"The Strength Needed for Freedom" (Japanese:
Overview
Karasuno seems to be slowly overwhelmed by the fun and free plays of Johzenji who seem to not follow normal play styles and are able to continually throw off their opponents.
Plot
With Karasuno having successfully saved the ball and getting the point, they are now one point behind Johzenji. Although impressed that Karasuno was able to score off the last play, Futakuchi points out that the super quick has yet to be unleashed.
Tanaka spots Futamata attempting a one handed set. Numajiri spikes but Kageyama is able to save it before he is hit in the face. Numajiri tries a direct spike only for Daichi to make the receive. With this, Hinata and Kageyama finally execute the super quick. Terushima especially is impressed at finally seeing the famous super quick attack.
Seeing that Hinata is getting drawn into Johzenji's energy, Daichi is able to calm the middle blocker down. Takeda praises Daichi's levelheadedness and ability to keep the team under control. Takinoue comments how Daichi gives the impression of being more mature beyond his age until Yachi tells him about a recent altercation between Daichi and the captain of the Karasuno basketball team during lunch and he accidentally set off the fire alarm in the process.
For several plays, Karasuno is able to keep the lead. In the stands, Yutaka Obara and Kōsuke Sakunami join Aone and Futakuchi. They notice that the Johzenji team doesn't have very tall players nor a spectacular ace but still seem to be a team that give their opponents a hard time despite that they still lack in areas such as blocking and are quick to fall for decoys. Sakunami reveals he has a friend who plays on the Johzenji basketball team and had informed him that the volleyball team regularly spends half of their practice time playing 2-on-2 matches. Futakuchi thinks this is a ridiculous practice method as it has caused the players to not rely on anyone and always be on the ready to attack. At that moment, Futamata and Katsumichi Higashiyama run into each other during a play.
After Tanaka's line shot is received, Tsukishima tries to figure out who the next attacker will be when he spots Johzenji's setter running toward the back and Higashiyama jumping from the back row to make the set. Futamata is able to spike past Tanaka and tie the score. Yachi is thrown off by the way Johzenji plays, their methods seem to not make any kind of sense, but Takinoue believes that the team practices this way regularly. Because of this, opposing blockers will not know where the next attack will come from and thus gives Johzenji the freedom to play however they want.
Yamaguchi recalls a phrase he had once heard from former coach Ikkei Ukai about being really good will allow someone to have real fun in a competition. Though he hadn't understood at first, Yamaguchi now sees that because the Johzenji players are able to move their bodies the way they want and are able to prove in each play they can play how they wish, their real strength lies in having fun.
Hinata eventually rotates in and once more gains Terushima's admiration with the height of his jump. However, Terushima is aware that part of the credit lies in Kageyama's skills as a setter. Takeda notes how Hinata and Kageyama are a pair to not be outdone easily when it comes to wild and unpredictable attacks.
After Arata Tsuchiyu receives Asahi's serve, Kageyama quickly spots that Futamata is going to attempt a setter dump and jumps to block. The block is successful but many notice that Kageyama didn't actually block and instead took the ball directly to his face. To their shock, he faces his team to reveal a bloody nose.
Debut
Appearances
- Kenji Futakuchi
- Takanobu Aone
- Shōyō Hinata
- Tobio Kageyama
- Takeharu Futamata
- Yū Nishinoya
- Katsumichi Higashiyama
- Hitoka Yachi
- Yūsuke Takinoue
- Asahi Azumane
- Daichi Sawamura
- Ryūnosuke Tanaka
- Rintarō Numajiri
- Yūji Terushima
- Nobuyoshi Ῑzaka
- Ittetsu Takeda
- Keishin Ukai
- Karasuno High boys basketball team captain (flashback only)
- Karasuno High Vice-Principal (flashback only)
- Kazuma Bobata
- Kei Tsukishima
- Kōsuke Sakunami
- Yutaka Obara
- Arata Tsuchiyu
- Tadashi Yamaguchi
- Ikkei Ukai (mentioned only)
- Kazuhito Narita
- Chikara Ennoshita
- Kōshi Sugawara
