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Suguru Daishō (Japanese: 大将 (だいしょう) (すぐる) Daishō Suguru) was the third-year captain of Nohebi Academy Boys' Volleyball Team.

As of 2021, he is a member of the Yotsuya Motor Spirits, a Division 2 V.League team.

Appearance[]

Slightly resembling a snake, he has a small build, thin face, short eyebrows and slanted eyes. He tends to stick his tongue out and has thick, dark hair with bangs which he keeps swept neatly to his left side.

Post-timeskip, Suguru is shown to have cut his hair to a much shorter style.

Personality[]

Suguru is a competitive person who enjoys mocking others, especially the members of Nekoma. However, he gets flustered and emotional when he is mocked in return, such as when Kuroo brought up his ex-girlfriend.

He is a cunning, manipulative person who uses a polite façade during matches to win the referee's favor; he would admit to net-touches and apologize loudly to bolster Nohebi's reputation, but use somewhat underhand tactics without the audience knowing, such as purposely spiking a ball at an opponent's face and using the referee's influence to get away with spikes that were originally in to be called out when blocking their view. During the match, he shows composure in analyzing the situation of the match, which is pointed out by the Nohebi coach.

Background[]

After their match against Nekoma, Suguru is now the former captain of Nohebi Academy's Boys' Volleyball Team since he is a third-year at Nohebi Academy.

Plot[]

Spring High Preliminary Arc[]

Suguru and Kuroo OVA 4-1

Suguru approaches Nekoma in the hallway, right before the semifinals start, and interrupts Kuroo's speech with an insult to his team[1]. An annoyed Yamamoto quickly steps in front of Suguru and tries to intimidate him before Kuroo calls him off. Suguru continues with his taunts and comments that Kuroo's hairstyle doesn't count towards his height. The latter retaliates by mentioning Suguru's recent breakup, unnerving him. Before he can attack back, Lev approaches him from the back and states that Nekoma has changed from what they are usually known for, but quickly gets interrupted by Yaku. Suguru simply laughs before he and Kuroo challenge each other to a battle at the finals.

Nohebi first plays against Itachiyama, but loses and has to play against Nekoma for the third place spot[2]. As Suguru and Kuroo go to shake hands, the former remarks that he knew it would come down to this. Kuroo quickly defends his team, but notes that despite what he says, they lost in the end.

Suguru Kenma Kai OVA 4-1

Before the match begins, Suguru gives his team a quick speech and reminds them that Nekoma is tenacious, but all they need to do is declaw the opponents. He easily pulls off a feint right as the game starts and continues mocking different Nekoma members to force them to lose their cool. Adding onto that, after touching the ball before it goes out, Suguru makes a show of apologizing for it, gaining the referee's favor. He, along with Sakishima, Nohebi's setter, is seen most participating in taunting Nekoma; most notably Yamamoto and Lev.

Suguru uses Yamamoto's short temper and the trash-talking aimed at him to bait him into stepping too far, right into the ball's path. Yamamoto ends up getting hit in the face, which Suguru pretends to apologize for. A few plays later, a ball is going out and Suguru skillfully steps right in front of it, blocking a line judge's view. The line judge marks it as in anyway, but the head referee defends Nohebi, allowing it to get the point.

As the match goes on, Suguru notices his opponents' rising tempers and notes to himself that they're not annoyed with him, they're annoyed at themselves for failing and the more reckless they become, the faster they'll self-destruct. Despite his general tactics, Suguru does play properly and shows his true skills. At one point, he rushes to the back of the court to save a ball, noting to himself that Nohebi has strong determination as well. After Lev spikes the ball back, Suguru loses his composure for a second.

Group OVA 5-1

After Yaku is switched out with an injury, Suguru quickly targets Shibayama and lets him know that the team is singling him out[3]. He aims his next spike directly at Shibayama, who misses getting the ball up. Without Yaku as the backbone of Nekoma's defense, Suguru underestimates Nekoma and aims specifically for those he perceives as the weaker players. While Lev's in the back row, Suguru aims his spike at him since he thinks Lev will be an easy target, but immediately gets shut down by Kuroo, who had been waiting for this slip-up. He tries to make a comeback by aiming at Shibayama again, but the libero is able to receive the ball properly this time.

After Nekoma wins the first set, Suguru calms down and remembers his determination to get to nationals. He begins to shift his focus his attention to Yamamoto, hoping to lower his morale by forcing him to miss, but this fails as Yamamoto only gets more focused on the match.

After Nohebi's ace, Kazuma Numai, is switched out after two service aces, he tells the team to earn Nohebi a ticket to nationals. A few rallies later when Suguru scores, he is seen taking Numai's words to heart and gives Nohebi a short pep talk to get them motivated.

Suguru and Mika OVA 5-1

Nearing Nekoma's match point, Suguru gets nervous and plays with much more effort, chasing the ball over the court boundaries. Despite that, Nekoma wins[4]. After the match, Suguru goes to sit outside and is approached by Mika. She apologizes for breaking up with him because of his sole focus on volleyball and now sees why he was putting in so much work with the club. He laughs and admits that he lost anyway, but she points out that Nohebi is still considered a strong team. She remarks that she's starting to understand him a lot better after watching his match and asks him to teach her volleyball sometime, seemingly reconciling with him.

Suguru goes back to his third-year teammates after this. As they wrestle with one another, Suguru begins crying.

Tokyo Nationals Arc[]

Karasuno vs Inarizaki[]

Suguru and Mika are seen in the crowd watching the match between Karasuno and Inarizaki shortly before Saeko arrives with her taiko drum team[5]. During the game, Suguru notices how the Inarizaki cheer section is using their rhythm and music in the attempt to throw off Karasuno's timing during serves. When Ginjima's spike hits Hinata's foot, Mika questions if this is allowed and Suguru explains that it is but that it is most likely just more embarrassing. Suguru later explains to Mika how Tsukishima was able to figure out which of Inarizaki's players to block and is flattered when Mika says how amazing he is, but decides to keep to himself that he was able to see what happened due to having a higher view in the stands.

At witnessing Tanaka attempt to reach a ball but unable to make it, Suguru believes that Tanaka had put so much effort from thinking that the ball hadn't dropped yet and that Karasuno must feel they don't have the leisure of allowing any mistakes. When Kageyama makes his receive by going under the net to chase the ball, Suguru explains that it is allowed since the ball and Kageyama have not gone into Inarizaki's territory and adds that if Kageyama had returned the ball through Inarizaki's space, it would have counted as a foul[6]. Some time after Karasuno wins the first set, the two leave to watch Nekoma's game against Sarukawa Tech High.

After Nekoma wins their match against Sarukawa Tech, the two return to finish watching the match. At the start of the third set, Suguru notices that Karasuno changed their starting rotation and he believes it is due to Karasuno wanting a different set of blockers at the net when Inarizaki has their best hitters in the front; he explains this to Mika in a manner that he thinks comes off as excited babbling but is relieved when she is able to correctly figure out the same thing he had. They stay for the remainder of the set until Karasuno eventually manages to win.

Nekoma vs Sarukawa[]

Suguru and Mika s4-e18-1

After Karasuno wins the first set against Inarizaki, Suguru and Mika leave to watch Nekoma's match against Sarukawa Tech High. Immediately upon arriving, Suguru notices that Sarukawa is attempting to disrupt Nekoma's rhythm and getting Kenma to exhaust himself by having him run around to make his sets. When the second set is at a deuce, Suguru is eventually able to see that Nekoma is doing off receives on purpose after having figured out that Sarukawa is hoping to wear down Kenma.

Nekoma vs Karasuno[]

Suguru and Mika are present to watch the game between Nekoma and Karasuno. Early in the first set, Suguru notes how Tsukishima gives him an uncomfortable feeling but is unsure why. When the score reaches the first tie, Suguru figures out that he does not like Tsukishima because he is 'exactly like Kuroo'[7]. Suguru is also surprised to see how aggressive Nekoma is at the start of the match, telling Mika that the team normally uses the first set to gather information about their opponent in order to adapt and counter. He believes that Nekoma is putting up a fight from the start due to facing against Karasuno, who are just as aggressive, and therefore need to take the first set right away.

When Nekoma is able to win the first set, Suguru becomes annoyed when he explains to Mika about Nekoma's strong ground defense, although Mika finds his hatred toward Nekoma amusing[8]. However, when Kageyama lands a no-touch service ace on Nekoma, Suguru admits feeling a little sympathy for the team. In the third set, Mika comments how middle blockers appear to not have much payoff despite how much they move around, but Suguru points out that certain blockers can be a great problem to spikers and make them feel trapped. The two continue to watch the match until Karasuno's victory. Shortly after Fukurōdani won their match, Suguru runs into the Nekoma third-years. While Mika steps away for a moment, Suguru openly taunts the three for their loss. When his added taunting doesn't get the three riled up like he wanted, he continues to mock them until Mika returns and catches him in the act[9].

Fukurōdani vs Mujinazaka[]

As Mika and Suguru enter the gymnasium to watch the match, Suguru observes Kiryū's impressive plays and wishes him to defeat Fukurōdani at all cost. When Mujinazaka wins the first set, Suguru gets overjoyed. During the second set, Suguru notices Fukurōdani's marching band creating a beat for his serve. Suguru then compares this to what Inarizaki's marching band did to mess with Karasuno's servers.

Karasuno vs Kamomedai[]

Karasuno's match against Kamomedai barely starts when Mika and Suguru enter the gymnasium to watch the game. Suguru then tells Mika that a team that has really good blocking is going to be good since it is a technique that is both defensive and offensive at once. Not long after, Hinata surpasses an impressive triple block by Kamomedai but Mika is awed at how the blockers knew where Hinata was going to hit the ball despite his excellent speed. Suguru explains that it's because of their speed and their bunch shift technique.

Suguru further explains that bunch shifts are useful since it allows Kamomedai to always be able to respond to attacks from any direction with at least two blockers. However, he adds that blockers also sometimes get in the way of receivers and internally notes that his team knows that but they still have trouble dealing with the problem. When Mika notices Asahi getting picked on by the blockers, she says that she feels bad for him since it feels like everything is going wrong for him. However, she is proven wrong in the next rally when Karasuno's first years demonstrate great teamwork to win a point, which Suguru remarks to himself.

Suguru notices that Karasuno has been taking Hakuba very lightly for the entire game and he is impressed because even though they would have watched his earlier matches, it isn't like six and a half foot high school volleyball players anywhere. After Asahi breaks through Kamomedai's defenses for the third time, Suguru references back to when Mika said she felt bad for Asahi being pressured as the ace and tells her that she isn't wrong and that aces do have a great amount of downsides but to him, it's more about the glory after surpassing all the obstacles[10]. During another one of Kamomedai's impressive performances, Suguru admits to himself that Nohebi wouldn't have stood a chance against them.

Final Arc[]

In the Final Arc, Suguru is revealed to be a member of the Yotsuya Motor Spirits, a Division 2 V.League team.

Statistics[]

High School Statistics
Power
 
2/5
Jumping
 
4/5
Stamina
 
3/5
Game Sense
 
4/5
Technique
 
4/5
Speed
 
3/5

Like the rest of his team, he is proficient at receiving. His play style is based on baiting his opponents to step far in and then lash out a forceful spike. He has a good eye for spotting and targeting the weakest link of the opposing team. He is also skilled with feints and capable of jump serving with great accuracy, as shown when he aimed straight at Shibayama during the Tokyo Spring Qualifiers 3rd place match.

Skills[]

Post-Timeskip Skills Parameter
Serve
 
7/10
Serve Reception
 
8/10
Dig
 
7/10
Setting
 
7/10
Spike
 
7/10
Block
 
6/10
  • Receives: Suguru is a talented defender and is able to save multiple spikes and help keep the ball in play.
  • Serve: During the match against Nekoma, Suguru is shown to have a powerful jump serve. He has enough control and power that he is able to purposely target players in hopes of gaining an easy point.
  • Feint: Said by Kuroo to be one of Suguru's most used attack methods, Suguru is skilled in performing a feint shot at a moment's notice or when his opponents least expect.
  • Spikes: Capable of performing both straight and cross spikes, Suguru's spikes are seen to have quite a bit of power behind them. Like his serves, he is able to precisely target a player.

Relationships[]

Nekoma High[]

  • Tetsurō Kuroo:
    Suguru and Kuroo OVA 4-1
    They appear to be longtime rivals and enjoy mocking each other. From what Akane has learned from her brother, Kuroo and Suguru have known each other for quite some time and seem to fight every time they meet[11]. Kuroo also has some knowledge of Suguru's personal life as he was aware that Suguru's girlfriend broke up with him prior to the tournament to decide the Tokyo representatives.
    Despite their general animosity, they acknowledge their respective teams' abilities and have challenged each other to meet at the Spring High Qualifiers finals. It's shown that despite their apparent disliking of each other's team strategies, they still acknowledge each other's strengths and determination.

Nohebi Academy[]

  • Mika Yamaka:
    Suguru and Mika OVA 5-1
    Mika is Suguru's ex-girlfriend who had broken up with him some time before the Tokyo Spring High Representative Playoffs. However, the two reconciled and later attended the Spring Tournament together. Contrast to how he is with other people, Suguru is stated to be a kind and considerate person to Mika. He patiently explains volleyball plays to her during the Spring Tournament and finds many of her reactions to be cute.

Quotes[]

  • (To Mika about Tsukishima) "... And that makes me think that he might be a little bit crazy. Is he a robot or something?"[12]
  • (To Kuroo) "'Always have'. As in high-level defensive intensity and impeccable teamwork, along with a lack of ability to consistently put up points and close out matches. That's Nekoma-chan for you."[1]
  • (To himself about Nohebi) "The referee isn't a god, nor is he a machine. It's not unnatural that his decisions will be more biased towards the team that he has a more favorable impression of. Those words I said back then [refer to previous bullet] apply just as much to our team. That's exactly why we resort to 'provocation' and 'playing nice', and put our souls and body into it! We will do anything and everything to gain an edge and secure points... Even turning the very atmosphere of the court to our favor!!!"[13]
  • (To himself) "Our team and Nekoma are birds of a feather... We 'persevere' and refuse to give in."[13]
  • (To himself) "If you can manage to get underneath your opponents' skin, the more reckless they become... the faster they'll self-destruct."[13]
  • (To himself) "If you're gonna go rant about how 'I wanted to win', why didn't you do everything within in your power to not lose, then?"[14]
  • (To himself) "In a game, nothing is certain. It all boils down to... creating favorable winds for yourself."[14]
  • (To Kuroo) "None of this has anything to do with whether you can win or not. It's not like we quit just because we lost, and winning is not the reason for why we play."[9]

Trivia[]

  • Favorite Food: Papico (Japanese: パピコ (ぱぴこ) Papiko), a Japanese ice cream created by Glico.
  • Current Concern: "I want to increase the power of my serve."
  • Star Sign: Cancer.
  • His name, like the rest of Nohebi, comes from the name of a snake. Daishō (大将) comes from aodaishō (アオダイショウ/青大将), or the Japanese rat snake.
  • To date, he is the only known member of Yotsuya Motor Spirits.
  • It is confirmed that he shares the same class as Kōji Hiroo.
  • He is the oldest third-year and member of the team.
  • Nomenclature:
    • Suguru (優) – Excellence/Superiority
    • Daishō (大将) – General

References[]

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