The Japanese national team continues flawlessly in the Volleyball Nations League. In their last match of the second week in Orléans, Laurent Tillie's protégés prevailed over Olympic champions France with a 3:2 (28:30, 19:25, 25:17, 35:33, 15:12) victory after more than two and a half hours of spectacular battle.
With this success, the Japanese recorded their eighth consecutive victory since the start of the tournament and lead the temporary standings with 20 points. France suffered their fourth loss and dropped to 12th place with 10 points, needing mandatory wins in the final week in Chicago to fight for a spot in the Final Eight.
The match fully lived up to expectations. The two teams offered top-level volleyball with exceptional rallies, dramatic comebacks, and a total of four sets decided by a minimal difference.
The French started stronger and, after a dramatic first set won 30:28, consolidated their superiority with a convincing 25:19 in the second. At this point, the hosts seemed close to a clean sweep.
However, the Japanese showed character. They narrowed the score after a 25:17 win in the third set, and the fourth set became a true classic. France missed three match points before Japan snatched an incredible 35:33 to send the match into a tie-break.
In the decisive fifth set, the Asians took the lead early, maintained composure in crucial rallies, and reached the final 15:12, thus perfectly concluding the second week of the tournament.
Japan once again impressed with their defense and game organization, finishing with 92 digs in defense against 76 for France. The Asians also had an advantage in attack (69:63 points), while the French were better in blocking (13:10) and serving (4:2 aces).
The most productive player for the winners was captain Yuki Ishikawa with 28 points, while Ran Takahashi added 19. For France, Mathis Enard scored 24 points, and Stephen Boyer finished with 21.
A particularly difficult moment for the hosts was the injury to the experienced Trevor Clevenot, who left the court with an ankle injury during the fourth set.
| Indicator | France | Japan |
|---|---|---|
| Attack | 63 | 69 |
| Block | 13 | 10 |
| Aces | 4 | 2 |
| Points from opponent's errors | 37 | 41 |
| Digs in defense | 76 | 92 |
| Total points | 117 | 122 |
Japan compensated for their deficit in blocking and serving with a more effective attack, impressive defense, and more points from opponent's errors. It was precisely the stability in long rallies that proved decisive for their eighth consecutive victory.
| Place | Team | Matches | Wins | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | Japan | 8 | 8 | 20 |
| 2. | Slovenia | 6 | 6 | 14 |
| 3. | USA | 5 | 5 | 16 |
| 4. | Ukraine | 5 | 5 | 16 |
| 5. | Poland | 5 | 5 | 14 |
| 6. | Turkey | 5 | 5 | 14 |
| 7. | Bulgaria | 5 | 5 | 14 |
| 8. | Brazil | 5 | 5 | 13 |
| 9. | Italy | 4 | 4 | 13 |
| 10. | Serbia | 4 | 4 | 12 |
| 11. | Germany | 4 | 4 | 12 |
| 12. | France | 4 | 4 | 10 |
Japan is the only undefeated team after the second week of the Volleyball Nations League and deservedly tops the provisional standings. France remains outside the places qualifying for the Final Eight and will be under serious pressure in the third week in Chicago, where they will have to seek a maximum number of wins to preserve their chances of qualifying.
photo:volleyballworld.com
