Volleyball Couple Reaction to Haikyu!! S1E18: "Guarding Your Back"

[@warrensee410]

Adam doesn’t have to be shy about cheering the other teams. Most of us did that lol! Haikyuu is an amazing series that you do not end up disliking or hating any other “enemy”teams. The writing is fantastic.

[@SarahPavanVolleyball]

I’ll admit that I’m a Nekoma fan 😊

[@rodneyedwards1525]

No for real only route for cross know they're the home team y'all

[@clausewitzianwar]

If I was in the crowd, I'd definitely get sucked in by Dateko's cheering section

[@cookiemonster6468]

@@SarahPavanVolleyball of course you are, Kuroo is there 😂 sorry, I just had to say it

[@AN-mn6vt]

I want Karasuno to win but I was cheering for Aone so bad.

[@seekittycat]

Giant Aone shyly befriending tiny Hinata who takes his hand in two hands is like one of my fav things 🥺

[@2ntwins]

The analysis in the change in rotation is why i watch this channel. it's a really unique perspective you guys have.

[@SarahPavanVolleyball]

Oh thank you! I’m glad you like our discussions!!

[@devaventus3031]

​@Kate-bl2mznot a lot of expierenced volleyball players do reactions also though. Most people watch reactions from their anime people, not the occasional volleyball players that decide to make reaction videos. So in that regard it is unique :)

[@chadcharest9891]

'I wish my sets could have won for us.' They did my dude. That last set wasn't Kageyama's. It was Suga's set with Kageyama's hands. He put it where you would have put it. Where you told him to put it. Suga's hands were all up in that game.

[@Shirley36]

I love your comment so much, "It was Suga's set with Kageyama's hands". It's so right. He learned to toss that way specifically for Asahi from Suga. What a poetic moment.

[@jiayin8842]

i am hoping that Adam would like Oikawa just so that we can see The Great Oikawa War on camera😆

[@t3cchan]

I love that Adam isn't afraid to critique Ukai's coaching decisions where warranted. I think his analysis is spot on. And it speaks to a difficult aspect of coaching as well. Sometimes the "right" decisions don't work out, and sometimes the "wrong" decisions DO work out. I'm not a coach, but I imagine that it's so hard to evaluate the efficacy of your coaching decisions because of the inherent random variance in any given match.

[@adamschulz9475]

@t3cchan It's the worst. It keeps me up at night. It's a constant evaluation and then trying ti figure out if your decision would work more often than it wouldn't. I often look at game plans or decisions as if I did this 10 times what do I think the outcome would be. If i think it's in my favor then I rest believing it was the right call. If not.... back to the drawing board. But you really do ever know for sure.

[@t3cchan]

@@adamschulz9475 Oh man, I can only imagine. That process of self-evaluation sounds agonizing after a tough loss. But over the course of coaching hundreds (thousands?) of matches, I'm sure you've slowly but surely gotten a better intuition for what works and what doesn't. Wishing you and Sarah a Happy New Year, Adam!

[@adamschulz9475]

@@t3cchan Hopefully :) I would say now it's more about the people I am coaching and less about the volleyball. Meaning how do I convey game plans, teach push atheltes to be their best. Every person is different and requires a different approach. So when things don't go the way you expect is it 1) Gameplan 2) Training methods 3) How it was communicated 4) Are we seeing the same things These human factors always require reflections because people are always changing.

[@SpringStarFangirl]

Okay, so names in Haikyuu. Hinata actually parallels with two of his first-year teammates name-wise. With Tsukishima we obviously have that sun-moon duality, but with Kageyama we have light and dark. Kage means shadow. Yama actually connects Kageyama and Yamaguchi as well- it means mountain. Asahi and Noya have an east-west correspondence, with nishi meaning west and azuma meaning east. (Asahi's name also connects him back to Hinata as well- the same kanji is used for the hi syllable in both names, making Asahi's personal name mean morning sun.)

[@yejenguan7705]

Azumane Asahi=東峰旭, 東(azu) means "east", 峰(mane) means "mountain peak", 旭(asahi) means "sunrise". By contrast, Nishinoya Yuu=西谷夕, 西(nishi) means "west", 谷(noya) means "mountain valley", 夕(Yuu) means "sunset". The names of these two are completely contrary, but very fit in with their positions (the ace of wing spiker and the libero)

[@AndGabReactions]

I feel so blessed to hear the commentary because I think some people take it for granted and forget how the commentary is coming from a world champion and world class international volleyball player/athlete like Sarah and now an experienced coach like Adam. The way they analyze the game and comment on things to do and not to do in real life are such great tips to people starting to play the game or even people who are already at a high level.

[@ChessHistorian]

The name "Hinata" (日向) contains the kanji character for "sun" or "sunlight," giving it a positive and bright impression, and it is frequently used for both boys and girls. The kanji character "Shou" (翔) in "Shouyo" means "to fly with wings," while "Yo" (陽) stands for "sunshine" or "sunlight," also giving positive and refreshing impressions. According to the Haikyuu!! fan book, Hinata was named after "the sun" and "flying," which reflects his name well. Additionally, "Hinata" (日向) does indeed mean "place in the sun" His name is the most punny pun in the whole show. Tsukki's name is more straightforward, but there's a cute bit at the end. It literally just means "moon island" but the author wanted to at least give Tsukki a tiny bit of his own light, so his given name is Kei, which means "firefly." The name "Tsukishima Kei" in Japanese is written as 月島蛍. The first part, 月 (tsuki), means "moon," and the second part, 島 (shima), means "island." The combination of these names is more of a poem than a pun, evoking images of a moonlit night with dancing fireflies, suggesting that Tsukki has it in him to be his own light, even if he's a "commoner" who can't outshine the daylight.

[@fullmoon3128]

Adam wasn't cheering for Date Tech, but Aone was definitely the person who had Adam's heart on the court 🤭

[@dancershorty12]

Oh my gosh, the way Sarah just yelled "kick it or get it up!" I'm over here thinking ohh she is too locked in to remember what happens here, but predicted it right anyway! 🤣You both were so locked in, I love it. Happy New Year! Oh right - yes Hinata's name 日向 basically means "towards/to face the sun" and Tsukishima's name 月島 means "moon island".

[@SarahPavanVolleyball]

As soon as it left my mouth I was like “uh oh” 🙈

[@angus2060]

I would agree with Adam when he say's the Date Tech are the overall better team at this point in the series. Besides their Libero, they're entire team is made up of 2nd and 3rd years who have been playing alongside each other for a while now and they also have an implemented a style of play. I think the biggest failure would be the team/coach's inability to adapt to Hinata's quick attacks, who unlike Nekoma, established a plan to contain him early on but Date Tech never took any measure's do do so and persisted with the game plan established before the match began. If these two teams were to have a rematch the following week, and Date Tech analyzed there failings and implement a plan to deal with Hinata, then I would have them as favorites to win.

[@SarahPavanVolleyball]

I like this assessment. I agree that Date Tech’s failure to adjust in-match was their downfall

[@SarahPavanVolleyball]

I like this assessment. I agree that Date Tech’s failure to adjust in-match was a huge setback for them. They were always playing catch-up

[@Sturmjager]

If they played to 5 sets, I definitely think Dateko would win in 5.

[@perevision]

Aone is my second favourite character after Hinata. In the manga his biggest concern is that no one will sit next to him on the train, and that plus his earnest sportsmanship is very sweet for an intimidating character. Love your sports insights; it’s fun to see Sarah bounce off another expert!

[@Shirley36]

this is random but I feel like it's so rare to see another person's favorite character be Hinata, he's my favorite too but I feel like the fandom overlooks him for others a lot of the time which is ironic since he's the main character lol. It's like Kuroko in KnB (another one of my favs lmao).

[@lucasrxrxx1859]

​@@Shirley36 hinata is a little annoying in the begining, but from s4 onwards he truly becames the best character

[@brianwade1245]

I would say that Ukai's decision to shift the rotation was a risky decision more than anything else. He was definitely right in the sense that if Dateko had managed to figure out how to take away the freak quick, Karasuno would have been screwed. He took a gamble and it paid off. I really love how after Aone was just a tiny bit too late on that last quick by Hinata, you could see him start to get down on himself and the captain had to help pick him back up. It's the little moments like that that really drive home the fact that no matter how good or big or intimidating these characters might be, they're all just kids who love to play volleyball.

[@nateperkins9860]

Its a great moment from Date Tech

[@SarahPavanVolleyball]

The details in this show are unreal 🥰

[@galahadxyc5337]

Bring it!!

[@MasterPpv]

By the way, regarding the discussion at 16:30 about tall players and blocking - I think it was telling that it was one of the players from another school (aka, a fellow high school kid) that made the statement. The show is fully aware of the fact that blocking is about much more than height; that's one of the most important lessons in the show that gets talked about repeatedly throughout the series. But the writing is also very aware of how different people tend to act, think, and react. And a fellow high school player pointing out the height of the two who did the block definitely feels appropriate, whereas if we were hearing one of the coaches' thoughts, you might expect a take with some more high level understanding of the actual skill involved.

[@nateperkins9860]

Its great

[@adamschulz9475]

That's a fair point, and quite frankly a personal bias of mine. The number of times I hear people say people are only good because they are tall. Don't get me wrong it can definitely be an advantage. But that comment in isolation takes away all the work "tall" players do to be good at their craft. Your point is definitely valid.

[@Aisha-fd1oq]

These first-years are so lucky in their seniors. We've already seen that so many times (with Suga, Tanaka and Daichi in particular) , but I really love Asahi's interactions with both Hinata and Tsukishima in this episode. He's generous and never dismissive, which shouldn't be rare, but there are hints that not all teams' seniors act that way (eg. the seniors who made Kenma not want to play in his first year). And I like how highly the first years, and particularly Hinata, think of him-- Hinata's complete faith that the team will be okay because (21:45) "the ace is there"; or Kageyama's little face when Asahi calls them heroes (40:20).

[@Aisha-fd1oq]

Also Daichi's "I'm glad you still want to fight"; Daichi and Adam seem to be completely in agreement here! (This should make up for the fact that they wear different jersey numbers ...)

[@adamschulz9475]

@@Aisha-fd1oq I agree the Seniors have done a fantastic job of integrating and building a new team and culture. This is definitely not always the case. My boy and I are usually on the same page!

[@tk98jd]

I just noticed at 03:41 Takeda’s jacket has the “監” (for kantoku 監督) symbol and Ukai’s jacket has the “C” (for Coach). According to Google, “監督　kantoku” is unique to Japanese sports and is equivalent to the head coach and the “coach” is akin to the assistant coach. I learn something new everyday.

[@julienr2970]

Seeing the Great King at the end of the episode makes it great lol (just kidding coz Sarah likes him too much 🤣, by the way that one hand grabbing the ball, Oikawa 😍🥰)

[@erineko1847]

I love the technical commentary so much and I am looking forward to the next games as the series progresses. I think that at the moment the series was still mostly character driven instead of preoccupied with giving exact details of the matches, because the manga was written for young readers who virtually didn’t know anything about the sport. So in this case, I agree with Sarah and Adam about the rotation changes being actually a bad decision from a coaching perspective BUT as Sarah said “setting up Asahi for failure” was actually the best move by a writer perspective: to give him redemption about the previous match against Date Tech and the Iron Wall, putting him, and Nishinoya, on the spot. It worked out even better because they overcame the past and now can build on that success. As someone else said, Ukai is new to coaching and he will probably make some mistakes and maybe that’s intentional in the writing or the series. But I really love how the sub plot of the sad state of Karasuno as a team after the previous tournament is introduced and resolved here with the dynamics between Nishinoya and Asahi and Sugawara. Ultimately right now the introduction of Kageyama and Hinata is the real kick the whole team really needed. It’s just so good how it was all written. Adam, next you will see more detailed matches as soon as the author Furudate became comfortable with the readers not dropping the manga because reading a whole match without knowing much about volleyball could have been difficult or “boring”.

[@adamschulz9475]

That insight on the story telling makes a lot of sense. I do love the story telling and character development but will probably keep reacting as if its a real life match lol.

[@erineko1847]

@@adamschulz9475 That’s actually the most interesting and enjoyable part about your reactions and discussions, so I absolutely look forward for that!

[@Ella8i8]

Ukai is also a coach, who just like to mess with things like that. It's his specialty.

[@valentinasanchez3764]

I am so happy to see Sarah Pavan reacting again to the Haikyu, and seeing Adam’s personality come out more and more. He slowly got invested and he is paying close attention to the show. The comments, the more in depth perspective analysis… i was so happy to have seen the series together again with Sarah and get so much insight about volleyball and storytelling… and i thought it was the best thing. Now they are giving us MORE content about this incredible series. Im touched 🥲 I eagerly wait for each episode reaction. Adam and Sarah did not necessarily agree on everything and that’s what makes these reactions soooo much better. Thank you guys for taking the time to react, and props to your editor as usual. Beautiful team 🤍

[@sophwitchproject]

The way Sarah's face changes in the ten seconds between 17:10 and 17:20 is so funny. "I know that's a sensitive issue for you" 😂 Nice kill Adam

[@MasterPpv]

Two Hinata-related things! First, his missed serve always makes everyone groan in frustration 😂 That said, if we think about it in context, I may be wrong, but I think that was his first time ever serving on match point in a real match, right? On top of him not being a particularly good server, with that bit of context I'm really not surprised at all that he flubbed that one. He doesn't actually miss THAT often - it's just that, similar to Tanaka and Tsukki, his serves are usually either not shown or given maybe 0.5 seconds of screen time because they're not all that interesting most of the time and just very plain. The only real time that any of their serves, and his specifically, DO get shown is when it goes awry like that one. So it's pretty easy to think of him as being a horrible server when most of the time he's just "meh" with an occasional actual error. Second, regarding Adam's comments on Date Tech not adjusting fast enough to Hinata. I think this match was used as a way to really emphasize how effective and hard to adjust to the duo of Hinata and Kageyama is, even against a good team. Date Tech is definitely a strong team, and they still definitely had a hard time adjusting to Hinata. The opponents that we saw do it the best and fastest was Nekoma, who have someone as analytical and strategy-oriented as Kenma to break down the opponent's tactics and immediately come up with countermeasures. And we know Nekoma to be not just a good team, but a VERY good team with a coach who has fairly consistently taken them to nationals. So it's not surprising that we saw them adjust much faster than what Date Tech was able to do. However, if Date Tech had managed to go to a third set, or IMO if Ukai hadn't changed up the rotation and taken away Aone's ability to match up against Hinata more frequently to get some more reps in against him and really get used to him, then I think they would have ended up winning the match. I get why Adam disagreed with that decision, but I think that Date Tech's blockers, and Aone especially, are the type of players who would have definitely gotten used to Hinata if given another set in the same rotation, and by then it would be too late for Karasuno to change. I think Ukai recognized that.

[@adamschulz9475]

@MasterPpv, true we don't see him serve often and it was his first match point which I get. I just assumed based on watching him at practice and in other matches he misses some of the ones we don't see lol. It definitely shows how effective it is, especially given how good of a blocker they make Aone's appear to be initially. For me the thing about adjusting was the coach's attitude that it was a fluke and not intentional. You are at an elimination tournament, you have to assume that your opponents are doing things intentionally. My thoughts were less about how they did it and how long it took but more the mentality. I thought watching the matches Asahi would play a bigger role. I figured as the match went on he would get more sets so having Hinata as a decoy would allow Aone to be one on one or have a seam and that is how they would win. But it worked so its all good :) 3rd round.

[@MasterPpv]

@@adamschulz9475 Yeah. he probably does miss some of the ones we don't see as well, for sure. It's just hard to tell how much since we don't see them, but we do occasionally get quick 1-2 second shots of him doing a very plain serve that makes it over and the opponents attack normally, so I generally just assume that's what's happening most of the time. I definitely get what you mean about the mentality. I think that's how really great coaches would handle it, for sure. To be fair to him though, it only takes him two before he accepts that it's happening on purpose. The first one gets the same reaction that it's gotten from basically every single person who's seen it for the first time except Kenma. Even the Seijoh coaches and players are like, "yeah, that's what we thought too lol", and speculate that Date Tech must be wondering if it was a fluke. At the second one though, the reaction is different. He says "It wasn't... a fluke...?" which to me indicates more that he's recognizing that it isn't one, and is more in awe of / impressed by the fact that it is indeed being done intentionally. When he talks to his players later, he tells them how he wants to try to deal with it, but cautions them to keep their minds open to the possibility of it still being a fluke. Personally, I think this is more to try and either not have his players get too intimated, or (more likely) to try and make sure they keep their minds open to all possibilities. But by then, I feel like he's probably like 95 percent sure that it's intentional, just maybe not 100. What's the old saying? One's a fluke, two is a coincidence, three is a pattern?

[@saps5831]

​@@adamschulz9475 Something I want to add is that part of Date Tech's coach's attitude came from his prior knowledge of Kageyama's performance in middle school and that biased him towards a more negative thought of "Kageyama going back to old habits". That's still a bad showing of his but I like that he realised how that influenced his judgement. I like how in comparison to Date Tech's coach Nekomata (Nekoma's coach) who didn't have any prior knowledge of Kageyama didn't even consider it to be a fluke despite being just in a practice match and having never seen him play.

[@adamschulz9475]

@@MasterPpv Yeah that's fair, i guess his whole attitude to me gave me the impression that he was taking the team lightly based on the results last year. That along with not taking that play seriously seemed like an error based on arrogance is the wrong word but something similar. I got the impression right or wrong the Date Tech coach didn't take them seriously which is always a mistake. But your points are valid, I think Date Tek was good enough to do a better job defending and blocking then they did even with the attack being a surprise.

[@TownspersonB]

This is why Noya is the GOAT! And when I heard Sarah shout "kick it" I thought she probably forgot, but when she was leaning in I 100% knew, lol

[@SuperDatsyuk13]

Sarah and Adam both defending Suga's comment towards Daichi and Daichi happy that Suga still wants to fight but one question remains Adam. Did Aone make it into your Bro House or is he still just on the porch waiting to get in.

[@SarahPavanVolleyball]

THE PEOPLE NEED TO KNOW!!!

[@tk98jd]

Let him in! Make it official.

[@ladybookworms]

It’s a matter of when Aone appears again and makes his mark! I’ll wait.

[@naxx__sg]

THE WAY MY BREATHING STOPPED WHEN SARAH SAID KICK IT BEFORE NOYA'S KICK SAVE AKJSHA LOVED IT OMG

[@adriancardenas3323]

31:55 It pains me that I’ll never know what Adam said to Sarah that made her laugh at that moment.

[@ruriva4931]

Fr fr, they should subtitle their reactions when the auto is muted

[@SarahPavanVolleyball]

Same 😫

[@locomojoboy2]

@@ruriva4931I don’t know why they don’t use two separate audio feeds/channels? One for the anime and another for their own mics. That way when they mute the music we can still hear what they have to say.

[@MadeByIsmael]

​@@locomojoboy2if I had to guess, thats what happens when KZbins copyright tracker comes into play. The video was posted without that section being muted. But then when KZbin picked up on copyrighted material at that section, Sarah can mute that section from within KZbins editor. But obviously yt doesn't have the individual files to only mute the anime so the speech is also muted

[@StarVarianth]

Its a pain to setup if they dont buy a physical audio mixer and they​ would have to make sure their editor is editing in something that can use multiple audio tracks. It would be pretty smart and useful to do so I agree, but as someone who went through the process myself I can totally see how/why many content creators don't do this 😅 I installed and setup Voicemeeter Potato for my streams and I did not know what I was doing with it for so long just because I hadn't been exposed to audio mixing prior. I still dont know what a lot of the buttons do, anything that isnt essential I just ignore haha. Its a lot of headache for a channel that I think does this as a hobby rather than income imo imo Idk why I decided to write this, I think i just remembered a lot of my friends were like "Just seperate your audio tracks bro" and it was way harder than they made it seem 😢😂

[@RobustPhysics]

I think I get what Adam is saying. If they did a rematch the next day, Date Tech likely would have won that game. The reason Karasuno won was because Date didn't adjust fast enough. But by the end, they were starting to counter Karasuno. Which is why it was said that if the match went to a 3rd set, it would likely be Date's victory. So it is less that Date was the better team, and more that they were a more *polished* team, I think?

[@adamschulz9475]

Yeah better/polished. Karasuno probably has more high end talent than Date but they block really really have more experience and if they started to block more effectively which I think would happen the more they played that team, they would end up winning.

[@ArgKnoxville86]

23:50 Suga completing the arc from ep 9. Now neither he nor Asahi have any doubts about this toss. I love Haikyuu so much.

[@user-lo8lu7fp9s]

Sorry if someone has already written it. Sugawara's first name, Koushi, means to serve and support. His last name, Sugawara, is same surname that is considered the god of learning in Japan (only his cace.There are many names with the same sound but different meanings).

[@moioomio]

Gosh, I think Adam will love Tsuki's arc so so much. I need more reactions per week! 😢

[@陳亭伃-n7g]

Oh, please feel free to cheer for other teams Adam! To be honest, Date Tech is like my second favorite team in Haikyuu. They're quiet but disciplined, and everybody is fighting for the pride of their slogan, “The Iron Wall.” I think if it weren't for Ukai's rotation, Date Tech actually stand a very good chance of winning the second set, so I kinda agree Adam saying Date Tech is the stronger team. In fact, the best blockers of Date Tech are both second years, so they are expected to be a very formidable team in the next year. They're very close to Karasuno, as you said, i's not an overestimation!

[@AlbertRotten]

Don't know if this counts as a spoiler because it's a minor background detail in a few future episodes that might be easy to miss, but... Aone and Hinata's relationship is absolutely wholesome. Aone has that whole gentle giant thing going on. He might look mean and scary to most people, but the level of respect he shows to Hinata pretty much tells you everything you need to know about Aone's true nature.

[@tk98jd]

Aone is a total green flag: he’s tall, athletic, classy and above all, doesn’t talk much. I don’t expect him to mansplain much to me. 😆

[@serizelda6112]

😂😂👍@@tk98jd

[@Shirley36]

nah I don't think it's a spoiler at all, it'll help them to look out for those details you mentioned in the future episodes

[@Coldmaj]

The change in rotation might not have been the best for strategy, but it was a great decision for story. It set up Asahi to complete his arc, and I feel like that's a worthwhile compromise.

[@MasterPpv]

Ooooh I wasn't expecting an episode today, but I'll take this 👀 Happy new year, you guys! 🎉❤

[@SarahPavanVolleyball]

Happy New Year!!! 💕

[@Puddleglum220]

I love how Asahi is Noya's hero. That's why he got so upset when Asahi gave up before. It wasn't just that his efforts were going to waste if his teammates won't put in the effort, it was because the guy he looked up to the most gave up and walked away and it crushed him. So on that final spike we see Asahi through Noya's eyes, proving himself the hero he's always been in Noya's eyes.

[@patgray5402]

It's like seeing it in a new way with professional commentary breaking down the state of the game.

[@lesfest]

I can't understand how many times have I seen Haikyuu without realicing that Michimiya has twins in her team

[@ladybookworms]

Wo.Ot!?

[@aesubar7835]

omg yeah

[@darrenboy00]

I finally caught up with your recent videos of haikyu 🕺🕺. I was so intrigued to find an Olympic volleyball player reacting to my favorite sport anime I immediately binged all your reactions to get your viewpoints on the sport/anime comparisons and then you told us you were gonna watch it again with your hubby. So excited for another pros outlook on the anime yes!!!!! Thank you I hope to see more reactions this year also plz pause as much as you can and give us your views on the anime and how it handles the theme of volleyball and what volleyball athletes go through that’s what makes your reactions so awesome because the come for the highest level of volleyball we could ask for .❤

[@darrenboy00]

“Because they come from the highest level of volleyball we could ask for”

[@mhaoisthere]

I’m glad that Adam really into the watching it with Sarah right now, not just volleyball field but Haikyu

[@lyndajaeger4477]

I wish you guys could watch the bonus scene after this episode. It's on you tube but is in the first Haikyuu movie. It definitely is an emotional watch, but it is amazing.

[@grasshorses]

happy new year!! great discussion in this episode as always, i don't remember what sarah thought about ukai's rotation switchup on her first watch but i really appreciate hearing it now! as a non volleyball player i tend to rely on the viewpoints given me by the characters, so (and this goes for all your reactions) having your added perspective gives me so much more fulfilment on watching

[@SarahPavanVolleyball]

I honestly can’t remember if I addressed it on my first watch. I’m glad you enjoy the analysis though!!

[@swlfangirl]

Thank you so much for giving us this!!! HAPPY NEW YEAR 🎉🎉 Hope you guys are surrounded by love and laughter and great food 😂

[@SarahPavanVolleyball]

Thank you!! Same to you! Happy New Year!!

[@VanxHelsing03]

Karasuno shockingly passes well, because Tanaka and Asahi shockingly receive well. Noya and Daichi are known to be better at receives, but Asahi and Tanaka are quite something at passing. Kagayama is good at passing too, but he's like... Not human. Also he needs to set the ball. Tsukishima, Hinata and Yamaguchi are the only bad passers hahaha

[@VladimirMizich]

"When a Middle gets a dig, it's considered a bonus" says Adam. This is probably a common observation in professional indoor volleyball. I see how it makes sense. I won't jump the gun, because the Haikyu anime (and manga) is long, but the author addresses this point very well - with all the details in it, and why Haikyu is written the way it is. My comment may be too cryptic, but I won't spoil anything. Sarah has at least some idea of what I mean (and the manga goes even deeper into this).

[@adamschulz9475]

I will keep my eyes peeled for this

[@peteypete9357]

Asahi = the ace who does not fight alone. That's why we all love him.

[@saps5831]

Happy new year. I agree with Adam's assessment on Date Tech being the better team overall, as a team they also have more practice together I think. Karasuno has a bunch of 1st years and two players who didn't play with the team for a while. On Ukai's decision I do want to say that he's new to coaching so if the error was intended as such by Furudate that's cool.

[@SarahPavanVolleyball]

Oh I wonder if Furudate did that on purpose… I agree. That would be so cool!

[@nacomendez]

Hi, I don't know if someone that matters will read this, but this video in particular is missing in the Haikyuu reaction playlist, I've been watching through the whole playlist and when it came to this episode it skipped from e17 to e19 😅

[@MayMay-20000]

I love your reactions so bad, you guys are so entertaining and knowledgeable, I think I have seen almost every Haikyuu! Reaction in YT but yours is very unique on the way you go into it as athletes

[@Shp4318]

I actually thought this video isn’t coming until next week. So thank you for the early update! And Happy New Year 2024 guys!

[@SarahPavanVolleyball]

We pulled the switch up on the channel breaks this week! Happy New Year!!

[@aldillars]

Idk much about volleyball until i watch haikyu, and very gald to have this channel recommended to me on youtube. Love the balance of reaction and analysis from your perspective. Thank you for the content!

[@jlshawwillson6116]

I have BINGED all your Haikyuu videos and a fair few of you informative videos on "How to" and I love it all! Especially the Haikyuu of course as that's why I found your channel, you 2 are amazing and I look forward to seeing more reacts :D Thanks for the content!

[@Shugoshin9720]

I do appreciate the coaching commentary. Another element to the reaction. I though do have the benefit of knowing the story but coaches comments are well appreciated.

[@seekittycat]

I cannot count the amount of people who I introduced to Haikyuu that doesn't know a single thing about volleyball. That people watching can slowly absorb so much about the game is incredible to me.

[@yangdou6059]

Happy new year! What a genuine surprise❤

[@SarahPavanVolleyball]

Happy New Year! One week off for the holidays was enough 😊

[@Gustalr]

It's crazy how haikyu basically tought me the basics of voleyball and made me start playing, and seeing you guys now, watching and giving your analasys and opinions are teaching me even more! Gotta love it :)

[@chenkvberyl8660]

The one thing that I want to tell you is that the Spring Tournament is ongoing in Japan right now😢

[@kyadabs]

Sarah : kick it! Me : You gotta be kidding me. 🤣 I laughed after hearing that. 😅

[@paulbartolome236]

Regarding the discussion in the end, when Adam said that he thinks that Date Tech is a better team than Karasuno. I do kinda disagree, they were a better blocking team that's for sure but attacking and spiking wise I think they were not on Karasuno's level. The majority of this game Aone's quicks were dug by Noya and Daichi (who are the best defensive players on Karasuno). Date Tech's open hitters also weren't as amazing and were dug a few times or failed to score. I think over-all, Date Tech was the better blocking team yes, but in areas like receiving and digging, setting (thanks to Kageyama), and spiking (mostly thanks to Hinata) Karasuno was better over-all. Just based on this game alone of course. I just think over-all Date Tech's offense is just not as great as Karasuno.

[@SarahPavanVolleyball]

I think this is a fair statement. I will say that other than blocking, the other thing that Date Tech has going for them is their experience and time playing together.

[@ladybookworms]

@@SarahPavanVolleyballHow do you think Date Tech would fare against Shiratorizawa though? Would Aone and Futakuchi be able to block and shut down Ushiwaka?

[@adamschulz9475]

I hear what you are saying and in this match they were caught unprepared and didn't adjust quickly enough. I think if Aone had another set he would cause the Karasuno's hitters trouble. I think if they were to play 10 times at this point in the show with these players and experience level they would probably win 7 times. I don't think Karasuno is that consistent yet and still has issues with receive which works in a good blocking teams favor.

[@ercjerkson1]

I love your comment about how well the series teaches the sport. Furudate is a former volleyball player and created the series to reverse the declining interest and state of boys volleyball in Japan. So it was made to increase interest and teach more about the sport for men!

[@sockywilliams]

I think Adam's comment about Dateko being the better team isn't off. Like, if they played again, or it went to 3 then Dateko would have won. Like, 9 out of 10 times Dateko will win in that situation, Karasuno is just really good at finding that 1 in 10 reality, if that makes sense

[@sockywilliams]

Like, all that really matters is who wins, but from a purely analytical standpoint, if I had to bet on one of them again I'd bet on Dateko, at least at this point in the story.

[@adamschulz9475]

@@sockywilliams That's the beauty of sport. Some teams/players have an ability to find a way to win in those big situations. But i agree.

[@johnathanjones7060]

Its good to see yall both healthy 😊

[@SarahPavanVolleyball]

Happy New Year!!

[@tsujimasen]

This is subtle, but when Asahi at 11:29-11:30 calls "Open", the subtitler translates it as "I'm open", but an Open set (which becomes a plot device in the future), in Japanese volleyball lingo, is a high ball set, like a 4 to the outside or a 3 in the middle. That's also why Asahi gets a triple block, because (presumably) the pass wasn't good enough to run offense on and Asahi is just letting Kageyama know he's available for the outside bail-out set and Dateko (Date Tech) has its blockers lined up to block the high set.

[@bmo1878]

I won't argue that Ukai had an error with the shift, I would only remind that he is a rookie coach going in head first so mistakes will happen.

[@ChessHistorian]

Ant 7:55 when Adam says "out", his Canadian accent comes out in full force and it's so cute.

[@adamschulz9475]

It doesn't happen often but when it comes out, it comes out lol

[@mykellederickpalad7883]

I'm not a volleyball player but I write in my spare time and as a writer, that shift to me felt like a plot device to setup Asahi for his redemption. The author needed to atleast make a good reason for it but the reason was a bit shaky. If he was to give a more solid reason for it, he'd have to rewrite some stuff back which is a drag if you've tried to write something before.

[@mylenainacio273]

20:44 I love those gazes 😍😍😍 I don't know if it's just me, but I feel like they subtly flirt with those looks all the time (insert Sarah's emoji with loving eyes which I don't have).

[@ssjsergei]

Sarah was so immersed in this episode that I feel like I was watching her reaction for the first time again 🙌🏻 I wonder how you resist to watch more episodes after seeing just one 😅 I admire you for that, you have self-control level god 😱 I wish I have some of that 😅

[@sayuriyoshimoto8850]

Happy new year, Sarah and Adam! Thank you for all the amazing reactions in 2023

[@adamschulz9475]

Thank you! Happy New Year to you as well.

[@Geeked._.0ut]

I'd definitely say that Adam's right when comparing both teams; at this point in time, Karasuno is almost entirely reliant on the freak quick, and their strategy consists on using it, either to score or to confuse. When you take the freak quick out of the equation, Karasuno really struggles to make any kind of high level attack, and against a block as good as Dateko's, that is fatal. Still, Karasuno is not weak by any means, they have really good players, just not with enough technical skills or experience. This is good for their development, though, because they are "empty" since they are not used to any kind of strategy, they can absorb and learn better and faster than other teams, and that, right now, makes them a very important threat.

[@wtbskilllololo]

Just when i thought i wont watch Haikyuu again(having watched it 3 times myself,two more times through Coach Donny and Sarahs first reactions)you making me watch it again i really loved the input you and Coach Donny were adding about techinque/playstyle and tactics and now with Adam added to the new reactions its filled with even more knowledge and imput for more things volleyball. As someone who never played much volleyball through my school years i think its has become my favorite sport(from the big three ball sports in my country Football,Basketball and Volleyball).I dont tend to play often but things youve talked about like receiving technique and where to stand,how to block has been something that stuck with me and made me understand the game and mechanics more. Appreciate the reactions and thank you for your professional input.

[@kinokoyuu6100]

Common Fact. Kageyama is polite to people older than him(or less violence). When he got teased by them, he'll try to not get mad but when there's first year that join the teasing, he mostly wreak it to the first year.

[@mayellymoreno3671]

Such an awesome treat to find your reaction to episode 18 - love learning more about volleyball and just adding more nuance and depth to a series that I already love. So thank you to you both for that! Also, this is an unusual aside, but it was great to see a return of Adam's Stony Brook's Volleyball Seawolves t-shirt - my undergrad alma mater. Awesome start to 2024 - wishing you a very Happy New Year to you both!!!

[@soo-bun]

Sarah, Adam, Lydia! Happy new year! ❤

[@SarahPavanVolleyball]

Happy New Year!! 😘

[@azn2xcbbjai]

@13:52 Sarah throwing shade at the anime character is hilarious and true.

[@girish2754]

Happy New Year!!!! We are starting the year with Noya's awesome digs, Sweet!!! About the rotation switch up, I feel if Ukai didn't make the change, Aone might have completely adjusted to Hinata's quick, thus shutting down Karasuno's main weapon. I feel there would have been a higher probability of going into 3rd set without karasuno's freak quick. Maybe that's why Ukai thought better not to give them chance to adjust to Hinata kageyama's freak quick. I don't have enough volleyball experience to make a call about this rotation change though.

[@SarahPavanVolleyball]

I can see how that could be a consideration, but with the varying tempos that Hinata started running, even if he wasn’t as effective, Aone’s attention still would have had to remain on him, alleviating pressure on the other attackers

[@blnn]

I can’t believe you haven’t shed a tear even once adam! 😢😂

[@adamschulz9475]

Not a big crier, but definitely getting the feels in general watching this show!

[@danharveymiras7410]

Hi Adam I'm not sure if someone already mentioned this symbolism Daichi #1 - solid recievers are 1st to touch after the serve Sugawara #2 - setters are 2nd to touch Asahi #3 - spikers, the 3rd to touch the ball And if the attack fails #4, Nishinoya

[@adamschulz9475]

Oh that's interesting. I hadn't realized that.

[@cornervermelho]

You always make my Friday morning better, good to have you guys back, shout out from Brazil

[@tinstans]

Happy New Year everyone!! thanks for this update!! ❤❤

[@tinstans]

" 16:55 " - Adam, S1E18 (this statement... ill be back here when that time comes)

[@SarahPavanVolleyball]

Happy New Year! Thanks so much for the support!

[@ninger27]

To win the game, I think that Ukai's decision to shift the rotation is right. Because he freak attack is the only weapon to win Dateko. It must be ensured to be effective. But it's a little unfair to the player truely.

[@Emm_Ace]

I’m so glad I got the notification on cause I legit forgot today was Thursday! 😭 Adam the next match is AWSOME!

[@pollensycho]

Got me laughing at Sarah's "Kick it" inadvertent utterance.

[@captawesome42]

adam - congratulations on staying awake. we're all very proud of you. go take a well earned nap

[@captawesome42]

I think if Date Tech and Karasuno met with the exact same amount of information about each other but the match happened at Nationals, Date Tech would have won. It felt like their coach just assumed Karasuno would either stop trying or succeeding with the quicks and figured it must just be a mediocre team that was getting fortunate. You never really saw a "oh this team might actually be good" moment from him. No strategy, no time outs, just "keep playing your game and you'll win" and that's the attitude you take against someone you "know" you're better than. At Nationals you immediately take everything the opponent does seriously because "they qualified for nationals, they're obviously good". At this tournament anyone can play so you could very well just get matched up against an inexperienced team that isn't very good early in the tournament. Doubly so since they beat them the previous year pretty handidly.

[@adadasdasdas]

I've been waiting for this allthroughout this winter break! pls keep doing this until you reach the end of this show

[@YiyingLu-yk2mg]

I totally agree that Tate Tech may be a team with more experience and strength. I also agree that the rotation is not the best choice. However, I think this shows that Karasuno and Wukai are a new team, and a new coach, like a baby crow. This thought 100% fits with Karasuno's current situation and level. I really like Haruichi‘s setting there.

[@sarahespin5798]

YES! Always so hype when I see you posted

[@theepicsteel1]

You guys are amazing. Keep it up. The analysis you guys give on the strategies that the show is giving is great to hear. PLEASE continue to pause and give your thoughts and feedback! In fact, if you have more would love if you do more! Would also love to see you guys pick apart the inaccuracies of the show too, with the techniques in blocking/setting too! Am definitely well aware that this anime can exaggerate a lot, looking at you Kageyama and Hinata. Of all the reaction KZbinrs that have watched haikyuu, you guys give the best insight because you guys take time to pause a TON and give your insight. Right there with coach Donny ❤❤

[@angelicahernandezb]

I missed you guys, I hope you had a great holiday season and happy new year🎉

[@Raindeerappreciationmember4983]

Great episode and discussion! I love watching your reactions and hearing your thought on the strategies and gameplay. Pretty sure you have explained it before, but could you maybe explain what the meaning of "in system" one more time?

[@adamschulz9475]

In system means that the pass goes where it was intended to go 2.5 on the court relatively close the net. This allows the setting to option to set all of the hitters effectively. For instance if pass were off the net behind the attack line it would be hard to set the middle and then you would have to set the outside.

[@Raindeerappreciationmember4983]

@@adamschulz9475 thank you for the great explanation ☺️ I really appreciate it

[@jakeDgirl]

A small detail that I only noticed recently, even though I rewatch Haikyuu like every other month... Moniwa is the probably the 2nd smallest player of Dateko (I'm coming off an ep in S4, where we see the heights of Dateko players). Their libero is the smallest. They also said this episode that most people called Dateko 3rd yrs the duds who couldn't live up to the "Iron Wall" reputation. And yet Moniwa, the 2nd smallest player of the "Iron Wall" full of tall blockers, was voted as captain by the entire team. I wonder if the mangaka did that intentionally. If it's intentionally written that way, Moniwa must have a drive and leadership that could rival Karasuno 3rd yrs. Man, how I wish we had alternate version of Haikyuu where we still play out the same plot, not alternate reality, but we view it with other teams as our protagonists. There's just so much depth and detail to the side characters and teams.

[@bonifyedhusla]

Longest 2 week wait of my life!

[@trycethomas939]

And we're back!

[@briancollazo6837]

It was about time I have been waitofr almost 4 days

[@iluna9901]

I missed your reactions last week🧡🖤 happy new year!! 🎉

[@adambialecki3162]

Ive been waiting! So glad the video is out! Im gonna get right into it

[@camoumilecamoflage8875]

So excited for the next episode!!! Happy new year Adam and Sarah and thank you for the great reaction.

[@tk-ms4vz]

This year's spring high school volleyball tournament has come to an end.

[@bindy385]

Always looking forward to the next episodeBecause I like Oikawa

[@gymerdatw-uk7iu]

Well finally sarah 🙄 been waiting

[@mariaana6710]

So happy with Adam, he saying Noya without doupt he knows the name... Good Adam! I`ve watched this anime two and... this time with you two, and sometimes I have difficulties with the names. So, like another person with this problem, I`m happy for you.

[@adamschulz9475]

It's a constant struggle for me lol. Reading the manga and responding to comments is helping lol.

[@mariaana6710]

@@adamschulz9475 thanks for responding me. :)