Jazz takes a deep breath and thinks to himself. The ball instantly appearing on the court in front of him. OPU 21-21 EBU 'It's too fast, I can't bring it up!' the air gets tense as a whistle blows. The ground under his feet crumbling away as the gym goes dark, Jazz standing alone in the middle of a black metaphorical void. 'I can't do this! There's no way I can!' Suddenly someone violently smacks his back. Jazz looking up at Jayden.
"You've got this, we trust you, Jazz" Jaz relaxes his shoulder and looks shocked. Jazz taking a deep breath. Closing his eyes and processing the game.
Kyle tosses the ball and bolts forward. Swinging and slamming the ball over the net. Jazz opens his eyes. Kurai runs passed in slow motion towards the net. Carlos looking over. 'Everything's moving so… slow'
"Jazz!" Jazz holds his breath and dives forward, bringing the ball up as his hits the court. 'Up, up, up!' Jazz quickly rises to his feet. Kurai jumping in slow motion, everyone else running up to the net in slow motion. Carlos moving to prepare for a blocked ball. Jazz slams his feet on the court and flying. The ball floats in front of him. 'Kurai, you monster, sending it to the person who received the serve!' jazz spikes the ball through the ball and bouncing it onto a neighboring court where no one was playing. Kurai smirks.
"He did it, he entered a state of flow!" Jazz lands with a determined glare, an aura pours from his eyes. OPU 22-21 EBU. Kurai turns around.
"Owen" Owen looks over as Kurai leans down to whisper.
"They've been favoring the right side of the net quite a lot this game, I think that's where the next attack will come from as well" Owen nods as jaden steps up for serve.
"I got this" Jaden spins the ball in his hands, tossing it high and bolting forward. Slamming it over the net. Kurai watches as the court moves in slow motion. Michael receives the ball. Then it's set to the left where Kyle was running up. Kurai appears in front of Kyle, prepared to block. Kyle grins 'you won't get me that easily!' He twists to hit at an angle. Slamming his hand into the ball as it hits the court behind him, Owen bumping shoulders with Kurai having appeared last second to block the spike. OPU 23-21 EBU.
"YES!" Haruki smiles brightly as the team shouts in excitement. Kyle smirks as Michael gulps. Kurai was up to serve now.
"Good serve" Kurai tosses the ball and jumps forward. Swinging his shoulder into the ball, hitting the back left of the court. Michael grits his teeth. 'That insane monster serve again! Unfair!' OPU: set point 24-21 EBU
"Good serve" Kurai tosses the ball and slams it over the net. Kyle is shocked as the ball appears in front of his face. His eyes widen as he moves out of the way, the ball slamming onto the court as a whistle blows. OPU 25-21 EBU. OPU takes the first set!
------
The team gathered in a huddle, catching their breath after the intense first set. Coach Haruki stood in the center, clipboard in hand, her eyes scanning each player. The atmosphere was a mix of excitement and focus, everyone eager to discuss their performance and strategize for the next set.
"Great job, everyone! We took the first set, but we need to stay sharp. EBU will come back even stronger. Let's talk about strategy." everyone focuses
"Kurai, your serves are giving them a lot of trouble. Keep targeting their weaker receivers. Also, be ready to mix in some off-speed serves to keep them guessing." Kurai nods confidently.
"Got it, Coach. I'll keep them on their toes." Carlos snickers.
"Yeah, Kurai, just don't send one of those monsters my way in practice, alright?" Kurai chuckles.
"No promises, Carlos." Haruki looks over at Jaden.
"Jaden, your backcourt coverage has been excellent. Keep focusing on quick transitions from receive to attack. Remember, you're our main offensive weapon." Jaden smirks, feeling the trust from his coach.
"I'll keep pushing, Coach. They won't know what hit them." Jazz smirks and teases.
"Just make sure you actually jump this time, Jaden. Last time you barely got off the ground." jaden grits his teeth and crosses his arms. Haruki turns to Jazz.
"Jazz, your spikes and tips are working well. Keep varying your attacks to confuse their blockers. You're doing great at reading their defense." Jazz nods at the idea. Owen chuckles under his breath.
"And maybe try not to make it look so easy? You're making the rest of us look bad." She then turns to Owen as sneakers squeak throughout the gym.
"Owen, you're doing a fantastic job on defense. Stay alert for their quick plays. Focus on anticipating their setter's decisions." Owen nods, determined.
"I'm on it, Coach. I'll read their plays better." Kurai turns.
"Just don't let Kyle get in your head. We've got this." Owen laughs.
"Kyle who? Never heard of him." Haruki face palms and turns to Carlos.
"Carlos, Keep positioning yourself to cover any holes in our defense. Your quick reflexes are key." Carlos nods silently. Liam looks over.
"What about me?" Haruki rubs her chin.
"Liam, Don't let the last out-of-bounds serve shake your confidence. Keep serving aggressively." Liam takes a deep breath, determined to improve.
"I won't let it happen again, Coach. I'll focus more." Kurai sighs and swallows some water.
"EBU relies heavily on Kyle for their offense. We need to anticipate his movements and adjust our blocks accordingly. Owen, let's double up on him whenever possible." Owen nods, wiping his eyes of sweat with a towel.
"Got it. I'll keep an eye on his angles and be ready to block." Carlos rubs his chin.
"Their libero is doing a good job of covering tips. Maybe we can exploit the open areas in their mid-court with quicker plays." Jaden nods.
"Agreed. I'll aim for those spots and try to mix up my shots more." Kurai continues.
"We should also be ready for their counter-attacks. They're fast, but if we stay sharp, we can turn their aggression against them and if we maintain our serve pressure, we can keep them from setting up their best plays." Haruki crosses her arms.
"Remember, this match is as much mental as it is physical. Stay calm, communicate, and support each other. Trust in your training and in each other. We've got this. Let's go out there and show them what OPU is made of!" Everyone shouts and stands up. The team collectively places their hands in the middle. Kurai exhales.
"The blood that flows through us is fierce and strong, boiling hot and intense with passion. Let's win this!" The Team shouts.
"YEAH!"
The team breaks the huddle with renewed energy, ready to face the next set with determination and a clear strategy in mind.