"The Conductor" (Japanese: “
Overview
After seeing Oikawa's power as a server up close, Karasuno is determined to defeat Aobajohsai. However, Oikawa's true abilities as a setter are still mostly unknown. Most members are tense as they anticipate the match, especially Kageyama who has always had a rivalry with his former upperclassman. Despite this, his resolve to win doesn't waver.
Plot
After its match, Karasuno watches Aobajohsai's game. The members are unnerved by Oikawa's consecutive service aces and realize that they still know almost nothing about Oikawa's actual abilities as a setter. Ukai comments that a setter is akin to the conductor of an orchestra. Even if it's the same music with the same players, if the conductor's changed, the sound will change as well.
Back during the practice match, Karasuno didn't win because Yahaba was weak; it only won because without Oikawa, who has been with the team long enough to be able to draw out its maximum potential, Aobajohsai wasn't playing at its strongest. This causes the members to rethink their victory and wonder if they really have a chance against such a powerhouse. However, Hinata quickly breaks through their thoughts when he loudly expresses his desire to play and win against Aobajohsai. Nishinoya joins him as they both notice a TV camera, but the cameraman mistakes them for elementary school students and scolds them for being too loud.
Soon, Aobajohsai wins both sets and ends the match. Karasuno heads home. As soon as it arrives, one of the teachers announces to the members that they were on TV. This excites them, but they're soon annoyed to see Oikawa taking all of their screen time. With solemn expressions, the members go right back to the gym for a meeting.
Ukai explains that the quick strike won't be as effective this match because they've used it against Aobajohsai before so they'll need to focus more on stopping Aobajohsai's attacks. He comes up with a new formation before dismissing the members.
There's tension among the members as they remember the practice match and Oikawa's power. Kageyama is quieter than usual as he contemplates his rivalry with Oikawa. Hinata runs to him and yells that they're going to defeat Aobajohsai. Kageyama agrees, stating that they have to win in order to proceed. Behind the duo, the upperclassmen vow to win as well.
At Aobajohsai, Oikawa and Iwaizumi are packing up as Oikawa takes out a DVD. Iwaizumi scolds him for staying up late all the time, but Oikawa teasingly brushes him off. He wounds up staying up all night to study Karasuno anyway, showing how he isn't going to take his opponents lightly.
The next day, the second day of the Interhigh Preliminaries begin. Oikawa and Daichi shake hands to commence the match.
Debut
Appearances
- Tōru Oikawa
- Yū Nishinoya
- Shōyō Hinata
- Ittetsu Takeda
- Asahi Azumane
- Kōshi Sugawara
- Tobio Kageyama
- Keishin Ukai
- Ryūnosuke Tanaka
- Daichi Sawamura
- Hajime Iwaizumi
- Yūtarō Kindaichi
- Akira Kunimi
- Takahiro Hanamaki
- Issei Matsukawa
- Shinji Watari
- Tadashi Yamaguchi
- Kei Tsukishima
- Shunki Kawatabi
- Takeru Nakashima
- Wakatoshi Ushijima
- Reon Ōhira
- Takanobu Aone
- Kenji Futakuchi
- Kaname Moniwa
- Yukinari Mori
- Chikara Ennoshita
- Hisashi Kinoshita
- Kazuhito Narita
Chapter notes
Character revelations
- Oikawa and Iwaizumi have been playing volleyball together since their elementary school days and are almost perfectly in sync with each other.
- Oikawa tends to stay up late to study his opponents.
Trivia
- One of last year's best four was Niiyama Tech, but it lost to Wakutani South in the third round of this year's Interhigh.
- Shiratorizawa won its first match (25-6) against Ohgiminami High.