8 The Spiders 2
[Told in the perspective of Kayo, the manager, in order to facilitate a viewer's narration]
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Kayo
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I'm still a bit stunned from that play, actually. This team is indeed formidable – a worthy rival. I can see from the players' eyes that they're thinking the same. Kurokumogi's setter served. He looks awake now, and he aimed that serve right at our captain, who cleanly bumped it towards Kouen.
He got the pass and tossed it towards his brother, who audibly kicked the floor, flew high in the air, and spiked the ball as if to announce who the boss is in this team. Katsuki reacted to the attack and was able to touch the ball. But it was not saved. The straight painted the line. 1 – 1.
The looks on Kurokumogi's faces were full of annoyance but they seemed to be not surprised. I guess not since they already met Kouha from last January's nationals.
Speaking of him, instead of looking cocky after that flashy play, he looked rather pissed. Probably because it wasn't a clean hit since it was touched.
Kouen served and it was raised by the opponent's libero. Catching that one must be hard, since that was a nasty jump serve.
Their setter got the ball, and set it towards the flying form of their spiker from the opposite side of the court. BOOM. The sound it made gave me chills. Our blockers reacted but they weren't there on time. The ball flew all the way to the bleachers, where several students were watching.
"Eeeek! That would've gotten my arm for good!" I can't help but cry out. The coach smirked, he looks pleased that the opponents are taking us seriously.
"That Yama packs a powerful spike. He's really improved since last year." Coach added.
The next serve was made by Sumeragi the springy spiker, and it was a no-rotation serve. Sure, Hiyorin was there positioned to receive it, but when it connected to his hands, it flew away to the side. Another point for the Spiders. An irk mark appeared in our libero's face.
"You know what's nasty about that serve, Megumi-chan?" I tried to make a small talk with my assistant manager.
"It has no spin?" She asked?
"Yes, that's called a jump floater serve. It has no rotation so the ball curves unexpectedly even if it does not pack the same power as a jump serve, making it difficult to raise, even if you're in position to receive it. Like Gai's case just now."
"How cool." Which I think is an honest thought from her. Sumeragi served a second time, now aimed at Maki, who met a similar fate with Gaito.
"That little guy is so cool." I muttered. On his third serve, Gai got it up rather shakily.
"Follow!"
Hiro bumped it next and yelled, "Last one!"
Toshiro spiked it towards the opponent but it was received by Katsuki, who shouted, "Alright!"
The setter got it and tossed it towards the delinquent-looking guy, Shishio. He looked like he was going for a straight. Toshiro, Hiro and Kouha jumped in the direction of the straight but the guy did a cross.
"Grrrr" was my reaction. Sumeragi's fourth serve was made but it went out. Lucky for us. 5 – 2 Kurokumogi.
"Alright, better show 'em who's boss, Kakuzo!" I pushed giant freshman out of the bench as he rotated with Gaito. He looked nervous. Well, he's a neophyte to volleyball, after all.
"Score some points there, you meathead." Asuma gave that savage pep-talk to his fellow rookie.
"He'll be okay. He practiced hard for this." Coach Soma seems to have read my thoughts.
Toshiro served. It was raised by the opponent's captain and got it to the setter who tossed it to Sumeragi for another midget special.
Hiro, Kouha and Maki jumped for the block in perfect time. I thought it would be a point for us because it cleanly hit Kouha's hand, since that was a triple block. Oh but no, it was a blockout. The little spiker's eyes twitched a bit though, after seeing his spike almost getting blocked during that play.
"Deymmmm." I heard Kouha mutter towards Hiro. "If he were any other player, that would've been a block point for me. But that, was yet another irritating move." 6 – 2 Kurokumogi.
"He's got talent at tooling the blockers. You'll just be a target for blockouts if your timing is wrong." Hiro said, squinting at the tiny guy from Kurokumogi.
Nishiki switched with their foreign-looking MB and their captain made the next serve. Maki cleanly raised it. "Get the next one!" he yelled to no one in particular as he was facing backwards.
Kakuzo got it and made the toss. "Kouha-san!" and our ace jumped from the left. Brown and Shishio jumped for the block but they were overpowered by the spike. 6 – 3, Kurokumogi.
"Nice toss, Kakuzo!" I smiled at that.
Hiro let out a wicked jump serve that was raised with difficulty by the opponent's setter. "Sorry, cover!"
"Alright, Spencer!" Shishio called out and the foreign-looking dude from earlier jumped from the middle for a quick. He was stuffed by Kakuzo. 6 – 4, Kurokumogi, featuring our serve-and-block combo.
"Yeah, break their formation with a serve, and finish it with a block." I mumbled. Megumi turned towards me in confusion, so I continued. "The strong serve by Hiro broke the defense of the opponent, and the rally was completed with a block. I think it's an offensive technique second only to a service ace - it's called a serve-and-block combo."
Megumi only nodded and started to scribble something on her notebook.
The next serve by Hiro was still targeted towards the setter, who received it but the ball went back directly to our side. Kouen made the first touch, and Toshiro followed with a high pass towards Kouha, who already leaped from the left and spiked the ball to the other side.
However, after a blur, the ball suddenly hit the floor on our side of the court. Apparently, it got caught in a triple block. It was Shishio who was able to kill it.
"Is that all you got, Gi-no-za?"
Maki pulled Kouha away before a warning will be issued. Yama served next but we returned it directly to the opponent's side.
"Chance ball!" Sumeragi yelled as he received it.
"Got it, Shishio!" Yama screamed from the middle but Kouha deflected Shishio's spike.
"Nice block, Kouha!" Or so I thought. Surprisingly, Yama made a save. The ball flew towards the back, where their captain was ready to hit the back attack.
"Nice kill, Katsuki-san!" his teammates cheered him. 8 – 4 Kurokumogi. Kouha looks absolutely pissed.
"Yama, mou ikai nice serve!" The bench yelled towards the server. The ball was sent over and Kouen got it first, "Kouha, follow!"
"Get the last!" Kouha followed and made a sweet, high toss while yelling, "Hiro!" The guy jumped from the back and launched an attack.
"Out!" Hiragi yelled. But he miscalculated. The ball hit the line. 8 – 5, Kurokumogi.
"Yes!" I pumped my fist in the air after that lucky play.
The opponents showed a surprised reaction towards Kouha's set. He looks pleased for himself while Hiro looked like he was having an internal conflict on whether to compliment him for a nice toss or not. "Yep, can totally tell he's getting cocky." Kouen said, referring to his brother.
Hiro rotated with Gai this time and Kouha made a jump serve. He got it aced. 8 – 6. He made another but it was received cleanly and passed towards the setter, who tossed to Sumeragi.
"Here comes another one." I said as Maki, Kakuzo and Kouen reacted but the ball was still blocked out.
Shishio served and it was raised by Hiyorin. The game continued on with the same relentless attacking and intensity. Kurokumogi played like they wanted to prove something but Shiroshikata won't yield.
10 – 8, Kurokumogi.
12 – 13, Shiroshikata.
18 – 17, Kurokumogi.
The set pressed on and soon the score was 23-all. Kurokumogi got the last point and Hiragi served. Hiyorin got it up and Kouen was about to toss it.
"Oi Hiro, no slacking off!" He yelled at the middle blocker. Hiro probably knew that he will be used as a decoy in this play. The toss will obviously go to his brother and the setter just needed him to jump as if he is in spike motion to confuse the opponent's blockers. And since he felt that he knew he was just a decoy, he just jumped half-heartedly. As a result, no one marked him and Kouha's spike was cleanly received, which led to a quick attack by Sumeragi. 24 – 23, Kurokumogi now at set point.
"Seems like that number 5 is slacking off." I heard a spectator from the nearby bleachers say.
Kouen looked like he's about to set Hiro literally on fire. He might be more mellow than his brother, but they do share some common characteristics. I know the guy hates losing, even if it's just a practice game. Hiro may not care that much but I know he's just bluffing. I bet he's just thinking, 'what a drag.'
"Dude, why're ye sucking today?" Kouen fired at him.
But he paid no attention to him to avoid unnecessary chaos. He knows how this loser hates losing so maybe he just plans to make up for it later. But at the same time, I think it also bothers him why he sucks today because of that look in his face.
"It's coz you keep spouting garbage!" Gai smacked the back of Kouen's head. "Don't mind." He tells Hiro.
The rally went on and the serve was cleanly bumped by Maki. Kouen got the pass and he looked like he was about to toss to his brother. But everyone was shocked when he dumped the ball.
We're at deuce now, 24-all. Gai rotated out and Kakuzo went in. He served this time but the ball was received cleanly by Nishiki. The next toss was sent to their captain. "Take this!"
"One touch!" Hiro managed to deflect it a little and the captain looked pissed. Kouha managed to dig the ball when it was about to go out. "Kouha, nice save!"
The ball was passed towards Maki, who returned it to the opponent's side that was unguarded. I thought we will score on that one but suddenly, Nishiki dived after the ball, and yelled, "Hiragi!"
The setter tossed it towards Shishio who jumped from the left. His spike was raised by Toshiro. "Kouen!" he yelled towards our setter.
"Finish it, Hiro!" Kouen tossed the ball towards Hiro who jumped in the middle.
"One touch!" This time, it was Katsuki's turn to deflect his lefty special. The ball knocked down Nishiki who saved it rather shakily. I know that must've hurt from the loud sound it made. That's three consecutive difficult saves made by that tall libero. I gotta admit, he's really good.
"Sumeragi!" The setter called out to the little guy who leaped from the right. Another blockout was scored as the ball hit Toshiro's fingertips.
Kurokumogi is now at set point. The server guy scored a service ace.
26 – 24, we lost the first set.
"Nani?!" The nearby spectators were saying.
"We got robbed of the first set! Damn, that Kurokumogi team is really something." Another said.
I clenched my fist as the members slowly huddled back towards the bench. "We'll get the next one." Maki said, and a dark look was painted in everyone's faces.
