When you watch Volleyball, focus on “Mental condition”! (Vol.8)

Here is the Volume 8 of Volleyball from When you watch something, visit us first! Mr. Futoshi TERAMAWARI, General Manager of #PFUBlueCats Ishikawa Kahoku, told us about Height difference, Gender difference and the utilization of Data in Volleyball this time. This is the combined version of Part 8-1, 8-2 and 8-3 on our YouTube channel.

In Vol.7, we learned about Defense in Volleyball.

This time, we interviewed Mr. Futoshi TERAMAWARI, who was Head coach of Men’s Volleyball National team as well as Team Manager of Women’s Volleyball National Team, and is currently General Manager of PFU Blue Cats Ishikawa Kahoku, a member of DAIDO LIFE SV.LEAGUE WOMEN, about height difference, gender difference and the utilization of Data in Volleyball.

We hope you will find this information useful when watching games.

Part 8-1: Height Difference

Q: What do you think is the greatest advantage of “being tall” in Volleyball?

Basically, big players in height reach high points faster. If a short player wants to reach the same height, it takes time, even if it is only by a few tenths of a second. It is because they have to jump more. But big players do not have to jump so hard to reach there. The difference is actually huge.

And foreign Middle Blockers (MBs) move fast. Even they are more than 2m tall, they can move quickly. So they reach to the high point very fast. That was what I did not like the most. I did not like it when my opponent reached a high point quickly. And I am short, so it takes me a more time to get there. That is a disadvantage.

The big players can hit the Quick Attack faster. That is why MB is in troublesome, especially. If there is a big player who can reach at 350cm height easily, he/she can hit Attack quickly. But if a small player wants to get there, he/she has to start to jump earlier than tall players, and create time to get there.

And, suppose to hit the Attack at the same timing, tall players can hit with a little jump, but short players have to jump more, stay there, being delivered the toss, and hit it quickly. So this difference is very big. Even if the point of Attack is same.

When short players try to jump higher, there will be some deviation. When they try to jump higher, they sometimes reach 340 cm or 350 cm. But big players can reach the hitting point without much jump, so they can always hit Attacks at the same point. I sometimes felt that difference keenly.

Q: Then, the same thing applies to blocks?

Right. So short players cannot complete Block as quickly. When Blocking, short players have to move like this. Because they are short. So if they want to complete Block quickly, they cannot reach the proper height, since they have to jump more. If they want to put their arms forward, it takes time to get to that height. But big players can complete Block in a flash. I think this is a big difference.

However, some tall players have come to appear in Men’s Japan team, not so many in Women’s team, but there are some players who are more than 2m tall in Mens team. Like Mr. Masato KAI and other good players. So I think the future of Japan team is still interesting.

Q: Since the longer it takes to complete Block, the longer it takes Japan teams to build their Floor Defense?

That’s why Japanese players have to work harder. On Dig or whatever.

Q: Isn’t it a risk to be short in stature to be hit by the opponent from above Block?

Well, it is not so difficult to deal with Attack from above Block, because Defensive players can see from where the opponent hits Attack, aside from Digs will be successful or not.

So there sure is a disadvantage in height, of course. But as long as Volleyball is not played by height, that gap cannot be closed. Well, in that sense, I think Volleyball played now by Japan teams is good, both Men and Women.

Q: With such a handicap of stature, Japan team is competing with the measure as much as they can, right?

Yes, I think so. But I think there are still things they can do. Anyway, I think it is fine for them to compete at that way. That is the heart of Japan’s Volleyball. I think that is the way of Japan, and they can do that. I believe Japanese are such ethnicity. Japan can play precisely.

Part 8-2 Appeal of Women’s Volleyball

Q: Are Japan Men’s and Women’s teams basically competing under similar tactics?

They play similar Volleyball. Both Men’s and Women’s players play tenacious Volleyball with a focus on Defense. And they have good technique.

Japan is one of the best Defenses in the world for both Men and Women. So, in that sense, I think Volleyball is a sport that suits Japanese very well.

Q: In some sports, Women look inferior to Men because of the physical difference between Men and Women, but how do you think about Volleyball?

Well, compared to other sports, for example, I do not think Women look inferior in Table Tennis. I think that is true in Volleyball, too. So in that sense, I think Volleyball is rare among team sports.

Women’s Volleyball is following Men’s Volleyball. However, although Women’s Volleyball is not as physical as Men’s, Women’s Volleyball is a bit unique in that, for example, Rally continues longer than Men’s Volleyball. Also, Women’s Volleyball is more about mentality.

So, in that sense, the biggest difference between Men’s Volleyball and Women’s Volleyball is, though Women’s Volleyball is coming close to Men’s Volleyball, that Men’s Volleyball is more powerful and Women’s Volleyball is more keeping the ball moving.

In fact, the net height of Women’s Volleyball is 19 cm lower than that of Men’s Volleyball.

*For senior competition (no age restriction), the net height is Men = 2m43cm Women = 2m24cm

There is something a little different in Women’s Volleyball, where Rally continues again, and again. But recently, Men’s Volleyball Rallies are becoming more continued, and Women’s Volleyball is becoming more powerful.

But recent Women’s Volleyball is coming very close to Men’s Volleyball. Even watching Ms. Paola Ogechi Egonu in the Final of Paris Olympics, her play is quite similar to those of Men’s players.

*Ms. Paola Ogechi Egonu: Opposite player of Italy Women’s team that won the Paris Olympics.

In that sense, more and more Men’s and Women’s Volleyball are getting closer. But I still do not think the gap will ever be bridged between Men and Women.

What is good about Volleyball is that the height of the net is different for Men and Women. I think this gives Women’s Volleyball a unique power that is not found in other sports. In Soccer, for example, if the field is a little narrower and the goals smaller, Women’s players can be more active. And in Basketball, if the height of the goal in Women’s games is lowered to about 2m 90cm, Women’s players may make Dunk Shots.

*The height of Basketball goal ring is 3m05cm.

That might make Women’s sports competition more interesting than ever.

Part 7-3: Utilization of Data

Even before this “Data Volleyball” was introduced, America team placed great importance on data. They input every Data for each rotation, such as this player would be attacking on what percentage in this rotation, and how such player would hit. They have been doing this for about 30 years. The speed of analysis has been increasing, and the level of analysis has become more and more advanced.

This is true for other sports as well, but in Volleyball, though Data is not absolute, Data is becoming more and more important.

Q: By utilizing such Data, are shorter teams like Japan finding ways to compete?

Well, every country in the world is already utilizing Data. Every country is doing it so well that it is hard to say which is better or worse. I think it is more important to make effective use of Data.

And, I do not think that Japan is the best advanced country in the use of Data. Every countries really are analyzing Data with a number of analysts. So, Japan needs to become a team, country, that excels in how to use Data and in making players the best use of it.