So both teams were taking things extremely seriously and actively preparing for the next match.
"No matter what kind of spike you hit, I'll block it."
Aone had already moved up to the net, his expression stern. The lack of eyebrows made him look even more intimidating. Beside him, Futakuchi and Kamasaki had also stepped up to the front row.
The average height of the three of them had reached 185 centimeters. Even the shortest of the three was about the same height as Hank, while Aone stood at 191 centimeters, more than half a head taller than him.
For other spikers, a team like Date Tech absolutely deserved to be called an Iron Wall. An ordinary player simply couldn't break through a defense like that.
"Even if this is the strongest generation of Aoba Johsai, they still won't be able to break through our defense."
"When there's an absolute difference in height, jumping alone can't make up for it."
Date Tech's coach was full of confidence. They knew Aoba Johsai's score in the previous round had been outrageous, and from every angle, the data showed just how strong they were. But after investigating them, Date Tech had come to the conclusion that the player Aoba Johsai relied on most was Hank alone.
And dealing with a team's ace was exactly what Date Tech was best at.
As long as they could suppress Hank, everything else would become much easier.
All they had to do was lock Hank down with everything they had.
"Sss!"
As soon as Date Tech's server sent the ball over, Watari, the libero in the back row, stepped forward and cleanly received it. Oikawa didn't hesitate in the slightest and immediately moved up to set the ball straight to Hank in the front row.
The moment the ball's arc appeared, all three of Date Tech's front-row players settled into position for a standing block.
When it came to receiving the first pass in volleyball, aside from the libero in the back row, the front-row wing spikers were the most likely to get a chance to intercept the opponent's attack, simply because they were closer to the net.
And a team that specialized in blocking—that was Date Tech's defining trait.
"Too slow."
The moment Futakuchi saw Hank begin his approach and jump, a smile appeared on his face. He had already completely read Hank's route. All he needed to do next was stuff the ball straight back.
But just as they thought that, Hank looked as if he had flown straight up off the ground.
Half of his body rose above the level of the net, and he smashed a spike straight toward Date Tech's back row. With a heavy thud, the volleyball slammed into the opposing libero's arms. The power behind the hit was enormous, and the front-row block had done absolutely nothing.
Aoba Johsai scored immediately.
"How is that possible!? His jump is that high? Half his body was above the net!?"
Futakuchi might not have been the tallest player on Date Tech, but he had prepared in advance and had even locked onto the direction Hank was about to approach from. Yet despite preparing beforehand, Hank still blew straight through them.
There was no special trick involved at all. It was simply that Hank's physical talent had already reached an absurd peak.
Even Futakuchi couldn't fully block him. He was a monstrous talent.
"This guy…"
Aone and the other Date Tech players were stunned for a moment as well. They had heard Hank's name before, and some of them had even seen his matches, but they had never witnessed him up close on the court like this.
He was absolutely the most gifted player they had ever seen.
If nothing unexpected happened, then in the future, he would definitely appear on a much bigger stage.
The only reason he was still standing on the same court as them now was because he had not fully matured yet.
"Hank's approach jump has already reached 350 centimeters. Even among the world's top volleyball players, that would still be outstanding."
"Players at the prefectural level aren't enough to stop Hank one-on-one."
Coach Irihata shook his head slightly. He understood Hank's strength very clearly. For Date Tech to think they could defend Hank with only one player was simply wishful thinking. The one standing in front of them was Hank, a player with world-class jumping talent.
There might not even be anyone in this world yet who could surpass Hank in talent.
If they didn't start using their brains, this match would be over very quickly.
"Sss!"
As the match went on, Date Tech's players finally came to fully understand just how terrifying Hank was. It took two people to defend against him; otherwise, their block was basically meaningless. The pressure Hank was putting on them was anything but ordinary.
Less than ten minutes into the match, the score had already become 7:1.
The gap was obvious.
(End of Chapter)
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