Haikyuu!! 165

[p001]

left: It's the 3rd set of this fierce battle!!!

Tendou: Yay~!!
(bottom):
Haikyuu!!
Chapter 165: Coherence | Furudate Haruichi

Crowd: Nice kill, Tendou!
Crowd: Tendou!
Scoreboard: Karasuno | Shiratorizawa
Crowd: Tendou!

Man: Both sides are strong attack-wise, so they're really racking up the points - Karasuno more than expected.
Washi: But once things are in disarray, Shiratorizawa has the higher success rate.
Washi: It feels like the point gap has been widening, bit by bit.

[p002]

(Tobio): ...The 2nd set doesn't seem to have affected him.
(Tobio): It's more like his mind is focused elsewhere...

[p003]

Voice: Nice kill, Kawatabi!!
Tabi: Your tosses are just as on-point today as ever, Shirabu!
Shirabu: Thanks.
(Box):
Shirabu Kenjirou
Toyokuro Middle School 2nd year
Setter

Boy: Toyokuro's setter sure is skilled.
Boy: Their team this year is probably gonna go far.

(sign):
Miyagi Prefecture Junior High Athletics Competition
Volleyball
Boy: Well,

Crowd: Shiratorizawa!
Boy: it's totally gonna be those two schools in the finals, though.
Crowd: Kita-Ichi!
Crowd: Kita-Ichi!

[p004]

Box: Even in the era before ours,

Scoreboard: Shiratorizawa | Kitagawa Dai-Ichi
Box: these two schools ended up squaring off a lot.

Voice: Hajime!!
Box: Kitagawa Dai-Ichi was lacking in the physique department, but
Box: their speed and the skill at which they effortlessly used combination plays made them a real sight to behold.
Box: I suspect that's why there were so many people cheering for them.

Box: They couldn't be like "Ushiwaka,"
Box: but they probably figured they could become a team like Kitagawa Dai-Ichi's.

[p005]

Box: From my perspective as a setter, "Oikawa" was plenty monsterous too, though.

Box: On the whole, we weren't that tall,
Box: so Kitagawa Dai-Ichi's style should have been our goal.

Box: And yet, my thoughts turned elsewhere.

Box: Their excellent teamwork
Box: and attacks which used multiple players...
Box: All of that was pushed aside.

[p006/007]

(Shirabu): Height and power

(Shirabu): are the
(Shirabu): coolest.

(Shirabu): I want to try fighting like that.
(Shirabu): The sort of battle where you'll end up winning on open* tosses alone, if you're unlucky!!

below panel: ※ Open: Attacking by hitting a high overhead toss.

Box: But that was only possible if you had a star player in your ranks.
Shirabu: Well, you're pretty good too, Kane-yan.
Kane: You just thought something really rude, didn't you.

Box: At the same time, doubt welled up within me.

Box: Faced with such amazing raw potential,
Box: wouldn't the setter's will be superfluous and wholly unnecessary?

Shirabu: ...I'm
Shirabu: gonna go to Shiratorizawa.
Kane: Hmm.
Kane: ...Wha??

[p008]

Shirabu: I'm gonna go to the place where strong players gather
Shirabu: and play that strong style of volleyball.

Kane: And then he really went and did it.

Kane: He already had good grades, but
Kane: he studied an insane amount on top of it... but man,
library sign: Quiet please

Kane: To think he'd actually be tossing to Ushiwaka.
Kane: Still, his tosses are completely different now. He used to be the confident type, firing off these really intense quick sets.
Shirabu: Nice cover!
Voice: Get it over!

[p009]

Voice: Nishinoya!!

Boxes: Karasuno | Shiratorizawa
Yama/Suga: YESSS!!!

Man: Man, Kageyama's pretty good, huh? He seems to have mellowed out, too.
Man: Don't you think it's a shame we didn't get him?
Washi: Hm... but
Washi: we don't need an assertive setter like that.

Washi: ......Well, he is good at serving, and it seems he'd even work well as an attacker...

Washi: Still, a guy like that, who has quite the fixation on the setter spot,
Washi: wouldn't be happy coming to our school.

[p010]

Voice: One more, Tanaka!

Washi: Did their play style seem all that exceptional to you?
sfx bubble: Stinging

Washi: The way you guys play is strong
Washi: precisely due to its simplicity.

Washi: It's strength without all the
Washi: bells and whistles.

Washi: So just hooow many times do I have to tell you that, you numbskull!!
Goshiki: Skull...?!
Reon: He's saying you're an idiot.

[p011]

Crowd: Nice kill, Goshiki!
Crowd: Goshiki!
Goshiki: Yess!!

Shirabu: Nice kill!
Crowd: Goshiki!

Saeko: What the heck!
Saeko: Don't tell me their engine's revving up again!?
Aki: It's more like they've leveled out.

Aki: Karasuno had pulled them into a fast rhythm,
Aki: but now they've returned to their usual one.

[p012]

Ukai: I was a setter too, but
Ukai: if it were me, and our ace were stopped cold like that,
Ukai: I'd feel a greater need to do something about the opposing blockers.

Ukai: That impatience isn't the only thing on a setter's mind.
Ukai: Like, will the receive's return toss be too low or too fast? And will the attacker's approach run be cut short as a result?
Ukai: That's how you destroy the rhythm without even realizing it.

Ukai: But he's set it
Ukai: back on track.

Ukai: It's easy enough to say things like "normal" or "best",
Ukai: but they're ultimately just words.
Ukai: It wouldn't be unusual to lose sight of what exactly they refer to.

(Ukai): I may say that, but it'll all be over for us if we lose our way here.

[p013]

Voice: Nice kill, Asahi-san!
Boxes: Karasuno | Shiratorizawa

Ukai: Your blocks are still working!!
Ukai: Don't let up!!

Box: Nishinoya OUT
Box: Tsukishima IN
white sfx: Tweeet
Asahi sfx: Nod

(Box):
Karasuno High School member change
IN #12 Yamaguchi
OUT #10 Hinata

white sfx: Tweet
Sidelines: Hit'em haaard!

[p014]

Goshiki: It's
Goshiki: o-
Goshiki: uuut!

[p015]

Box: OUT

Crowd: Luckyyy!!!
Yama: I'm sorry...!!

Daichi: Okay, it's alright!
Daichi: Don't lose heart, now!

Scoreboard: Karasuno | Shiratorizawa
Box: Shiratorizawa Academy 3rd set, set point

[p016]

Box: My job isn't just to rely on Ushijima-san, but
Box: it isn't to display my strength or pride, either.
Box: My job is to keep our nationally-recognized
Box: first-class ace in top form.

Tanaka: It's out!

Shou: Good call!!

Scoreboard: Karasuno | Shiratorizawa

Shimada: Alright! They've hit the 20-point mark!! They're closing in!!

[p017]

Box: Attacks like that make my head spin,
Box: and showy setters have my admiration.

Voice: In front!
Reon: Got it!

(Shirabu): But for me, the absolute coolest thing in volleyball is this right here.

[p018/019]

Box: End of the 3rd set
Scoreboard: Karasuno | Shiratorizawa
Box: 20 (Karasuno) - 25 (Shiratorizawa)

Box: I will be a more inconspicuous setter than anyone else.

left: That conviction!!!