show off his skills. But the one area where he can truly show his strength without worry is his serves. Semi lands a no-touch service ace and puts Shiratorizawa ahead by three points. After Karasuno called a timeout, Semi serves again. However, his time on the court ends when Hinata pulled an incredible play by receiving Ushijima's spike incredibly close to the net and it landed back on Shiratorizawa's side. With this, Semi is removed from the game for the final time. Shiratorizawa eventually lost the match and placed second in the tournament.

    Reon and Semi-Battle of Concepts 1 Sometime later, the third-years gather the underclassmen for a farewell speech.[3] Semi watches Ushijima prepare the rest of the team for next year with words of motivation and advice before the upperclassmen officially retire from the club.

    Tokyo Nationals Arc

    Semi occasionally helps out during the First Year Training Camp shortly before the Spring Tournament. He had noticed that Hinata wasn't taking part in the actual matches and later learned from Goshiki that Hinata had crashed the camp and was only allowed to stay if he acted as a ball boy. Semi would later show amusement when Shirabu tried to get Goshiki to ask Ushijima for advice and the younger wing spiker refusing to ask a rival for help.

    Final Arc

    After high school, Semi became a civil servant and a musician in a band. He and Reon attend the Adlers and Jackals game and greatly cheered for Ushijima during the match. He would later gather with many of his former teammates at Goshiki's home to watch a show on Tendō having become a chocolatier but also show him and Ushijima meeting in Paris.

33. #33Shiratorizawa Academy

    Keys: Shiratorizawa Academy

    KANJI 白鳥沢学園 RŌMAJI Shiratorizawa Gakuen TEAM CAPTAIN Wakatoshi Ushijima COACH Tanji Washijō COLORS White / Purple Shiratorizawa Academy (Japanese: 白鳥沢しらとりざわ学園がくえん, Shiratorizawa Gakuen) is a private high school in Sendai, the capital of Miyagi Prefecture. Since the entrance exam is extremely difficult, most students get accepted by passing the entrance exam or through sports scholarships.

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    Shiratorizawa uniform Male uniforms as worn by Shirabu, Ushijima, and Tendō. The boys' uniform consists of a white jacket, light blue dress shirt, purple tie, purple plaid pants, and brown loafers. The girls wear a white jacket, light blue dress shirt, purple bow tie, purple skirt, and grey sweater.

    Ushijima j-haikyu Shiratorizawa's volleyball uniform. The boys' volleyball club's uniform consists of a white tracksuit with purple accents. The members wear black t-shirts and purple shorts during practices. During official matches, they wear a white jersey with the sleeves being purple, the bold purple vertical stripe on side of their jersey and shorts, and number on the jersey top in purple. The captain of the team wears the number 1 jersey. The libero's uniform is a purple jersey and purple shorts with white accents, lettering, and numbers.

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    The Boys' Volleyball Club is considered a "powerhouse". According to Tanaka, the volleyball team has ranked among the top 8 in Japan for several years.[1] It has been noted by the captain, Wakatoshi Ushijima, that Shiratorizawa supposedly never weakens no matter what. In accordance with that, Shiratorizawa had been undefeated and the Miyagi Prefecture representative at national tournaments for generations, only having lost to Karasuno recently and not making it to nationals five years prior when the Small Giant was on the team. The current team being so strong that during the finals match against Karasuno, Shiratorizawa students were already assuming their team would win and were making travel plans to watch them at nationals. Additionally, Ushijima is one of the three best aces in the country and is currently one of Japan's under-18 (under-19 in the anime) volleyball representatives for the Youth World Championship.

    ShiratorizawaBanner "Intense Force." Shiratorizawa, combined with their clean reception and precise sets, is exponentially strengthened by the super-ace Ushijima, who tears down blocks and strategical plays of its adversaries (as seen in the battle against Aoba Johsai in the Interhigh preliminaries). The team's main strategy is to focus everyone's strength to support Ushijima, hence the reason why it's symbolized by a single eagle. This is unlike Karasuno with its multiple crows as it focuses on teamwork and individual strength.

    Shiratorizawa's most notable players are captain and ace Ushijima, one of the top 3 aces in the whole nation, along with Itachiyama's Sakusa and Mujinazaka's Kiryu, and middle blocker Tendō, also known as the "Guess Monster" with guess blocks that stop the opponents' spikes no matter where placed.

    The team has also defeated Aoba Johsai in the final match of the Miyagi Prefecture Interhigh Preliminaries and advanced to Nationals. The team's third-years had decided against retiring for a chance to compete in the Spring Tournament.

    The most well-known generation of Shiratorizawa is the current one, but the most successful one was Ushijima's father's generation. Utsui's generation had a 190 cm ace and had probably won first place in Nationals[2].

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    Name Position Year Status Tanji Washijō Coach - Active Akira Saitō Coach - Active Name Number Position Year Status Wakatoshi Ushijima #1 Captain / Wing Spiker / Opposite Hitter / Ace 3rd Year Active Jin Soekawa #2 Vice Captain 3rd Year Active Eita Semi #3 Setter / Pinch Server 3rd Year Active Reon Ōhira #4 Wing Spiker / Outside Hitter / Vice Captain 3rd Year Active Satori Tendō #5 Middle Blocker 3rd Year Active ? #6 ? ? Active Yunohama #7 Pinch Server 2nd Year Active Tsutomu Goshiki #8 Wing Spiker / Outside Hitter 1st Year Active Yu Shibata #9 Middle Blocker 1st Year Active Kenjirō Shirabu #10 Setter 2nd Year Active ? #11 ? ? Active Taichi Kawanishi #12 Middle Blocker 2nd Year Active Kai Akakura #13 Libero 1st Year Active Hayato Yamagata #14 Libero 3rd Year Active ? ? Middle Blocker ? Active Yūshō Sagae ? Wing Spiker 1st Year Active Umeda ? ? 2nd Year Active Suzuki ? ? 1st Year Active Later Members

    Name Number Position Current Age Yumeto Nagamatsu ? Middle Blocker 14-15 Former Players

    Name Number Position Current Age Takashi Utsui ? ? 49 ? ? Wing Spiker / Ace ? Lucio Katō ? ? 45

34. #34Eri Miyanoshita

    Keys: Eri Miyanoshita

    KANJI 宮ノ下 英里 RŌMAJI Miyanoshita Eri CHARACTER INFO GENDER Female STATUS AGE 17 (2012) HEIGHT 158.7 cm (5' 2.48") OCCUPATION High School Student TEAMS Ubugawa High POSITION Manager BACKGROUND INFORMATION HOME TOWN Kanagawa Prefecture HOME COUNTRY Japan DEBUT INFORMATION IN THE MANGA Room to Grow IN THE ANIME Center Ace SEIYŪ INFORMATION VOICE ACTOR Misa Kayama ENGLISH ACTOR Kayle Campbell IMAGE GALLERY LESS Eri Miyanoshita (Japanese: 宮みやノ下した 英里えり, Miyanoshita Eri) is a student at Ubugawa High. She is the Boys' Volleyball Club manager.

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    Eri has medium length green-black hair styled in twintails and slate-green eyes.

    Like the volleyball team, she wears a yellow t-shirt during the training camp and white track pants with two blue vertical stripes on either side on the legs.

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    Not much is known about her, but she seems to be a bubbly, friendly individual. Background

    She currently goes to Ubugawa High and is one of the managers for the boys' volleyball team. Plot

    Tokyo Expedition Arc

    Miyanoshita goes with her team to the summer training camp. She often stays by the side with the coach or captain. Occasionally, she helps with meal preparations for the players, such as helping with breakfasts and announcing that watermelon had been delivered to them. When Karasuno and Fukurōdani were playing their final match and Bokuto fell into his depressed mood, Miyanoshita commented how the ace tries to act like the older brother of the team but in reality is more like the baby of the family. Despite this, she still acknowledges Bokuto as the strongest player present at the camp. At the barbecue, she helps with preparing the food before she sits with the other managers and converses with them about their teams.[1]

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    Ubugawa High

    Ubugawa High: She seems to get along with her team and seems closest to the team captain.

35. #35Positions

    Keys: Positions

    There are four main positions when it comes to volleyball (one is broken down into two different spots): setter, wing spiker (two left sides and one right side is the standard), middle blocker, and libero. Each of these positions plays a specific, key role in a volleyball match[1]. Positions on the court are simple to follow: each position is opposite of its matching position (left sides are opposite of each other, middles are opposite of each other, and the right side is opposite of the setter). Each player must pay special attention to how they are lined up when waiting for a serve, specific cross-overs are illegal before the ball is in play. If a referee calls this, it is considered an out-of-rotation fault. Once someone serves, players on the court can go wherever they want and not worry about crossing other players.

    Most teams include a captain and a vice captain; depending on the size and current members of the team, the captain is usually a third-year, while the vice-captain is a third-year or second-year. The captain traditionally wears the number "1" on his jersey, however, this is not always the case. All captains have an underlined jersey number, though. Usually after the first tournament of the year, most third-years retire and the captain position is usually given to the best suited or qualified second-year.

    Players

    Setter

    Kageyama Tobio Cover Tobio Kageyama Setters orchestrate the attacks. They are the playmakers of the volleyball team and are analogous to point guards and quarterbacks[2]. Their responsibilities are to run the team's attacks and build up potential scoring opportunities for the team. They aim for the second touch and their main responsibility is to place the ball in the air for the attackers to send into the opponents' court for a point[3].

    They play both front row and back row similar to wing spikers and must therefore participate in serves, spikes, blocks, and receives when necessary[2]. They must be able to operate with the spikers, manage the tempo of their team's side of the court, and choose the right attackers to set to[3]. Setters need to be able to make quick and skillful evaluations, have effective communication skills and tactical accuracy, and be quick enough to move around the court.

    Middle Blocker

    Kei Tsukishima Cover Kei Tsukishima Middle Blockers are also known as Middle Hitters.[3]

    For defending, middle blockers are near the net in the middle of the court, between the two outside blockers. They are primarily responsible for blocks, meaning they must attempt to stop equally fast plays from their opponents and be able to quickly set up a double block at the sides of the court.[3]

    For attacking, middle blockers perform fast attacks that usually take place near the setter.[3] They will usually hit quick sets or serve as decoys to confuse the opponents' blockers if their passes are good enough.

    For a non-beginners play, every team will have two middle blockers.[3]

    Libero

    Nishinoya Yuu Cover Yū Nishinoya Liberos are exclusively defensive positions. They are responsible for receiving an attack or serve and are usually the players on the court with the quickest reaction time and best passing skills. They also display impressive reading skills, meaning they can see/predict where the ball will go. A common misconception is that liberos are ambidextrous in life, when in fact they are usually only ambidextrous in volleyball. This gives them an edge when playing defense, as they can receive hard-to-get balls from either side with equal success. Libero means "free" in Italian because liberos have the ability to substitute for any other player on the court during each play[3]. However, they can't be switched in/out with the player about to serve or be switched in/out during a rally. Once a libero is switched out, they must remain off the court for a point before returning to the court, which is accomplished if they are switching for someone after they are done serving. They are meant to switch out with those with the weakest receiving skills, this usually leads them to switch with one or both middle blockers as they are often taller and have trouble receiving, although this is not always the case.

    Liberos only play in the back row and are often the pillar of the defense. If a team is struggling with receiving, they will often try to find a way to change their formation to give the libero more court to cover or direct the ball to the libero to improve their chances of receiving the ball well. They must wear a contrasting color compared with the rest of the team since the switch they make is considered an illegal substitution for other positions. For a libero, height doesn't matter since they aren't allowed to block, spike, or participate in mid-air combat as spikers can. This allows shorter players with strong passing and defensive skills to excel in the position and play a key role in the team's success[3]. Due to the rules, they can't become captain either, though liberos often have the qualities of a captain. A libero can pass a ball to a spiker, but he or she must follow specific rules; otherwise, it's a penalty. The rule that is addressed most in the anime is the rule stating a libero can't make an overhand toss to a spiker if they step in front of the ten-foot line, but the series shows liberos getting around this by jumping behind the line and tossing in front of the line before they land; dubbed a Libero Toss/Set.

    Wing Spiker

    Tanaka Ryuunosuke Cover Ryūnosuke Tanaka Wing Spikers are the players who carry the serve and receive responsibility along with the libero. They are usually the ones who attack with the ball, which the setter sets to the antenna at either the left or right side of the court, and usually score the most points in the game. Spikers play both the front row and the back row.

    Wing spikers are generally divided into two types:

    Left-Wing Spikers, also known as Left-side Hitters or Outside Hitters, attack from near the left antenna. The outside hitter is usually the most consistent hitter on the team and gets the most sets. Inaccurate first passes usually result in a set to the outside hitter rather than the middle or opposite. Since most sets to the outside are high, the outside hitter may take a longer approach, always starting from outside the court sideline. For a non-beginners play, there are again two outside hitters on every team in every match. Right-Wing Spikers, also known as Right-side Hitters or Opposite Hitters, carry the defensive workload for a volleyball team in the front row. Their primary responsibilities are to put up a well-formed block against the opponents outside hitters and serve as a backup setter. Sets to the opposite usually go to the right side of the antennae[3]. There are two types of Opposite Hitters that teams use; in ordinary high school formations, the Opposite Position is given to Defensive Specialists with an overall balance play, while in professional formations, the Opposite Position is given to spikers with an overall immense Offensive capabilities, they do not participate in serve receives, as their primary focus is to attack. Special Positions

    Ace

    Asahi Azumane Cover Asahi Azumane The Ace is responsible for spiking past the blockers with brute force. The qualities of aces are high mental strength and the ability to act accordingly when cornered, the most important ability is having confidence that they can score even when no one else has. The ace is also responsible for getting last-point scores during long rallies where the ball doesn't hit the ground for an extended period of time.

    Although an ace needs a huge amount of fighting power, being an ace doesn't really require great strength. Some aces have control rather than power and can aim in the weak spot of a blocker or make a feint spike to throw the blockers off to score.

    Decoy

    Shoyo Hinata Cover Shōyō Hinata The decoys are responsible for tricking the opposing blockers and defense by drawing attention to themselves which causes opposing players to either follow the decoy or be caught off guard long enough for the true spiker to attack. Some decoys have a huge amount of fighting strength or pure talent to gain the opponent's attention; this makes opponents keep an eye on the decoy instead of the true spiker, tricking them in the process.

    If, by any chance, the decoy becomes ineffective, no spiker is free and will mostly get blocked due to the blockers being able to anticipate the spiker.

    Pinch Server

    Tadashi Yamaguchi Cover Tadashi Yamaguchi The Pinch Servers are switched into the game to get an advantage over the opponents or at crucial times, usually near match point. The serves usually have to be extremely powerful or unique, such as the Jump Float Serve or the underhand Ceiling Serve seen during the Tokyo Spring Nationals.

    Serve Controllers are pinch servers who have impressive control over their serves, adding rotation to the ball so that the receivers won't be able to receive the ball properly. Alternatively, they can also aim their serves to head directly between two people or aiming at the weakest receiver or simply curve the ball to the open area of the court.

    Power Servers are another type of pinch server that can get a service ace. Rather than relying on control, these servers rely on pure brute strength. They are capable of serves resembling spikes, as the power behind them increases their speed drastically. The ball will be so fast and strong that the receiver will have a tough time trying to receive it. If the receiver does receive the ball, it will either come back to the serving team as a chance ball or bounce off the court.

    Defense/Serving Specialist

    Kita.Transparent Shinsuke Kita At some levels where substitutions are unlimited, teams will make use of a Defensive Specialist in place of or in addition to a libero. This position does not have unique rules like the libero position; instead, these players are used to substitute out a poor back row defender using regular substitution rules. These players and liberos are often interchangeable with each other. Having both types of players allows a team to have improved defense, as well as flexibility with the lineup. If the libero is having an off day, the defensive specialist and the libero can switch positions before a match starts to give the team a better chance of winning. A defensive specialist is often used if there is a particularly poor backcourt defender on the right or left side and the team is already using a libero. Most often, the situation involves a team using the right-side player with a big block who must be subbed out in the back row because they aren't able to effectively play defense.

    Similarly, teams might use a Serving Specialist to sub out a poor server[3]. Pinch servers are considered serving specialists. Some serving specialists are subbed in not because the person they are replacing is a poor server, but because it is a crucial moment in the game, or because the server being subbed in has a serve that will be more effective. This strategy is used near the end of games to extend the team's lead or close the point gap. These servers have often mastered multiple types of serves to be more effective against different teams.

36. #36Management

    Keys: Management

    Management

    Coach

    Keishin Ukai Cover Keishin Ukai Coaches are the people in charge of the team. They make all the big decisions for the team, like submitting lineups, calling timeouts, communicating with referees, etc. They are in charge of training and building strategies for the team. Coaches are usually former players themselves, so they have experience with multiple aspects of the game. They can assess from the sidelines and decide what changes need to be made, they then tell the player that needs to know, or they tell the captain, who then relays the message to whoever needs to know. They constantly coach the team by teaching them new methods and conducting frequent practice matches with both each other and other teams.

    Manager

    Kiyoko Shimizu Cover Kiyoko Shimizu Managers are responsible for the well-being of the team. They record statistics of team-play, refill the players' water bottles, help with injuries, provide food occasionally, and cheer the players on. Managers attend official matches along with the team, but only one manager is allowed to be on the bench with the coach and advisor.

    Teacher Advisor

    Ittetsu Takeda Cover Ittetsu Takeda Advisors are responsible for the team overall. They do not coach or take care of the players' necessities, though some advisers help arrange practice matches or buy new uniforms for the teams. Advisers' jobs are to look after the team and make sure the team is active, communicate with the school and the players' teachers, etc. They may also be teachers themselves, so they also keep track of players' academic performances.

37. #37Ubugawa High

    Keys: Ubugawa High

    KANJI 生川高校 RŌMAJI Ubugawa Kōkō TEAM CAPTAIN Masaki Gōra MANAGER Eri Miyanoshita COLORS Blue / White Ubugawa High (Japanese: 生川うぶがわ高校こうこう, Ubugawa Kōkō) is a high school in Kanagawa Prefecture.

    Uniform

    Chapter 402 includes a colored double spread of every team, including Ubugawa, and their school colors are revealed to mainly consist of marine blue and a bit of white.

    In the practice matches during the Tokyo Training camp, the volleyball players are seen wearing a yellow t-shirt and white shorts, with a dark green sports bib on top. Volleyball Club

    FukurodaniAcademyGroup1 The Fukurodani Academy Group, from left to right: Nekoma, Fukurodani (top), Ubugawa (bottom) and Shinzen. Ubugawa excels in jump serves, a skill that the members refine by doing a hundred serves after practice every day. They commonly use "serve-and-block", a strategy in which the players aim to destroy the opponents with the serve, try to limit the opponents' attack space, and then block.

    Ubugawa is also a member of the Fukurōdani Academy Group which is composed of teams from the Kanto Region. For years, the schools have been holding summer training camps and practice matches with one another. Members

    Name Position Year Status Junichi Nakazaki Coach ? Active Yōsuke Akita Coach ? Active Eri Miyanoshita Manager ? Active Name Number Position Year Status Masaki Gōra #1 Captain / Wing Spiker 3rd Year Active Yōhei Ashiya #2 ? ? Active ? #3 ? ? Active Kengo Nanasawa #4 ? ? Active Shingo Sengoku #5 ? ? Active ? #6 ? ? Active Yūji Isehara #7 ? ? Active ? #8 ? ? Active Kōji Yukawa #9 ? ? Active Toshimi Nakagawa #12 ? ? Active

38. #38Fuki Hibarida

    Keys: Fuki Hibarida

    KANJI 雲雀田 吹 RŌMAJI Hibarida Fuki CHARACTER INFO GENDER Male STATUS AGE 52 (2018) TEAMS Japan Men's National Volleyball Team POSITION Coach DEBUT INFORMATION IN THE MANGA Haven't Reached the Starting Line IN THE ANIME Self-Introduction SEIYŪ INFORMATION VOICE ACTOR Hiroshi Yanaka ENGLISH ACTOR Joe Grisaffi IMAGE GALLERY LESS Japan will always fall apart in the face of overwhelming height and power. That old cliché is completely outdated.

    VOLUME 24 CHAPTER 210

    Fuki Hibarida (Japanese: 雲雀田ひばりだ 吹ふき, Hibarida Fuki) is the coach for Japan National Volleyball Team.

    Appearance

    Hibarida appears to be a middle-aged man with some wrinkles near his eyes. He has thick black eyebrows and a thin mustache with an anchor beard that barely connects to his sideburns. His black hair (brown in the anime) is styled up and parted to his left side.

    He is first seen wearing the tracksuit for the All-Japan Representative Team but later shows up at the Spring Tournament in a more formal suit and tie. Personality

    Hibarida has a positive attitude and is generally seen with a cheery smile on his face. As the Japan Men's National Volleyball Team coach, he is very observant about players' potential and gives due praise when he sees a good play. He appears to be quite open-minded since he doesn't discriminate against short players and aims to break those long-held volleyball stereotypes.[1] Background

    Not much is known of his background as of yet, but he is a qualified coach capable of leading the Japan Men's Olympic Volleyball Team. Plot

    Tokyo Nationals Arc

    Preparation for Nationals

    Fuki s4-e1-2 Hibarida first appears as the Japan Men's National Volleyball Team coach. He welcomes all the invited players to the National Youth Training Camp with a brief speech about his philosophy. Hibarida mentions that they are aiming to break the old stereotypes about height and power when it comes to volleyball. Rather than focusing on what players are blessed with, he prioritizes the potential the players are able to draw out.

    Nationals

    Karasuno vs Inarizaki

    Hibarida shows up to watch the match between Karasuno and Inarizaki on the second day of the Spring Tournament. He is seen taking notice of Hinata with a colleague after the Miya Twins copied Kageyama and Hinata's signature quick. His colleague suggests that Hinata may be disheartened after seeing his unique attack used against him, but Hibarida thinks otherwise. He mentions that Hinata has yet to make a name for himself without factoring Kageyama, and from here on out, Hinata won't be always playing with the same setter. Hinata will need to polish his individual skills, but at the same time, having the right teammates will be just as important. Hibarida believes that concerning the minus-tempo quick attack, Atsumu is proof that there's at least one other setter that can toss to Hinata. Perhaps, rather than discouraged, Hinata might be delighted at the fact that their attack is no longer "the one and only".[2]

    Fuki s4-e22 Hibarida continues to watch the match while carefully observing Karasuno's strategy to counter Inarizaki by constantly pulling out new attacks. He quickly understands that despite Karasuno holding out well, the real match will begin once Karasuno runs out of new projectiles in their arsenal. Later, he admires the high caliber plays from the Miya Twins when Osamu resets a ball that Atsumu tosses to him on the first touch. Hibarida is seen with a blank surprised expression as he watches Hinata perform a miraculous receive that returns the ball high into the air. He compares the play to a single foothold found when climbing a tall and treacherous mountain and recognizes its effect of restoring the team's confidence.[3]

    Karasuno vs Kamomedai

    Into the third set, Hibarida watches Kamomedai's match against Karasuno and explains to the person next to him that what he is looking for are big and strong players.[4] However, regarding short players such as Hoshiumi, he says they just make him choose them. After seeing Karasuno and Itachiyama lose, Hibarida expresses that all of the great players at nationals have to have experienced losing at one point since there will always be a team better than them no matter how high they climb.

    Final Arc

    Coach Hibarida appears during the match between the Schweiden Adlers and the MSBY Black Jackals as Hinata and Atsumu are performing their version of the super quick attack. Seeing the attack, he recalls how he had seen the two play against each other in high school and remembers how he stated that there is now another setter that can perform this specific set.[5]

    He stays to watch the rest of the match until the Jackals were eventually able to claim victory. Hibarida later appears when he is coaching the national team at the 2021 Olympic match against Argentina where he encourages the players to prove to everyone how fun volleyball is.

39. #39Fumi Enaga

    Keys: Fumi Enaga

    KANJI 柄長 二三 RŌMAJI Enaga Fumi CHARACTER INFO GENDER Female STATUS AGE 22-23 (2012) 29 (2018) OCCUPATION Sports Journalist DEBUT INFORMATION IN THE MANGA Vivid Impressions IN THE ANIME Vivid IMAGE GALLERY LESS His height is exactly what gives him wings.

    ENAGA TO HERSELF REGARDING HOSHIUMI

    Fumi Enaga (Japanese: 柄長えなが 二三ふみ, Enaga Fumi) is a sports journalist covering volleyball games throughout the series.

    Appearance

    Enaga has dark olive-brown colored hair, roughly shoulder length that she normally keeps styled in a ponytail. She also appears to be rather short in height, standing just a few inches shorter than Kōrai Hoshiumi.

    After the timeskip, she has cut her hair to be roughly chin length. Plot

    Tokyo Nationals Arc

    Enaga first appears during the Spring Tournament, rushing to interview Hoshiumi after Kamomedai's first match of the tournament.[1] Because of the way she questioned the young ace, Hoshiumi asks if she is only interviewing him due to his small height, to which she is unable to respond. Hoshiumi makes a speech regarding height and volleyball but is then forced to apologize to Enaga by Hirugami because he was "ranting".

    Final Arc

    Enaga is one of several journalists covering the Schweiden Adlers vs MSBY Black Jackals match and has intern Akane Yamamoto with her during the game.[2] After the match ended, she approaches Hoshiumi to ask what he thinks of Hinata and the changes he's made since they last faced each other. When the same question was asked of her, she admits that she found Hinata's improved balance and core stability have allowed him to do many things during the game. Hoshiumi agrees and Enaga is surprised to hear him admit that Hinata is currently just a bit better than he is but marvels in that he also agrees when she states Hoshiumi has found an excellent rival.

    Enaga is later shown observing the 2021 Olympic match between Argentina and Japan with Akane

40. #40Gorō Sakakibara

    Keys: Gorō Sakakibara

    KANJI 榊原 五郎 RŌMAJI Sakakibara Gorō CHARACTER INFO GENDER Male STATUS OCCUPATION Coach TEAMS Kakugawa High POSITION Coach BACKGROUND INFORMATION HOME COUNTRY Japan DEBUT INFORMATION IN THE MANGA Conversations IN THE ANIME Up Above SEIYŪ INFORMATION VOICE ACTOR Hiroki Matsukawa ENGLISH ACTOR Matthew Carter IMAGE GALLERY LESS Gorō Sakakibara (Japanese: 榊原さかきばら 五郎ごろう, Sakakibara Gorō) is the coach for Kakugawa High Boys' Volleyball Club.

    Appearance

    Sakakibara is an older person of average height. He has black hair with small eyebrows of the same color. Reflecting his age, he is shown to have some wrinkles. Personality

    Sakakibara appears to be a kind and encouraging coach. Background

    Not much is known about his background.

    He currently coaches the volleyball team for Kakugawa High School located in Miyagi Prefecture. It's unknown how long he's been the coach. Plot

    Spring High Preliminary Arc

    Sakakibara is briefly shown in the Kakugawa volleyball gym, where Hyakuzawa is introducing himself to the team.[1]

    Shortly before the match begins, Sakakibara assures that Hyakuzawa is in top form and therefore is confident to win the game. When Kakugawa loses the first set and Hyakuzawa becomes confident about gaining more points, Sakakibara is seen being proud of his determination. After Kakugawa loses, Sakakibara uses the metaphor of the team having "being baby chicks" to say that they weren't prepared enough to win.

    Relationships

    Kakugawa High

    Kakugawa High: Kakugawa-Anime Sakakibara has a good relationship with his team. He helps with encouraging Hyakuzawa before the match against Karasuno.

41. #41Kakugawa High

    Keys: Kakugawa High

    KANJI 角川学園高校 RŌMAJI Kakugawa Gakuen Kōkō TEAM CAPTAIN Yuzuru Komaki COACH Gorō Sakakibara COLORS Lime / Yellow / Black Kakugawa High (Japanese: 角川かくがわ学園がくえん高校こうこう, Kakugawa Gakuen Kōkō) is a private high school in Miyagi Prefecture.

    Uniform

    Not much is known about the school uniform.

    A Simple and Pure Strength-0 Kakugawa's uniform. During official matches, the boys' volleyball club's uniform consists of a lime jersey and shorts with yellow and dark green details. The libero has a contrasting jersey in dark green with yellow and black details. He also wears dark green shorts with yellow and black details. Volleyball Club

    The volleyball team has recently become a formidable opponent after the two-meter-tall Yūdai Hyakuzawa joined. Although the rest of the team lacks in offensive power, its defense is shown to be solid. It lost to Karasuno in its second match of the Spring High, but Coach Ukai anticipates that with Hyakuzawa, Kakugawa's strength will increase exponentially by the next tournament. Members

    Name Position Year Status Gorō Sakakibara Coach ? Active Name Number Position Year Status Yoshiaki Nurukawa #1 Middle Blocker 2nd Year Active ? #2 ? ? Active Eiji Makado #3 Middle Blocker 2nd Year Active Kaito Asamushi #4 Wing Spiker / Outside Hitter 2nd Year Active Yuzuru Komaki #5 Captain / Setter 2nd Year Active ? #6 ? ? Active Isao Inagaki #7 Wing Spiker / Opposite Hitter 2nd Year Active ? #8 ? ? Active Yūdai Hyakuzawa #9 Wing Spiker / Outside Hitter / Ace 1st Year Active ? #10 ? ? Active ? #11 ? ? Active Taishi Minamida #12 Libero 2nd Year Active

42. #42Hajime Iwaizumi

    Keys: Hajime Iwaizumi

    KANJI 岩泉 一 RŌMAJI Iwaizumi Hajime CHARACTER INFO ALSO KNOWN AS Iwa-chan/Iwa (English) (By Oikawa) GENDER Male DATE OF BIRTH June 10, 1994 Pre-timeskip Post-timeskip AGE 17 - 18 (High School 3rd Year) - 2012 HEIGHT 179.3 cm (5' 10.6") - Apr 2012 WEIGHT 70.2 kg (154.7 lbs.) OCCUPATION High School Student (3rd Year, Class 5) - 2012 TEAMS Kitagawa Daiichi Junior High (Former) Aoba Johsai High (Former) NUMBER 4 (Junior High 3rd Year) 4 (High School 3rd Year) POSITION Outside Hitter Ace Vice Captain BACKGROUND INFORMATION FAMILY Unnamed Father LIKES Volleyball Agedashi Tofu DEBUT INFORMATION IN THE MANGA Reunion and Failure IN THE ANIME An Interesting Team SEIYŪ INFORMATION VOICE ACTOR Hiroyuki Yoshino ENGLISH ACTOR Benjamin McLaughlin IMAGE GALLERY LESS Someone who can't see the opponent standing right in front of him can't defeat the opponent that lies beyond!

    HAJIME IWAIZUMI TO OIKAWA[1]

    Hajime Iwaizumi (Japanese: 岩泉いわいずみ 一はじめ, Iwaizumi Hajime) was a third-year student at Aoba Johsai High. He was a wing spiker, ace, and vice-captain for the boys' volleyball team.

    After graduating high school, Iwaizumi went to college and majored in sports science. In 2021, he is an athletic trainer and is seen working with the Japanese National Volleyball Team.

    Appearance

    Iwaizumi has dark, spiked-up hair, and thin eyebrows. His eyes are dark brown in the manga, olive green in the anime adaptation, and grey in the Haikyuu!! smartphone game. His hair is black in the manga and in the Haikyuu!! smartphone game, but dark brown in the anime. More often than not, he's shown to hold a serious or irked expression.

    While playing volleyball, Iwaizumi wears a standard Aoba Johsai uniform with number four on it. He is otherwise shown wearing an Aoba Johsai school uniform consisting of khakis with dark brown details, a lavender-colored button-down shirt, a dark red tie, and a white blazer. Iwaizumi's uniform appears to be missing the cream-colored vest that goes with the rest of the uniform and appears to be slightly disheveled, with his tie loose around his neck and his shirt left untucked.

    In the anime adaptation, Iwaizumi is seen wearing an outfit which consists of a pair of jeans with an oversized dark blue denim jacket over a grey hoodie.

    Post-timeskip, Iwaizumi's appearance has changed very little with the only exception being his hair is slightly shorter. Personality

    Iwaizumi is a stubborn but reliable teammate, often filling in Oikawa's spot as a morale booster if needed. He acts supportive to all, including Tobio Kageyama, and calls Oikawa out for his childish antics. He often resorts to violence with Oikawa whenever he teases or provokes him, but this does not change the fact that he cares immensely for him; as shown when he makes an effort to stop Oikawa from either working too hard or losing confidence.

    Iwaizumi's firm-yet-caring attitude has led some members of the Aoba Johsai team to look up to and respect him. His underclassmen often gravitate towards him, and he is seen giving calm and light-hearted advice to Kindaichi, which can contrast to how he treats Oikawa. He is also very respectful and does not treat his rivals coldly, as Kageyama still treats him respectfully and Iwaizumi has acknowledged his skills.

    It is also seen through some extras by Furudate that, while Iwaizumi can be strong and intimidating, he also has quite the goofy side where he loves monsters and gets excited when he finds an "Oikawa" fish in a book to make fun of Oikawa with[2]. Background

    Oikawa and Iwaizumi s1-e24-2 Since childhood, Iwaizumi has been close friends with Oikawa. The two were often shown watching volleyball matches on television and playing volleyball in their free time. When they were a little older, Iwaizumi accompanied Oikawa to a match in Sendai between Argentina and Japan. He witnessed Oikawa meet with Jose Blanco and saw his friend's dedication to become a setter begin at this point.

    As they got older, Iwaizumi witnessed Oikawa push himself to become a great volleyball player. However, he soon saw his friend begin to push himself too hard when he found himself to be no match for Ushijima's raw power and brute force or Kageyama's seemingly gifted abilities. One night, Iwaizumi was able to stop Oikawa from striking Kageyama while he was blinded by rage and was able to help his friend see that, while he stood no chance against someone like Ushijima alone, he has a team to rely on that can help him be stronger. From this, Iwaizumi seemed satisfied that Oikawa appeared to be recovering although he occasionally has to keep him in check at times. Plot

    Karasuno High Team Formation Arc

    As Oikawa was not present for the start of the match, Iwaizumi would lead the team through the majority of the practice match. Right before the match is about to start, Iwaizumi, along with Yahaba and Matsukawa, express their confusion over why Kageyama decided to attend Karasuno[3].

    During the second set, Kindaichi gets frustrated because of Hinata's decoy trick as well as Tanaka's taunts. Iwaizumi advices him not to be impatient and not to get dragged into their pace since their own attacks are still working. When a time-out is called, Iwaizumi and the team hear from their coach how Kageyama is giving his spikers the best hittable sets possible and how Hinata is hitting his super quick with his eyes shut. Although Iwaizumi finds the news amazing, he does not linger on it too much.

    When the game continues, Iwaizumi is blocked by Kageyama and Tsukishima. When Karasuno reaches set point, Iwaizumi admits that he is starting to worry that they may lose the game. After Karasuno won the second set, the teams are having a small break before the third set when Oikawa arrives.

    Near the end of the third set, Oikawa is switched in and nearly gets Seijoh caught up until Hinata was able to get a one-touch on Kindaichi's spike. As Hinata made his approach for a wide broad attack, Iwaizumi tried to stop him, but he was not quick enough to stop Hinata from getting the winning point. After Karasuno left, Iwaizumi listens to Oikawa admitting that Kageyama is a more skilled setter and becomes annoyed at hearing his friend think he is not as good as the first-year. Even as Oikawa tries to convince him that there is possibly no one else who can compare to Kageyama in setting, Oikawa still firmly believes that Seijoh can beat Karasuno since Oikawa knows his team better than Kageyama does and is already looking forward to beating Karasuno in a real match. Iwaizumi again becomes annoyed at Oikawa's antics but is questioned if he himself did not like naturally talented people like Kageyama. Iwaizumi instead answers that pretty boys like Oikawa are what annoy him most and begins hitting Oikawa with volleyballs.

    Interhigh Arc

    On the first day of the Interhigh Tournament, Aoba Johsai arrives at the Sendai City Gymnasium. As they are entering and are discussing going to watch Karasuno's first match, it's pointed out that Oikawa has slipped away from the group. When it's revealed that Oikawa has been pulled away by a group of fangirls, Coach Irihata sends Iwaizumi to find the setter. Outside, Iwaizumi finds Oikawa and immediately throws a volleyball at his head. Fearful of Iwaizumi's presence, Oikawa quickly follows the ace inside[4].

    As the team makes their way into the gym, Iwaizumi hears Oikawa teasing Hinata and Kageyama and quickly stops him. At this point, they notice that Karasuno now has Asahi and Nishinoya on the team, as well as Ukai as their new coach. Just before the match starts, Iwaizumi is amused at the confused looks Hinata is attracting when Tokonami sees that he is playing as a middle blocker and when Kindaichi expresses how this would be their downfall since he himself had done the same.

    Although he admittedly dislikes Kageyama, Iwaizumi remarks that Hinata was not doing much in their quick set, but rather, Kageyama's remarkable sets were.

    Aoba Johsai vs Karasuno

    The evening before Aoba Johsai's match against Karasuno, Iwaizumi tells Oikawa not to stay up all night watching the recording of Karasuno's previous match he was holding in his hand. At this, Oikawa sarcastically asks Iwaizumi if he was his mother, and Iwaizumi angrily stares at him, which results in Oikawa telling him that he was going to take care of himself. After this, Iwaizumi yells and insults his friend, which offends Oikawa. The next day, when warming up for their match against Karasuno, Oikawa asks Iwaizumi if he's trying too hard, but ultimately, it would be useless since none of the girls would be paying attention to him. Angry, Iwaizumi is about to hit Oikawa, but Kindaichi holds him back before he is able to do so[5].

    During the second rally, Oikawa seems to be going for a dump but changes his course to set for Iwaizumi at the last minute, and he is able to score. Following this, Iwaizumi tells Oikawa that his set was too low, but Oikawa tells him that he knew Iwaizumi would have been able to hit it either way. When Nishinoya bumps Oikawa's serve, Iwaizumi gets angry because he wasn't expecting it. Later on, Oikawa calls for a time-out to explain what he's figured out about Karasuno's tactics, and when Iwaizumi tells him that it would seem clear that Aoba Johsai would have figured it out after such an early time-out, Oikawa tells him that he wants Kageyama to panic.

    Even after Oikawa tells Aoba Johsai about how to tell which one of Hinata's attacks is coming, Iwaizumi still has a hard time blocking them as they are still extremely fast. After losing this rally, Iwaizumi tells Oikawa never to say that he could never beat Kageyama as a setter ever again, and when his friend answers back innocently, Iwaizumi angrily glares at him. When Sugawara is subbed in for Kageyama, Oikawa tells Iwaizumi to go for a line-shot, as Sugawara's block would be easy to surpass as he is shorter[6]. However, when Iwaizumi is about to hit the ball, Tsukishima blocks him, having just switched places with Sugawara, since he knew that he was going to get targeted.

    Iwaizumi and Matsukawa s1-e21-2 When Sugawara is about to set to Hinata, Iwaizumi and Matsukawa are confused about which quick set it was going to be. Noticing their hesitation, Oikawa yells at the two that it's because Sugawara is setting, not Kageyama, to which they get mad at themselves. Aoba Johsai just needs a single point before they win the first set, but before that Hinata attempts to spike the ball to the other side of the court but fails and Iwaizumi bumps it with difficulty. During the time-out for the end of the first set, Iwaizumi admits that he initially thought that Karasuno's defense only depended on Hinata and Kageyama. After hearing this, Oikawa mockingly tells Iwaizumi not to overthink things as he'll hurt himself, and Iwaizumi headbutts his friend.

    Karasuno is one point away from winning the second rally, however, Iwaizumi spikes against Karasuno, and some spectators notice that Aoba Johsai's players are really good, but they keep getting forgotten behind Oikawa. Right after, it's Oikawa's turn to serve, and both Iwaizumi and Hanamaki in front of him tell him to smash it, to which he answers: "I know". During the same set, Iwaizumi gets blocked and seeing his frustration Oikawa tells him that Kageyama probably read that. Not long after, Oikawa sets for Iwaizumi, and Takinoue is awed at how in sync the two are. Hinata is about to pull his quick attack, and together, Iwaizumi and Matsukawa try to stop him but fail since he is instead used as a decoy.

    Not long after, Daichi tries his hardest to prevent their loss but gets reminded that Aoba Johsai isn't either as Iwaizumi saves the ball in a hurry. When Iwaizumi spikes and motivates his team, they are all impressed at how cool he is, but Oikawa ends up insulting him. Despite this, Iwaizumi knows that Oikawa is thinking of Ushijima while Aoba Johsai is just a few points away from winning, but tells him that if he couldn't focus on his current opponents, he wouldn't be able to beat Shiratorizawa[7]. In the next rally, Karasuno is waiting for Aoba Johsai's next move, but at least know that they would be leaning on their ace. However, he is used as a decoy. After Aoba Johsai's victory, the team gathers around each other and cheer.

    Aoba Johsai vs Shiratorizawa

    Aoba Johsai advanced to the finals but were unable to claim victory against the reigning champion team, Shiratorizawa Academy. However, unlike the third-years of most other schools, Iwaizumi and the other Seijoh third-years would not retire from the team as they wished to have another chance to play against Shiratorizawa and make it to the Spring Tournament.

    Tokyo Expedition Arc

    Spring High Preliminary Arc

    Sometime prior to the qualifiers, Iwaizumi threatens Oikawa as if he were to catch a cold. Iwaizumi would once again get on the offense when Kyōtani brings up having defeated by Shiratorizawa another time. As the qualifier tournament is about to begin, Hinata encounters Iwaizumi and Oikawa in front of the men's bathroom, which startles him. Upon this encounter, Iwaizumi asks Hinata about having defeated Kakugawa and Hyakuzawa in particular. When Oikawa smugly tells Hinata about his upcoming defeat, Iwaizumi tells Oikawa to be more mature. However, tension soon grows high as Ushijima arrives and unintentionally insults Oikawa and Iwaizumi, which provokes them.

    Karasuno vs Wakutani Minami

    When preparing for their own match, Iwaizumi and Oikawa watch Karasuno's match for the qualifiers' second round. When Iwaizumi misses what happens during the middle of the first set, Oikawa explains that there was a collision between Daichi and Tanaka. After this, Iwaizumi is afraid that Daichi might have a concussion. As the captain is subbed out to get medical support, Iwaizumi suggests for Karasuno to go six-two, but Oikawa doubts the possibilities. After this, Iwaizumi can't recall much from Ennoshita when being asked about his performance during their practice game when he is subbed in.

    Aoba Johsai vs Date Tech

    During the match, Iwaizumi doesn't struggle to spike past Date Tech's blockers. Despite this, he is still not able to score as Sakunami manages to bump it roughly. Not long after, Iwaizumi and Hanamaki both insult Oikawa and they get a remark from him. Later on, Iwaizumi serves, and he seems to be able to score a service ace, but ultimately, Date Tech wins the point.

    Group s2 e 18 9 After Oikawa intentionally sets to Iwaizumi for him to get past the blockers, Iwaizumi tells Oikawa to simply let him fight his own battles, and Oikawa gets intimidated by this comment. When Oikawa sets to him once more, some spectators notice that Iwaizumi isn't a very big person overall, but Date Tech's extremely tall blockers make him look even smaller. Despite this, Iwaizumi is able to find a crack in Koganegawa's defense and manages to score and win the match.

    Aoba Johsai vs Karasuno

    As the game is about to begin, Oikawa tries to voice his trust in the team only for Iwaizumi, Matsukawa, and Hanamaki to state their trust in him as their captain. Although they are serious in their trust in Oikawa, Iwaizumi and the others warn him to make his first serve of the game count, or else he will owe them and the team ramen after the game. Iwaizumi would later serve, and Karasuno's back row notice how his serve has gotten better as well, much like the rest of his team. During the end of the first set, Iwaizumi punches Kyōtani, concerned for his teammates' safety, as Kyōtani had randomly leaped in his teammates' attack. During the next rally, and the start of the second set, Yahaba, on the sidelines, explains that because Kyōtani had lost every single time to Iwaizumi in every single athletic challenge, Iwaizumi is the only one who he'll listen to.

    Later on, Oikawa sets, and Matsukawa is used as a decoy for Iwaizumi to score. However, he finds his task more difficult than he thought as Yamaguchi receives it with his chest, desperate to stay on the court longer. Iwaizumi clashes against Yamaguchi once more when he scores past him and ends his streak of points. Shortly after, he notices Kindaichi tensing up and tells his junior to focus on the next points rather than the ones they lost. Iwaizumi later wins Aoba Johsai the set thanks to both Kindaichi and Kyōtani being used as a decoy for him to score.

    At the start of the third set, Iwaizumi is able to score the first point. When Kyōtani started to become aggressive after Tsukishima had blocked him and called his serve as landing out, Iwaizumi attempted to speak with Kyōtani but Coach Irihata brought Kyōtani out of the game before he could. Once Kyōtani was sent back in after having been confronted by Yahaba, Iwaizumi joins the team in complimenting the second year and celebrating the times he is able to earn them points.

    Iwaizumi saves Yamaguchi's serve by lunging for it and surprises the spectators. Iwaizumi would impressively save another difficult shot when Asahi spikes. After this, Iwaizumi thinks to himself at how he used to think spiking was the greatest thing someone could do; however, he learned that saving a shot that a spiker thought was perfect was even more satisfying. Near the end of the set, Sugawara serves, but purposely aims at where Iwaizumi and Watari are standing so it makes Watari wonder whether he should leave it to Iwaizumi. In the end, Iwaizumi gets it, but it puts him out of position. After Kageyama pulls a dump, Iwaizumi gets frustrated and yells at how angry Kageyama makes him.

    In the final set, Oikawa goes out of the court to set to the ball where Iwaizumi is on the other side. Iwaizumi, happy at that perfect set, slams the ball to the opposing court but Tanaka manages to receive it. Iwaizumi is also of the triple block that read Kageyama's motion to set to Hinata, but they still fail to block him. After their loss, Iwaizumi blames himself for the loss as he felt he was unable to make his last spike count and believes he is not worthy of being the ace. He gets comforted by Oikawa, Hanamaki, and Matsukawa with pats on the back and joins them and the team in thanking their supporters. Nevertheless, that evening, he has a competition with Oikawa to determine who had the more right to be upset over their loss. Shortly after, the club's third-years all play together. As they are about to wrap things up, Hanamaki senses that Oikawa is about to end off with a happy message to conclude their volleyball career and they all break into tears.

    Iwaizumi and Oikawa would soon walk home together. Iwaizumi tells Oikawa that he doubts Oikawa would ever be happy because he can't see him be satisfied, even with perfection. However, he and Iwaizumi both fist bump and thank each other for being such great partners.

43. #43Aoba Johsai High

    Keys: Aoba Johsai High

    KANJI 青葉城西高校 RŌMAJI Aoba Jōsai Kōkō TEAM CAPTAIN Tōru Oikawa COACH Nobuteru Irihata Sadayuki Mizoguchi COLORS White / Turquoise Aoba Johsai High (Japanese: 青葉あおば城西じょうさい高校こうこう, Aoba Jōsai Kōkō), also known as Seijoh (Japanese: 青城せいじょう, Seijō), and Blue Castle, is a private high school in Miyagi Prefecture.

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    AobaJohsai(uniform) Male uniforms as worn by Oikawa and Iwaizumi. Aoba Johsai, like most Japanese schools, has a uniform and dress code. The male uniform consists of a pale blue shirt, dark red tie, cream sweater vest, white blazer, and light brown pants with dark details.

    Oikawa Aoba Johsai's volleyball uniform. The boys' volleyball club's uniform consists of a white tracksuit with turquoise details. The members wear turquoise t-shirts and white shorts during practice matches, and often don a lime green sports bib on top. During official matches, all the players excluding the libero don a white jersey with turquoise details, and turquoise shorts with a white vertical stripe on the side. The libero has a contrasting jersey in turquoise with white details. If they have to play against a team with a similar looking uniform, they have an alternate outfit—a turquoise jersey with white details, and the libero, a white jersey with turquoise details.

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    AobajousaiBanner The official banner for Aoba Johsai reads "Rule the court" (コートを制す). The Boys' Volleyball Team is ranked in the top four of the prefecture. For years, it had always been in the finals of the Interhigh and Spring High, only losing to Shiratorizawa. Most of the players are powerful enough to become aces of the team. Most also went to Kitagawa Daiichi Junior High and were invited to Aoba Johsai to join the volleyball team.

    Aoba Johsai's most notable players are Oikawa, Miyagi Prefecture's best all-around player, team captain, and setter, and Iwaizumi, the team's vice-captain and ace with his powerful spikes and serves, and also Kyōtani, a second-year that struggles to play along with his teammates but has powerful spikes.

    It has been noted that the team's current strength is partly due to the star setter, Tōru Oikawa, who balances and brings out all of the players' abilities.

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    Name Position Year Status Nobuteru Irihata Head Coach Graduate Active Sadayuki Mizoguchi Coach Graduate Active Name Number Position Year Status Tōru Oikawa #1 Setter / Captain 3rd Year Active Issei Matsukawa #2 Middle Blocker 3rd Year Active Takahiro Hanamaki #3 Wing Spiker / Outside Hitter 3rd Year Active Hajime Iwaizumi #4 Vice Captain / Wing Spiker / Outside Hitter / Ace 3rd Year Active ? #5 ? ? Active Shigeru Yahaba #6 Setter / Pinch Server 2nd Year Active Shinji Watari #7 Libero 2nd Year Active ? #8 Libero ? Active ? #9 ? ? Active ? #10 ? ? Active ? #11 ? ? Active Yūtarō Kindaichi #12 Middle Blocker 1st Year Active Akira Kunimi #13 Wing Spiker / Opposite Hitter 1st Year Active Kentarō Kyōtani #16 Wing Spiker / Opposite Hitter 2nd Year Active Kaneo Yuda ? Wing Spiker 3rd Year Active Motomu Sawauchi ? Middle Blocker 3rd Year Active Heisuke Shido ? Wing Spiker 3rd Year Active

44. #44Nobuteru Irihata

    Keys: Nobuteru Irihata

    KANJI 入畑 伸照 RŌMAJI Irihata Nobuteru CHARACTER INFO GENDER Male STATUS AGE 52 OCCUPATION Head Coach TEAMS Aoba Johsai High POSITION Head Coach BACKGROUND INFORMATION HOME TOWN Miyagi Prefecture HOME COUNTRY Japan DEBUT INFORMATION IN THE MANGA An Interesting Team IN THE ANIME An Interesting Team SEIYŪ INFORMATION VOICE ACTOR Mitsuaki Hoshino ENGLISH ACTOR John Gremillion IMAGE GALLERY LESS Nobuteru Irihata (Japanese: 入畑いりはた 伸照のぶてる, Irihata Nobuteru) is the head coach of the Aoba Johsai High boys' volleyball team.

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    He has black hair, grey eyes, and dark, arched eyebrows. He appears to be short but has a large build.

    He is usually seen wearing a track suit consisting of the Aoba Johsai colors of white and turquoise. Personality

    He is extremely confident in his team and rather laid back, unlike Coach Mizoguchi. Irihata even allows his teammates to hold the team meetings by themselves and trusts the decisions the captain, Oikawa, makes. Plot

    Karasuno High Team Formation Arc

    Irihata first appears during the practice match between Aoba Johsai and Karasuno. During the second set of the match, he is shown to be very observant when he points out to his players that every time Hinata has done the quick attack he has had his eyes closed and that Kageyama is adjusting his sets for the spikers to hit. Irihata is also revealed to have personally invited Kageyama to join Aoba Johsai only for the setter to have turned down the offer in favor of Karasuno. Despite the rejection, Irihata is certain that Kageyama would not have undergone the same change at Aoba Johsai that he has at Karasuno, more so due to his interactions with Hinata. As Irihata sees each of the Karasuno players strengths and weaknesses, he finds Karasuno to be an interesting team. When Oikawa arrives to the game as the third set is about to begin, Irihata welcomes him back but also warns the third-year setter not to over exert himself like he had before and advises him to take extra time to warm-up.

    Interhigh Arc

    Irihata and his team are able to watch part of Karasuno's match against Date Tech. He immediately notices that Karasuno is starting their rotation with Asahi in the backrow as it may possibly be their strongest formation when it comes to making serve receives. He is later impressed at seeing Kageyama's serve but feels the setter still has a way to go to master the control of it. While impressed with the speed, height, and strength of Date Tech's famous iron wall, Irihata is aware that even Date Tech's skilled blockers may not be able to handle the super quick attack by Hinata and Kageyama.

    When Aoba Johsai later plays against Karasuno, Irihata and Mizoguchi do not offer much coaching to the players as they allow them to figure things out on their own or follow Oikawa's lead. He would be impressed at how Oikawa reveals that he has figured out the code that Hinata and Kageyama use in order to differentiate which type of quick attack to use during certain situations. Irihata does later help them figure out the best possible way to counter Hinata's wide broad attack when the team appeared to be struggling to figure out how to counter it. This would help the team better handle Hinata and Karasuno altogether which would eventually lead to their victory.

    Spring High Preliminary Arc

    As the match against Karasuno is about to begin, Irihata is blunt about the fact that Karasuno is a team that always surprises everyone and they are no exception. He encourages the players to stay calm and play to their utmost abilities. While he would be surprised at hearing the third-years voice their trust in Oikawa to help them claim victory once again, Irihata sees that they are being serious in their claim.

    Near the end of the first set, Irihata saw how close Karasuno was to claiming the set and decided to send Kentarō Kyōtani into the game to change things up. However, this would backfire as Kyōtani put too much power into his spike and caused Seijoh to lose the first set. Although he would become frustrated at Kyōtani always wanting to use full power in his attacks, Irihata wanted to wait to see if things would turn around. Once it was becoming clear that Kyōtani was starting to become more easily provoked by Tanaka and Tsukishima, Irihata decided to remove Kyōtani from the game to give him time to cool down. Once Yahaba was able to get through to Kyōtani, Irihata sent him back into the match. When Karasuno eventually claimed victory, Irihata still tells the team how well they played during the match.

    Relationships

    Aoba Johsai High

    Sadayuki Mizoguchi: As the coaches, they get along very well although Irihata does occasionally have to reel Mizoguchi in when he is scolding one or more of the players. Aoba Johsai High: Unseen by many other coaches, Irihata trusts his team to be able to lead themselves during matches and often supports the decisions made by Oikawa.

45. #45Sadayuki Mizoguchi

    Keys: Sadayuki Mizoguchi

    KANJI 溝口 貞幸 RŌMAJI Mizoguchi Sadayuki CHARACTER INFO GENDER Male STATUS AGE 31 OCCUPATION Coach TEAMS Aoba Johsai High POSITION Coach BACKGROUND INFORMATION HOME TOWN Miyagi Prefecture HOME COUNTRY Japan DEBUT INFORMATION IN THE MANGA An Interesting Team IN THE ANIME An Interesting Team SEIYŪ INFORMATION VOICE ACTOR Seirō Ogino ENGLISH ACTOR Dano Colon IMAGE GALLERY LESS Sadayuki Mizoguchi (Japanese: 溝口みぞぐち 貞幸さだゆき, Mizoguchi Sadayuki) is the coach of the Aoba Johsai High boys' volleyball team.

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    He appears to be around the 30s. He has short blond hair and eyebrows. He is most often seen wearing the Aoba Johsai tracksuit. Personality

    He takes the matches and practices very seriously and is often seen yelling at the players, even over little things. He also seems to be respectful around other adults, especially Irihata. Plot

    Karasuno High Team Formation Arc

    Mizoguchi first appears during the practice match between Aoba Johsai and Karasuno. After Irihata has revealed to the team that Kageyama has been adjusting his sets so the spikers have an easier ball to hit, Mizoguchi remarks how it seemed like a drawback that Kageyama hadn't accepted Irihata's invitation to join Aoba Johsai.

    Interhigh Arc

    Mizoguchi and the team are present to watch part of Karasuno's match against Date Tech. He comments how Date Tech's read blocking is problematic for their opponents but, like others, is aware that Karasuno's freak quick attack is able to change things to Karasuno's favor.

    When Seijoh and Karasuno eventually play one another, Mizoguchi steps back from coaching as he and Irihata allow the players to lead themselves or follow Oikawa's leadership.

    Spring High Preliminary Arc

    Mizoguchi is excited to see the team ready to play against Karasuno again but would express surprise when he hears Iwaizumi, Matsukawa, and Hanamaki state that they have complete trust in Oikawa to lead them to victory.

    At the end of the first set, Mizoguchi would share in everyone's shock when Kyōtani unintentionally lost the set for Aoba Johsai by putting too much power into his spike. His frustration with the wing spiker would continue throughout the second set when Kyōtani would continue to be reckless in his plays and his refusal to try things like feint shots because they did not have the same satisfaction as a powerful spike. When Sugawara is subbed into the match and begins aiming his serves at Kyōtani to make him late to attack, Mizoguchi is quick to figure out that this is being done intentionally since Kyōtani was a big threat to Karasuno.

    Relationships

    Aoba Johsai High

    Aoba Johsai High: Mizoguchi seems to nitpick Kunimi more than the other players, most likely from seeing that the first-year tends to put minimal effort into his plays. Mizoguchi also tries to get Kyōtani to be more of a team player when he rejoins the team but is frustrated when he would refuse to use any other attacks besides powerful spikes, which tended to backfire at critical moments. While he is not shown having much interaction with the rest of the team, Mizoguchi trusts Oikawa's leadership and strategy as he and Irihata allow the setter and the rest of the players to lead themselves without needing much help from their coaches.

46. #46Hana Misaki

    Keys: Hana Misaki

    KANJI 三咲 華 RŌMAJI Misaki Hana CHARACTER INFO GENDER Female DATE OF BIRTH May 30, 1994 STATUS AGE 18 (2012) HEIGHT 163.2 cm (5' 4.3") WEIGHT 49.5 kg (109.1 lbs.) OCCUPATION High School Student (3rd Year, Class 6) TEAMS Johzenji High POSITION Manager (Former) BACKGROUND INFORMATION LIKES Baby Castella HOME TOWN Miyagi Prefecture HOME COUNTRY Japan DEBUT INFORMATION IN THE MANGA Above IN THE ANIME Up Above SEIYŪ INFORMATION VOICE ACTOR Ayumi Fujimura ENGLISH ACTOR Luci Christian IMAGE GALLERY LESS Tough it out, even through the times when it isn't fun.

    HANA MISAKI TO HERSELF

    Hana Misaki (Japanese: 三咲みさき 華はな, Misaki Hana) is a third-year student at Johzenji High. She is the manager of the boys' volleyball team.

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    Misaki has short chestnut brown hair that ends just above her shoulders, and very short bangs that end above her eyebrows. She has similar colored eyes. Misaki is usually seen wearing a yellow Johzenji track suit. Personality

    Somewhat quiet and timid, Misaki initially often lets herself be spoken over and doesn't chime into conversations often. However, during the match against Karasuno, she finds her voice and surprises her team, as well as Karasuno with a bold speech. Instead of her usual quiet self, she is very blunt about the boys' abilities, and what they need to do or change in order to win, showcasing why she was given the position of manager in the first place. Plot

    Interhigh Arc

    Before the Spring Tournament, Misaki decided to stay on the volleyball team until the end of the school year since she couldn't find a replacement, unlike the third-year captain, Seiji Okudake. Though he decided to retire, he seemed relieved that she was staying, asking her to keep the second-years strong and encouraged. She insisted the boys wouldn't listen to her though.

    Spring High Preliminary Arc

    As the qualifiers begin, Johzenji stumbles upon Karasuno. As Nishinoya and Tanaka are about to attack Terushima, Misaki barges in and apologizes for anything the captain might've done, which makes Karasuno's players both freeze in midair. When the first set ends and Bobata suggests changing the team banner, Misaki is against it and kindly tries to convince Bobata. Terushima then takes Bobata's side and tells Misaki that the banner simply doesn't fit the team as it is now or any of the teams that would come in the future.

    During the second set, a flashback of Okudake thanking Misaki for sticking by the volleyball club is shown. Throughout the second set, Misaki starts to get impatient and finally cracks after listening to some spectators thinning that Karasuno would surely come out victor of the match. After Terushima tells the team to increase their energy once they are clearly panicking, Misaki scolds Johzenji to stop being so reckless and that things would eventually stop being fun, which reminds Terushima of what Okudake was saying. After this, Terushima starts feeling guilty and Misaki telling him to have fun and think over their actions for once, the team starts taking things seriously.

    After Johzenji attempts another synchro-attack as they did in the first set, Misaki remarks that they don't think of what would happen if they fail but instead crave the joy they would get when they succeed. After Johzenji's loss, Anabara thanks Misaki. Rather than taking the credit, she thinks back to Okudake. Shortly after, she tells the players to take good care of Runa. She then follows up by admitting that she finds Johzenji's new playing style to be rather admirable and almost breaks into tears. Before she leaves, the team give her their thanks for everything she's done for them.

    Relationships

    Johzenji High

    Yūji Terushima: While Misaki often was annoyed by Terushima's reckless antics, she still saw the potential he had and encouraged him to think through his plays instead of just acting on a whim. Seiji Okudake: Misaki had a good friendship with the previous team captain and often vented to him about the antics of the younger members. Through his encouragement, she found the will to finally assert herself and get the team in line

47. #47Johzenji High

    Keys: Johzenji High

    Jōzenji Kōkō TEAM CAPTAIN Seiji Okudake (former) Yūji Terushima MANAGER Hana Misaki Runa Kuribayashi COACH Takaaki Anabara COLORS Yellow / White / Black Johzenji High (Japanese: 条善寺じょうぜんじ高校こうこう, Jōzenji Kōkō) is a high school located in Miyagi Prefecture.

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    Johzenji, like most Japanese schools, has a uniform and dress code. The male uniform consists of an olive-colored jacket, white collared shirt, blue tie, and black pants. Girls wear a sailor uniform consisting of a white blouse attached with a sailor-style collar with a dark lining, a blue bow, and a dark-colored pleated skirt.

    Johzenji1 Johzenji's Uniform. The boys' volleyball club's uniform consists of a yellow tracksuit with white details. During official matches, the majority of players don a yellow jersey and shorts with white details. The libero has a contrasting jersey in white with black and yellow details. He wears yellow shorts with black details.

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    JohzenjiBanner "Simplicity and Fortitude." The Boys' Volleyball Club banner reads "Simplicity and Fortitude" in accordance with the team's former playing style. In recent years, the team has been average, having decent defensive ability but lacking offensively.

    One year prior to the series' current time period, Johzenji's dynamic completely changed under new leadership and with the addition of the current second-years. With the intent of "rebuilding the team from the ground up", the new coach Anabara had its members practice through two-on-two matches against one another. During the next year's Interhigh Preliminaries, not only did the team consist of five second-years and two third-years, but they made it into the top 4.

    It is often referred to as the "party team" by other opponents due to the players' easygoing attitude and lack of formation. Karasuno has noted that Johzenji is unorthodox and unpredictable. The players often set up attacks from the back line, save shots with their legs, randomly change positions, or even attempt to copy their opponents' tactics. Johzenji is very adaptable and the players are usually able to keep the rhythm up throughout the match, making them quite formidable opponents.

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    Name Position Year Status Takaaki Anabara Coach ? Active Hana Misaki Manager 3rd Year Active Runa Kuribayashi Manager 1st Year Active Name Number Position Year Status Yūji Terushima #1 Captain / Wing Spiker / Outside Hitter 2nd Year Active Kazuma Bobata #2 Middle Blocker 2nd Year Active Takeharu Futamata #3 Setter 2nd Year Active Katsumichi Higashiyama #4 Wing Spiker / Outside Hitter 2nd Year Active ? #5 ? ? Active ? #6 ? ? Active Rintarō Numajiri #7 Wing Spiker / Opposite Hitter 2nd Year Active ? #8 ? ? Active Nobuyoshi Īzaka #9 Middle Blocker 2nd Year Active ? #10 ? ? Active Arata Tsuchiyu #11 Libero 2nd Year Active ? #12 ? ? Active

48. #48Haruki Komi

    Keys: Haruki Komi

    KANJI 小見春樹 RŌMAJI Komi Haruki CHARACTER INFO ALSO KNOWN AS Komi-yan (by Sarukui) GENDER Male DATE OF BIRTH January 23, 1995 Pre-timeskip Post-timeskip AGE 17 (2012) HEIGHT 164.7 cm (5' 4.8") - 2012 166 cm (5' 5.4") - Jan 2013 WEIGHT 60.5 kg (133.4 lbs) OCCUPATION High School Student (3rd Year, Class 2) - 2012 TEAMS Fukurōdani Academy NUMBER 11 (High School 3rd Year) POSITION Libero BACKGROUND INFORMATION FAMILY Unnamed Older Brother Unnamed Older Sister LIKES Deep fried breaded prawns HOME TOWN Kanto Region HOME COUNTRY Japan DEBUT INFORMATION IN THE MANGA Room to Grow IN THE ANIME Center Ace SEIYŪ INFORMATION VOICE ACTOR Yukitoshi Kikuchi ENGLISH ACTOR Mason Butler (Season 2) Kiba Walker (Season 4–Present) IMAGE GALLERY LESS Haruki Komi (Japanese: 小見こみ 春樹はるき, Komi Haruki) was a third-year student at Fukurōdani Academy. He played as the starting libero for the Boys' Volleyball Team.

    As of 2018, he is an actor in Tokyo.

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    Komi is small in stature. He also has medium brown hair with an undercut. His eyes are a similar color to his hair, and his eyebrows are rather large and triangular.

    During an official match, Komi wears the libero appointed white jersey with black and gold accents, and white shorts with a gold stripe on the sides.

    Post-timeskip, Komi mostly appears the same but has cut his hair to a slightly shorter length.

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    Komi is very outgoing, energetic, and loud. He is like Bokuto in every sense and seems to get very into the game. The libero also isn't afraid to say what's on his mind.

    He interacts well with his teammates and knows when to encourage Bokuto and lift the captain from his depressing mood. Plot

    Tokyo Expedition Arc

    Bokuto Akaashi Komi Komi's debut appearance is when he is seen with his team during the training camp at Nekoma High. He and several others would be caught off-guard and impressed at the sight of Hinata and Kageyama performing their original super quick attack. For the duration of the camps, Komi mostly appears in the background. He would help keep the team going during their final match against Karasuno when Bokuto fell into one of his slumps. At the barbecue, Komi and Konoha nearly attempted to speak to Kiyoko but they were both prevented from doing so by Nishinoya, Tanaka, and Yamamoto acting as her protection squad.

    Spring High Preliminary Arc

    As Bokuto's offers to practice get rejected by Tsukishima, Komi lists Bokuto's impressive titles and verbally crushes them.

    Fukurodani vs Nekoma

    During the game, Komi is able to get multiple good digs from Nekoma. Despite this, he poorly bumps a shot from Fukunaga another time and makes it hard for Akaashi to set, which he apologizes for. In the second set, Konoha does an impressive emergency set and Komi makes an awfully detailed explanation of Konoha's talents as a player.

    When Bokuto forgets how to do a cross-shot, and by extension, everything else, Komi, like the rest of his teammates, becomes alarmed. When Bokuto tries to reason with the team, Komi becomes annoyed. Although this was the case, Komi would still try to help and later would celebrate with his team when they won in straight sets.

    Tokyo Nationals Arc

    Fukurōdani Academy vs. Eiwa High

    Komi is one of the first to notice that Bokuto is in one of his moods. Despite this, Komi still optimistically asks the ace of his worries before he's not sure Bokuto's condition is properly established. After the fact, however, Komi becomes greatly annoyed. Despite this, Komi is sure Bokuto will overcome what is bothering him and is able to play like normal for the rest of the game since instances of the ace being in perfect condition is quite rare.

    Fukurōdani Academy vs Morikawa High

    Komi s4-e12-1 Komi makes a single appearance after Fukurōdani was able to win the game. That evening, Komi and the other third-years, excluding Bokuto, are seen conversing with one another.

    Fukurōdani Academy vs. Matsuyama Nishi Biz High

    Komi is seen playing in the game against Matsuyama. Late in the match, Komi makes an impressive save that impresses Sarukui.

    Fukurōdani vs Mujinazaka High

    Komi is seen being solid in his receives but at times is just narrowly able to save a few spikes. When it's apparent that Akaashi is off his game, Komi tries to keep the mood light and assures the second-year that they will be able to get back any lost points. Sometime later, he saves Kiryū's shot.

    During the second set, Komi makes an overhand pass to Konoha. Sometime later, Komi makes another impressive save from an unexpected shot from Kiryū. After the game, Akaashi gets angry at himself for his mistakes and starts ranting about them. At this, Komi isn't surprised as it fits his character. Despite this, he gets surprised when Bokuto successfully puts Akaashi's spirits up.

    Final Arc

    After high school, Komi has become an actor in Tokyo. He is last seen with Konoha and Sarukui in a bar while watching the Adlers and Jackals game.[1] It is at this time that a flashback shows that Fukurōdani had lost against Ichibayashi High in the finals of the 2013 Spring Tournament. Komi shared the same reassurance as his teammates in supporting Bokuto as he continued his volleyball career after high school

49. #49Fukurōdani Academy

    Keys: Fukurōdani Academy

    KANJI 梟谷学園 RŌMAJI Fukurōdani Gakuen TEAM CAPTAIN Kōtarō Bokuto MANAGER Yukie Shirofuku Kaori Suzumeda COACH Takeyuki Yamiji COLORS Black / Gold / White Fukurōdani Academy (Japanese: 梟谷ふくろうだに学園がくえん, Fukurōdani Gakuen) is a private high school in Tokyo.

    Uniform

    Fukurodani(uniform) Male Uniforms as worn by Bokuto and Akaashi. Fukurōdani, like most Japanese schools, has a uniform and dress code. The male uniform is a "catholic" style uniform. It consists of a white collared shirt, striped blue and white tie, grey blazer and black pants. The female uniform has been partially shown in the manga. It consists of a collared shirt, skirt, and ribbon.

    Bokuaka season 4 Fukurōdani Volleyball Uniform. The boys' volleyball club's jacket is white with black trim on the hem and cuffs and two black and gold stripes on the front. The sweatpants are white with a black and gold v-strip down each side. The jerseys are white with gold accents, black sides and short sleeves, the "ics" logo, and "Fukurōdani" written in kanji. During practice matches, the members wear dark blue t-shirts and white shorts.

    During official matches, they wear their team jersey and black shorts with a gold stripe on each side. The libero wears a contrasting uniform; a black jersey with details in white and gold[1]. When playing against a team with similar colors, majority of the Fukurōdani players will wear jerseys that are mostly white with gold and black accents while the libero will wear a white jersey with black sleeves.

    For the summer training camp, the managers of the boys' volleyball club wore a light blue t-shirt and light grey sweatpants. Volleyball Team

    FukurodaniAcademyGroup1 The Fukurōdani Academy Group, from left to right: Nekoma, Fukurōdani (top), Ubugawa (bottom), and Shinzen. The boys' volleyball team is currently a top four team in Tokyo and the ace of the team, Bokuto, is one of the top five aces in the nation, just barely missing the top three. Additionally, the volleyball team has gone to Nationals each of the last three years, coinciding with the ace's attending years. The team has also made it to the Spring Tournament a total of 28 times and have made it to the tournament a consecutive seven times. At the 2013 Spring Tournament, they managed to defeat Mujinazaka High, a Top 4 team, in the quarter-finals and later finished as the runners up after losing to Ichibayashi High.

    Fukurōdani's most notable players are Bokuto, the captain and one of the Top 5 aces in the nation, and Akaashi, the team's setter and vice-captain.

    Fukurōdani's team is also a member of the Fukurōdani Academy Group, which is composed of teams from the Kanto Region. For years, the schools have been holding summer training camps and practice matches with one another.

    The school's official representative is an owl, coinciding with Bokuto's appearance and name. Members

    Name Position Year Status Takeyuki Yamiji Coach ? Active ? Coach / Teacher Advisor ? Active Yukie Shirofuku Manager 3rd Year Active Kaori Suzumeda Manager 3rd Year Active Name Number Position Year Status ? #1 ? ? Active Tatsuki Washio #2 Middle Blocker 3rd Year Active Yamato Sarukui #3 Wing Spiker / Outside Hitter 3rd Year Active Kōtarō Bokuto #4 Captain / Wing Spiker / Outside Hitter / Ace 3rd Year Active Keiji Akaashi #5 Vice-Captain / Setter 2nd Year Active ? #6 ? ? Active Akinori Konoha #7 Wing Spiker / Opposite Hitter 3rd Year Active ? #8 ? ? Active ? #9 ? ? Active Shūichi Anahori #10 Setter 1st Year Active Haruki Komi #11 Libero 3rd Year Active Wataru Onaga #12 Middle Blocker 1st Year Active ? #13 ? ? Active ? #14 ? ? Active ? #? Libero ? Active

50. #50Hayato Ikejiri

    Keys: Hayato Ikejiri

    KANJI 池尻 隼人 RŌMAJI Ikejiri Hayato CHARACTER INFO GENDER Male DATE OF BIRTH February 19, 1995 Pre-timeskip Post-timeskip AGE 17 (High School 3rd Year) - 2012 HEIGHT 177.2 cm (5' 9.8") - 2012 WEIGHT 67.5 kg (148.8 lbs) OCCUPATION High School Student (3rd Year, Class 1) - 2012 TEAMS Izumitate Junior High (Former) Tokonami High (Former) NUMBER 5 (Junior High School 3rd Year) 4 (High School 3rd Year) POSITION Outside Hitter BACKGROUND INFORMATION FAMILY Unnamed Mother Unnamed Older Sister LIKES Omusoba HOME TOWN Miyagi Prefecture HOME COUNTRY Japan DEBUT INFORMATION IN THE MANGA Powerful Opponents IN THE ANIME Formidable Opponents SEIYŪ INFORMATION VOICE ACTOR Hiromu Miyazaki ENGLISH ACTOR Mateo Mpinduzi-Mott (Season 1) Antonio Lasanta (Season 4–Present) IMAGE GALLERY LESS Hayato Ikejiri (Japanese: 池尻いけじり 隼人はやと, Ikejiri Hayato) was a third-year student at Tokonami High. He was a wing spiker for the Boys' Volleyball Team.

    As of 2021, he is a civil servant and a member of the Sendai City Hall Municipal Volleyball Team.[1]

    Appearance

    Ikejiri is of average height and build. He has short, ruffled brown hair and freckles across his cheeks. During the Interhigh, he wore the Tokonami jersey with the number 4. Personality

    Ikejiri is a carefree yet responsible and somewhat insecure individual. Initially, he doesn't have much apparent ambition for volleyball but later shows a much greater passion. He's incredibly supportive of his friends and cheers on Daichi to win despite his team losing to Karasuno. Background

    Ikejiri went to Izumitate Junior High with Daichi and Yui and played on the boys' volleyball club there. In one of their tournaments, they won the first game but lost the second to a powerhouse. Most of the team, including Ikejiri, lost the will to fight during that match, but Daichi motivated them and continued chasing after the ball. Ikejiri remembered those words all the way to his third year of high school, when he used the same quote to encourage his teammates. During their last year in junior high, they promised each other that they would continue to play volleyball in high school and that the next time they would see each other, they would be on the court as opposites. Plot

    Interhigh Arc

    DaichiAndIkejiri Ikejiri first appears at Tokonami's gym, showing his teammates the roster for Interhigh.[2] Upon discovering their opponent's Karasuno, Ikejiri mentions Daichi and wonders how he's doing.

    On the first day of Interhigh, Ikejiri's hanging around the roster board with his teammate when Karasuno walks in.[3] He tries to get Daichi's attention, but Karasuno enters the gym before he can. He later gets his chance when he encounters Daichi in the hallway. The two catch up a little, and Ikejiri notes that Daichi's body build and aura seem different, showing that he practices a lot more now than in junior high. Ikejiri comments that Karasuno seems really strong while Tokonami's a "weakling school." He reminisces about a match in junior high and recalls his feelings of jealousy towards Daichi's drive and passion. Realizing his feelings, Ikejiri rescinds his comment about being weak and challenges Daichi.

    The Karasuno versus Tokonami match soon begins. Ikejiri spikes a ball past Daichi, but Nishinoya receives it. Soon after, Karasuno overwhelms Tokonami despite Ikejiri's efforts to save the ball. Noticing that his teammates seem to be discouraged, Ikejiri recounts Daichi's quote but gets embarrassed immediately afterwards. His teammates are impressed, though, and they regain their morale.

    Tokonami loses in the end, and Ikejiri thinks about how he played as hard as he could but still couldn't succeed. He later approaches Daichi and yells at him to win a lot of games for Tokonami.

    Tokyo Nationals Arc

    Ikejiri s4-e9-1 Ikejiri is out when he encounters Daichi on New Year's.[4] They talk for a little, and Ikejiri mentions watching Karasuno's match against Shiratorizawa, noting that it was incredible. He then points out Daichi's nervousness and remarks that Karasuno taking down Shiratorizawa was already amazing in itself; Daichi shouldn't add any unnecessary pressure on himself and just continue with what he's doing. This seems to motivate and reassure Daichi greatly.

    Sometime later, Ikejiri's shown watching Karasuno's match on TV and cheering for everyone.

    Final Arc

    As of the end of the series, Ikejiri now works as a civil servant and plays on the Sendai City Hall Municipal Volleyball Team as an outside hitter.

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