The high school arc of the sports manga "Haikyu!!" has come to an end in Weekly Shonen Jump, and a new chapter is beginning to unfold. The story revolves around the Karasuno High School boys' volleyball team, to which the main characters Hinata Shoyo and Kageyama Tobio belong, and its passionate, youthful story has made it extremely popular with young women. In this article, we'll be introducing all the notable schools competing in the national tournament, where Karasuno High School will be taking part! We'll also be introducing some of the notable players, so be sure to check it out!
Itachiyama Academy, led by Sakusa, a member of the All-Japan Youth Team.
Itachiyama Academy is a powerful team that came first in the fierce Tokyo qualifiers. They also came first in the Tokyo region of the Inter-High that year. With one of the nation's top three aces, Sakusa Kiyoomi, on their team, they are the favorites to win. However, the details of the games are never described in the series, so the details are unknown.
Main Members of Haikyuzan Academy
■ Kiyoomi Sakusa (Sakusa Kiyoomi) ■ Position: WS
Sakusa is the only second-year student among the three top aces in the national team, and is known as the "Kanto Sakusa." He is so talented that he was selected for the All-Japan Youth Training Camp. He is characterized by two moles lined up on his forehead and curly hair. His behavior at the youth training camp revealed that he is a germaphobe.
Motoya Komori (Komori Motoya) Position: Li
Komori is known as the "No. 1 high school libero" and has been selected to the All-Japan Youth Development Team. He focuses on efficient defense that doesn't interfere with the next attack, and Kageyama has taken inspiration from his play. He has adorable, round eyebrows.
Mujinaka High School, home to one of Japan's top three aces, Kiryu
Mujinaka High School, representing Oita Prefecture, is a top-four school in the Inter-High Championships. This marks their ninth consecutive year of appearances in the Spring High Tournament, and their 30th overall.
Tanukisaka High School Main Members
■ Captain: Kiryu Wakatsu ■ Position: WS
Kiryu is one of the top three aces in the nation, nicknamed "Kiryu the Bad Ball Hitter." His serves and spikes are powerful, but his greatest strength is his ability to skillfully hit any toss. Surprisingly, he lacks confidence, but his teammates trust him. He's known for his shaved head and round eyebrows.
Fukurodani Academy, led by the high-energy spiker Bokuto
Fukurodani Academy is a powerhouse school that placed second in the Tokyo Qualifiers. It's part of the Fukurodani Academy Group, the same group as Karasuno High School's rival, Nekoma High School. Thanks to Nekoma High School's coach, Coach Nekomata, Karasuno High School once participated in a training camp with the Fukurodani Academy Group, and the two have played many practice matches together.
By the way, Fukurodani's ace pitcher, Bokuto, is said to be one of the top five players in the country. However, because his mood swings are so intense, setter Akaashi is the main support for him.
Fukurodani Academy's Main Members
■Captain: Bokuto Kotaro ■Position: WS
Bokuto is one of the top five spikers in the nation. His weapons are his super inside spikes, which make the most of his flexible shoulders, and his sharp straights. However, when he loses his motivation, he has a troublesome personality, saying, "You don't need to toss me anymore today."
■Kyouji Akaashi (Akaashi Kyoji) ■Position: S
Akaashi is the vice-captain who is adept at dealing with the irritating ace Bokuto, who works on impulse. He possesses a level-headedness that's hard to believe for a second-year, and in fact, he consistently ranks highly in popularity polls.
Inarizaki High School: Famous for the Miya Twins!
Inarizaki High School, representing Hyogo Prefecture, is a powerhouse school that has participated in the national tournament for three consecutive years. This marks their 31st appearance in the Spring High Tournament! This is a highly anticipated school, having placed runner-up in last year's Inter-High School Championships.
This year, setter Miya Atsumu, who was also called up to the All-Japan Youth Training Camp, and his twin brother Miya Osamu, known as the "Miya Twins," are attracting particular attention. With the well-coordinated tosses and spikes that only twins can offer, they unleash a wide variety of attacks! However, in addition to the Miya Twins, the team also has many other players to watch out for, including Ojiro Alan, one of the top five aces in the country, and Sunarintaro, a core monster who can hit powerful spikes at any angle.
Inarizaki High School's Main Members
■Captain: Kita Shinsuke ■Position: WS
Kita is not in the starting lineup, but he is the captain. While not technically or physically gifted, his strong point is that "what he practices in practice, he always applies in games." His strong convictions and decisive character earn him the trust of the Miya Twins.
■Court Captain: Ojiro Aran ■Position: WS
One of the top five aces in the nation, Ojiro is a spiker who can score with sheer force, similar to Shiratorizawa's Ushiwaka. Karasuno also struggled against Ojiro's powerful spikes during their match against Inarizaki.
■Miya Atsumu ■Position: S
Miya Atsumu is so talented he's been called the "No. 1 high school setter." He's handsome and popular with the girls, and he's a big server who can hit both jump floaters and spike serves. However, he's the type of person who wants to try out cool and interesting things, so he often does things in games that he hasn't practiced, earning him the scolding of captain Kita...
■Miya Osamu ■Position: WS
Miya Osamu is Miya Atsumu's twin brother. Being twins, he's able to handle Miya Atsumu's unreasonable setups. It's also said that "even if Osamu suppresses Yuu, Osamu complements him," and his dexterity as a setter is also surprising.
■Sunarin Rintaro ■Position: MB
Although Sunarin is a MB, he's a point scorer on par with Ojiro. With his well-trained core, he can change the angle of his spike even before it hits. Even Tsukishima, who excels at lead blocking, couldn't stop him.
The current "Little Giant," Hoshiumi, is a key player at Kamomedai High School!
Representing Nagano Prefecture, Kamomedai High School is a powerhouse school, making its 15th appearance at the national tournament for the third consecutive year. The team boasts some of the best blocking in the country, and boasts ace player Hoshiumi. Coach Ukai says, "This team has Date Tech at its highest level, plus a youth class ace."
Main Members of Haikyudai High School
■Hoshiumi Kourai ■Position: WS
Hoshiumi is a spiker, standing around 160cm tall, nicknamed the "Little Giant." He's a notable player who was also selected for the All-Japan Youth Training Camp. At the national tournament, he bumps into the equally short Hinata, and is so brave that he asks him about his height and his highest jump. Incidentally, Hoshiumi's highest jump is higher!
Summary of Notable Schools in the National Tournament
As expected, the notable schools are all powerhouses that regularly participate in the national tournament, and are home to a lineup of top-class players across the country. However, some teams aren't explored in detail in the story, so there are also teams with limited information.
Karasuno has Kageyama, who was selected as a candidate for the All-Japan Youth team, but their roster isn't particularly deep, so how will they compete against these fierce competitors? The fourth season of the anime is sure to be a hot topic.
