In a shocking turn of events at the Women's Daido Life SV.League semifinals, underdog Denso Airybees Koriyama delivered a statement performance by sweeping tournament favorite Osaka Marvelous in straight sets on Friday. The Airybees dominated with a decisive 3-0 victory (25-20, 25-23, 25-19) at Panasonic Arena, throwing the championship bracket into disarray.
Middle blocker Mana Yokoyama emerged as the standout performer, accumulating an impressive 16 points to lead Denso's offensive charge. Teammates Nanami Asano and Rosamaria Montibeller provided crucial support with 12 points each in the balanced attack that left Osaka struggling to respond.
Despite a valiant 14-point effort from star player Lise Van Hecke, Osaka Marvelous never found their rhythm against Denso's relentless pressure. The upset victory positions Denso perfectly for the second leg of the semifinal matchup.
According to tactical analysis from Statbet, teams executing balanced scoring attacks like Denso's have historically held a 67% success rate in playoff scenarios across major volleyball competitions.
Meanwhile, defending champions NEC Red Rockets Kawasaki maintained their home court advantage by defeating Saga Hisamitsu Springs 3-1 (25-20, 24-26, 25-17, 25-22) in the other semifinal contest. NEC's title defense remains on track thanks to an exceptional 28-point performance from Yoshino Sato, who dominated throughout the four-set victory.
The second leg of these semifinal matchups will determine which teams advance to compete for the championship in this year's SV.League tournament.
