BUL vs JPN Highlights Week 1 Women s VNL 2024

In the white and red receiving. It's match day number three on the Volleyball Nations League here in Antalya. Turkey 8 and straight away transition chance for Japan. Good defense though by Bulgaria. Still looking for their side out. Not going to happen. Break point. Lovely pass. If the commit block works. Watanabe with the stuff. Just about a perfect pass. Trying to get that middle running again. Or maybe I'm completely wrong and this is it. Yeah it was not quite the connection was it? There was no way you could have a swing. Works outside the area that the Japanese defense is set. Would do well to put a tip ball down against Japan. Another go. A bit low though. And there's a swing chance here. Koga. Both teams in a neutral position at the moment. Now there's more than one option for Japan. Good tip. Looked like a little bit of a slip then. And if you're Bulgaria there's a lot of positive signs in what they're doing. They're controlling the ball pretty well. They're getting multiple opportunities. A little bit jammed up but they're able to work it. Fighting for this reception quality that they can have choices that they make with the ball in their offense. That's more like it. That's exactly what they've got to do again. It does mean that on this swing Japan's defense in terms of where they're having to play that now. That's not easy because that's playing a ball around about your face. Just two players moving. It's creating some width. Well played Bulgaria. Now there's three players moving. Good up. Big scramble here from Bulgaria. And now there'll be four players moving for Japan. Oh goodness me what a play. And again. Oh that's so difficult to do but really well played. If Bulgaria win this there's going to be a huge draw. But they still can't find the floor. Another chance for Japan. And in the end that is quality. Fantastic touch by Pask over there. And an equally excellent swing. Just a little look there was from the setter. Almost imperceptible but there was a look. A really good barely barely looking at the feet. Not even looking for the players. Excellent. That's a really good shot. And trying to find the way that they want to play. Touch. Almost caught Bulgaria by surprise. That's fantastic. There's something about Japan. It doesn't matter. It doesn't set up out of system. Well they do so much technical development in Japan that there's a real focus at every level of the game of being able to execute the skills really well and then building it. Not caught the hands but that's the target. That's what they needed to do. Didn't quite work out. She's got some physical presence on the court. She's fast. She's got a pretty quick arm. And her block technique on the previous point was really good. She managed to hold her form and be straight and strong over the net. So it forces the hitters to take extra risk. When the score is close it's a little bit easier to take those risks. Oh yes. Barakova. Fantastic block. Even when it's it's too close you have a chance to make a play on an overpass like this. Brilliant hand. Japan do that very well don't they? They're another team. They know they're up against big blocks. Well simple overload play but the approach angle from Ishikawa where she knows that they're in the space behind where the middle has been. In the way Japan play their defense. Very controlled. Just that play on the sideline. Just the hand out. Yep. Positions where the teammates understand the space around them. That for me is where Jordanova does more often than not. She's got regular footwork hasn't she? Yep. But you've got I mean that set we get we get to see. We're sat right up here opposite the huge gap. Well spotted and that's Goncheva had gone up way too early. Hiding behind the block. To put that ball exactly where it needed to be for a hitter. Battle the block but Japan do what Japan do. Soak it up. Timeouts for the coach. Couple of challenges if you want to though. So some great choices by Japan making their job a little bit easier. Good scramble. Free ball Japan. Four attackers all available and just a little bit too close. Bulgaria not having to move much to get on to it. Still keeping it on the side of Japan for the moment. Fashionably leg block but just a continuation nonetheless. And in the end Ishikawa says enough's enough. This is what I was saying before when she had a swing before down the lines took the edge of the block but got dug someone needs to go that's it keep going and then she has the confidence to be aggressive. That's excellent. No way through. Well there's a Brazilian guy called Sergio who might disagree with you but. Yeah I mean in women's volleyball. Okay. Not men's. But the force the force on that defensive effort. Evidence of that speed and precision and discipline. That adds to the the small amount of time that the Bulgarian block has to get ready. And one thing she's a fantastic volleyball player but her positioning and timing and reading of the situation on that right side of the court or the right side of the attack also ends up in the right place. And nice swing here the last step to try and get into the space to hit the ball. Pogo in the right spot from Hayashi. No way through that time though for Ishikawa. But just getting rushed being ready that one little step earlier or her teammates having the control to buy her another step will turn into points eventually. And that quick restart from Japan. And this is exactly what he talked about. Positive reception and particularly excellent or perfect reception to use the pipe. Stojanova wish you have a really good approach and be physical on this ball. It looked like that finger did move but then anyway it's no touch. Very difficult we see on the uh expanded screens. It's a little bit blurry but that's nice. They're trying to get the difficult. They will have an advantage over the blocker most of the time. No matter what they try Bulgaria leaking points against the Japanese serve. Nice pass. Oh that's lovely. That is some good speed from Bulgaria. Oh goodness me. Oh I say. Well that's Japan and that's the match. Three nothing.