Hiroshima Thunders produced the standout result of the 15th leg in Japan’s men’s Daido Life SV.League, edging Osaka Bluteon in a dramatic five-set clash on Saturday.
In front of nearly 4,500 fans at Ookini Arena Maishima, Hiroshima claimed a thrilling 3-2 (22-25, 25-22, 26-28, 29-27, 22-20) road victory, snapping Osaka’s run of seven straight-set wins in recent league meetings between the sides. American outside hitter Cooper Robinson led all scorers with 27 points, including two aces and two blocks.
Osaka answered on Sunday with a 3-1 (25-23, 25-16, 21-25, 25-21) win behind captain Yuji Nishida’s 22 points. Despite the split, Bluteon remain second in the standings at 23-5 (68 points), while Hiroshima sit fifth at 12-14 (37).
In other matches, Tokyo Great Bears and JTEKT Stings Aichi traded victories, Wolfdogs Nagoya climbed to third with two straight-set wins over Toray Arrows, and defending champions Suntory Sunbirds Osaka tightened their grip on first place with back-to-back 3-0 sweeps of Nagano Tridents.
Weekend Results at a Glance
- Osaka Bluteon vs Hiroshima Thunders: 2-3, 3-1
- Tokyo Great Bears vs JTEKT Stings Aichi: 1-3, 3-0
- Toray Arrows Shizuoka vs Wolfdogs Nagoya: 0-3, 0-3
- Suntory Sunbirds Osaka vs Nagano Tridents: 3-0, 3-0
- Nippon Steel Sakai Blazers vs Voreas Hokkaido: 3-1, 1-3