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"A Battle of Concepts" (Japanese: コンセプトの
Overview[]
Karasuno is at their match point. Both teams refuse to let the ball drop. Karasuno slows down their tempo from minus to first tempo and all five spikers rush forward to spike making it impossible to block. Hinata spikes the ball down and the intense battle finally comes to an end with Karasuno as the victors.
Plot[]
As Hinata attempts a minus tempo back attack, Tendō calls for Kawanishi to jump to block. Hinata is able to hit the ball against Kawanishi’s arm but Ushijima is able to save the ball. He immediately calls for the set and is able to spike past the block only for the ball to hit Hinata and knock him over. Tanaka and Kageyama get the ball over the net. Yamagata is able to receive, but to Shirabu’s dismay, the ball is sent to a bad spot.
Feeling Ushijima’s intense aura, Shirabu decides this is not a problem and sets to the ace. Washijō spots Karasuno’s blockers getting in place to do something they had not done throughout the entire match. As Ushijima goes to spike, Tsukishima, Daichi, and Asahi jump to block Ushijima’s straight shot. This was part of Tsukishima’s plan in hopes of getting Ushijima into the habit of hitting straight shots that his body would automatically do the same at this point in time. To everyone’s surprise, Ushijima is able to change his spike to a cross shot and is able to get past the block only for Kageyama to receive.
Hinata and Tsukishima instantly feel the pressure of facing Ushijima and his incredible skills but that pressure is lifted when their teammates come to their aid by repeatedly saving the ball until Karasuno is able to get another chance ball. At this moment, the Shiratorizawa players notice that Hinata is not running ahead of everyone else. Ikkei instantly figures out that Hinata is purposely slowing his tempo down to first tempo in order to join in a synchronized attack. With the blockers not knowing who will receive the set, they are unable to stop Hinata when he gets the set. Yamagata attempts to receive the ball but it bounces off his arm and lands out before Reon can get to it.
With this final point, Karasuno has won the set and the match.