"Snakes vs. Cats" (Japanese:
Overview[]
The match between Nekoma and Nohebi begins with the team’s captain Suguru pulling a feint right off the bat. Nohebi gains the first point. Alisa asks Akane what type of team Nohebi is and she answers that their playstyle is consistent so they’ll hold out as long as they can like Nekoma, and try to induce the self-destruction of their opponents. Members of Nohebi observe and insult the members of Nekoma riling them up and being called out by the referee. A person in the crowd mentions that Nohebi is more polite while Nekoma is full of mohawks and dyed blond hair. After Yamamoto is called out by the referee for behavior, Kuroo mentions that the ref has turned strict with them this time around. The game continues and Daishō accidentally spikes the ball into the side of Yamamoto’s head to which Daishō bows and apologizes. Nohebi is currently in the lead with 16-13.
Plot[]
Suguru goes to spike and right away attempts a feint. Yamamoto is able to save it but this allows Kōji Hiroo to do a successful direct spike when Lev can’t block in time. Seeing Yamamoto is on edge, Kai tries to calm him down and to stay on track, leaving Yamamoto and Lev with the desire to get their team to Nationals.
While the Nohebi team celebrates getting the first point, Alisa questions Akane on what she knows about Nohebi. Akane reveals that it has been several years since Nekoma and Nohebi have played against each other but also says that she’s learned Kuroo and Suguru have known each other for a few years and always seem to fight when they meet. Through her own research, Akane has learned that Nohebi has a play style similar to Nekoma in which they take their time in the first set but then will use methods to cause their opponents to self-destruct.
As Hiroo gets ready to serve, Suguru taunts Lev about his performance in the game against Fukurōdani Academy and that Yamamoto can’t hit straight shots. Kenma sees that the Nohebi players are targeting the right players to get riled up and that the head referee must not see what is going on.
Suguru continues to mock Yamamoto on not being able to hit straight shots when the Nekoma ace scores using a cross shot. Hiroo and Isumi Sakishima then begin to work on getting Lev worked up by calling his blocks a sieve.
Suguru executes a back attack and the ball lands out. To the shock of the Nekoma team, the head referee calls the ball as a block-out and gives the point to Nohebi despite Lev and Yamamoto informing him neither one of them had contact with the ball. When Kai is able to do a block out in the next rally and get Nekoma the point back, Suguru makes a great show of admitting that he did have contact with the ball and bows in apology, gaining him the favor of the ref and the crowd by his apparent polite behavior.
Suguru tries a feint again but Yamamoto manages to save it and allow Fukunaga to score. Yamamoto loudly expresses himself and gets glared at by the ref. When Lev is able to block Suguru, he is pointed out to have touched the net during the block. Suguru once more is given a set and Yamamoto rushes forward only to get hit by Suguru’s spike. When his team checks if he is injured, Yamamoto admits he placed himself further forward due to thinking that Suguru would try another feint but thinks that he was baited into going too far forward. Suguru then bows to Yamamoto as an apology that causes Kenma to think that Suguru will be more troublesome than they originally believed.