In the opening match of the SV.League weekend in Japan, the Tokyo Great Bears fought back from two sets down to defeat the Nagano Tridents 3–2 in a thrilling showdown at the Yoyogi National Stadium 2nd Gymnasium.
Tokyo, coming off a tough start to the season, entered their home opener under pressure after two straight losses. Nagano, on the other hand, began strong — taking the first two sets 26–24 and 25–19 behind sharp play from Matthew Neaves and Oscar Madsen.
But the Great Bears roared back. Energized by the crowd and strategic changes, they dominated the third set 25–17. The fourth set turned into a marathon, with both sides refusing to yield. Tokyo’s Riku Goto delivered a crucial block to close it out 34–32, forcing a deciding set.
With momentum on their side, Tokyo kept their composure. Strong serves from Go Murayama and another big play from Goto sealed the comeback, taking the final set 15–10 and the match 3–2.
The win gave the Great Bears their second victory of the season and ended a three-match losing streak, while Nagano suffered their third consecutive defeat despite a valiant effort.
Final Score: Tokyo Great Bears 3–2 Nagano Tridents
(24–26, 19–25, 25–17, 34–32, 15–10)
Game 2 of the doubleheader takes place Saturday at 15:05 (06:05 GMT) at the same venue.
