Haikyuu!! 152

[p001]

Crowd: Nice kill, Ushijima!
Crowd: Ushijima!
Noya: There it is.

Noya: ...That "lefty hit."

below panel: Haikyuu!!

Crowd: Ushijima!
Boy: So even Chidoriyama Middle's Nishinoya can't receive that spike...

Noya: ...3 receives.

Noya: That's all I'll need
Noya: to get the hang of it.

left: The super high school ace breaks loose!!

Asahi/Daichi sfx: Nod

[p002]

Saeko: Woah!
Saeko: Ah!
Saeko: I thought something seemed different about that guy.

Saeko: The other team's #1
Saeko: is left-handed, isn't he?!

Saeko: So that's why his spike approach came from the right side??
Saeko: Ryuu and the others come in from the left!
Shirabu: Ushijima-san.

Yachi: People who are right-handed are best at hitting balls tossed from the right-hand side, after all!
Yachi: So, if it's the opposite for lefties,
Yachi: then...

Taki: Yup.
Taki: Man, it's as if
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Taki: he really is the
Taki: "chosen ace."

[p003]

Taki: Ushiwaka's position is called an "opposite hitter", and it's located diagonally across from the setter.
Taki: In terms of Karasuno's rotation, it's where Sawamura is right now.
Ushi box: Opposite hitter
center circle: Opposite angle
Tobio box: Setter
Taki: The function of a player in that opposite hitter position
Taki: can considerably change a team's tactics.

Taki: One pattern is to put an all-rounder, like Sawamura,
Taki: in that spot, as he's skillful and excels at defense.
Voice: Daichi!
Taki: You see that a lot, on high school teams.

Taki: Another pattern is to put a "powerhouse" like Ushiwaka there.
Taki: It creates a system whereby he doesn't engage in serve receives, but can always attack, regardless of which row he's in.

Aki: In the past,
Aki: people called that position the "super ace."

[p004]

Crowd: Nice kill, Ushijima!

Scoreboard: Karasuno | Shiratorizawa
Crowd: Ushijima!

Saeko: ...I get that that Ushiwaka punk is like, insanely strong and all,
Crowd: Ushijima!
Saeko: but
Saeko: what's so particularly amazing

[p005]

Saeko: about the whole "lefty" thing??
(left):
Volume 16 goes on sale May 1st!!!
Haikyuu!!
Chapter 152: The "Lefty" Menace
Furudate Haruichi

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left: That power!!!

Tanaka: YESSS!!!
Voice: Nice kill, Tanaka!

Scoreboard: Karasuno | Shiratorizawa

[p006]

Yachi: We finally scored...
Saeko: Way to go, Ryuu!!
Saeko: Well?!

Shimada: Generally, there's a much greater likelihood of facing opponents who are right-handed.
Shimada: That's why left-handed players are harder to deal with than you'd think.
Voice: Hit'em hard, Asahi-san!

Goshiki: Got it!

Taki: For example, when you're jumping to block an opponent, you do so in front of their dominant arm.
Taki: If you didn't, there would be a full shoulder's width gap between your block and the spike.

Taki: In a play, you make split-second decisions, unless the attack is largely automatic.
Taki: If you jump based on the experience ingrained in your body,

(Tsuki): A time differential...!!

[p007]

Taki: it will undoubtedly run contrary to reality.

Crowd: Nice kill, Ushijima!

Tora Imposter: Karasuno's blocks are about as effective as a sieve!
Crowd: Ushijima!

Aki sfx: Grr
Imposter sfx: Jolt
(Tora Imposter): He heard me?!

Shimada: He's not strong simply because he's a lefty.
Crowd (half-hidden): Ushijima!

[p008]

Shimada: Aside from his "lefty" status,
Shimada: his firepower is also of the highest calibur.
Shimada: That's what makes Ushiwaka so strong.

Takeda: So that's Ushijima-kun, who's had 3 consecutive runs on top...
Ukai: Their setter seems like the steady, reliable type,
Ukai: And it looks like they're set on deciding this early on.

Daichi: Work through it,
Daichi: work through it!

(Ukai): The opening plays are an exercise in endurance...!

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[p009]

white sfx: Tweeet
Scoreboard: Karasuno | Shiratorizawa
Box: Technical Time-out*

Crowd (half-hidden): Shiratorizawa!
Crowd (half-hidden): Shiratorizawa!
Crowd (half-hidden): Shiratorizawa!
Ukai: You've gotta get the timing down on those blocks!
Ukai: If the ball gets past you, there's no way the receive'll happen, either!
Ukai: Even if you can't stop it, at least touch it!
Ukai: Make Ushijima conscious of the fact that he's got a "wall" to deal with!
Team: Right!

below panel: ※ Technical Time-out: A time out which occurs during 5-set matches. It takes place when the leading team reaches 8 and 16 points and is differentiated from a regular time out.

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Yui: You can do it, hang in there...!

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Voice: Wakatoshi!

[p010]

Asahi: One touch!!

Tanaka: Dammit!!

Crowd: Nice kill, Ushijima!
Scoreboard: Karasuno | Shiratorizawa
Boy: Yikes.
Crowd: Ushijima!

Boy: Ushiwaka's unstoppable...!

Ukai: Alright, keep blocking like that!!

(Ukai): Keep asserting that he's got a wall to deal with!

[p011]

Noya: If "Shiratorizawa's got Ushiwaka",

Noya: then

Noya: Karasuno's got me,
Noya: right!

Ukai: Wahaha!! Good point!

Ukai: Stopping or receiving every one of Ushijima's attacks isn't even remotely feasible.
Ukai: But

[p012]

Ukai: If a spike can't be received,
Ukai: then you just have to make it the opposite!

Ukai: A total defense.

Ukai: Looking at the matches thus far,
Ukai: if you use the block to tightly close Ushijima out of a cross spike, which is likely his forte,
diagram, top label: Ushijima
diagram, middle label: Block
Ukai: and then have Nishinoya positioned along the open path for a straight spike,

Ukai: you'll essentially force Ushijima to hit right to the libero.

[p013]

(Ukai): Good timing!!

[p014/015]

sign boy's holding up: Ushijima
Crowd: Nice kill, Ushijimaaaa!

Crowd: Ushijima!
Scoreboard: Karasuno | Shiratorizawa

Crowd: Ushijima!
Noya: Hoo...

[p016]

Saeko: If Yuu can't receive it,
Saeko: that's just impossible...!

Aki: Wouldn't that be due to the rotation?

Aki: Simply put,
Aki: the spin applied to the ball differs when hit by a lefty versus a righty.

Aki: Volleyball is a sport where you can't hold the ball.
Aki: Furthermore, the portion of the ball's "surface" that players interact with is extraordinarily small.
Aki: Beginners find it difficult to even return a loose, slow toss back to its source.

Aki: So, if the way you hit that small "surface"
Aki: differs even the slightest bit in the instant you receive the ball,

[p017]

Aki: it will produce a huge shift.

Aki: Even under normal circumstances, redirecting that level of force
Aki: would be no easy feat...

Ukai: It's alright!! Don't get impatient!!

Voice: Hit'em hard, Goshiki!!

Tanaka: Ngh!

Tanaka: Dammit,
Tanaka: Sorry!
Gata: Free ball!

[p018/019]

(Tsuki): My timing was too fast...

Scoreboard: Karasuno | Shiratorizawa

left: Overwhelming...!!!!