Haruichi Furudate’s Haikyuu!! is one of the best of many great sports anime, following Shoyo Hinata and his volleyball team at Karasuno High School as they take on opposing teams from the local to the national level. In the upcoming season, Karasuno will be going up against Nekoma High School in their fated Battle of the Garbage Dump rival match.
Everyone in Haikyuu!! gets their moment to shine, and a huge cast of likable characters makes every team easy to root for, opponent or not. Karasuno’s quick rise from “flightless crows” to the orange court sees them play some of the strongest, most intimidating teams Japan has to offer. From impenetrable blocks and star setters to the country’s number one ace, Haikyuu!! brings power and intensity to its teams and the sport alike.
10 Nohebi Plays Games On The Court And In The Mind
Led by scheming captain Suguru Daishou, Nohebi is a strong team, skilled enough to make it to the top four in Tokyo’s Spring Inter-High tournament. Their play style focuses on defense, and instead of gunning for the win with aggressive moves, they put specific focus on slowly wearing down their opponents.
On top of making good use of block-outs, feints, and highly-accurate serves, Nohebi plays mind games with each player on the other side of the net. They’re willing to trash talk, calling Lev a sieve when he failed to block a few spikes, and they’ll use underhanded tactics to score a point – like blocking the ball from the referee’s view. Tetsurou Kuroo of Nekoma calls them snakes for good reason; they’re the opposite of their “Fair and Square” team banner.
9 Nekoma Never Lets The Ball Drop
Unlike Nohebi, Nekoma’s team banner reading “Connect” fits them perfectly. If volleyball is the sport where you never let the ball hit the ground, then Nekoma is the perfect team to play.
The name of their game is defense in the form of steady digs and receives, solid blocks and one-touches, and flexibility. A single long rally can wear an opponent down faster than a point or two scored, and Nekoma picks up spikes like nothing and moves right back into an attack. Fated rival team Karasuno has yet to beat them in a single practice match, and their first time playing each other in an official match will be at Spring Nationals in the upcoming season.
8 Karasuno Makes An Extraordinary Comeback
What makes Karasuno so intimidating is how quickly they rose from being “flightless crows” to beating out long-time prefectural champions Shiratorizawa and making it to Nationals. This is mainly thanks to Shoyo Hinata’s uncanny speed and jump height combined with Tobio Kageyama’s pinpoint setting to make their “freak quick attack.” Kageyama is already one of the prefecture’s genius setters, expected by many to go far in the sport.
But another of Karasuno’s strengths is how well-rounded they are. The “Freak Duo” add on their attack strategy to Asahi’s powerful spikes, Noya’s incredible defense as a well-known high school libero, and Tsukishima’s blocks that only get stronger as he learns to love the game.
7 Date Tech’s Defenses Prove Unbreakable
Date Tech is also known for its defense, this time in the form of blocks so impenetrable that they give the team the nickname “Iron Wall.” Their banner reads the same, and it’s earned as the team’s block rate is the highest in Miyagi.
Date Tech’s players are all particularly tall, like captain and ace Futakuchi, huge first-year setter Koganegawa, and Aone, their leading middle blocker and player with the most intimidating presence. He and his teammates make use of bunch read blocking – a formation that first determines who is going to spike, then puts multiple blockers in front of them.
6 Aoba Johsai Brings Balance And Power
Aoba Johsai, also known as Seijoh, is among the top four in the prefecture. Though they struggle to beat Shiratorizawa to get into Nationals, they continue to push hard, becoming a team known for having a truly strong six. Captain and setter Tooru Oikawa is Miyagi’s best all-around player, and he brings balance to a team of players with solid skill, most of whom are strong enough to be aces. Matsukawa’s blocks, Hanamaki’s digs, Kyoutani’s sharp cut shots, Watari’s receives, and Iwaizumi’s ace power are all tempered by their captain, who knows how to bring out the best of everyone on his team.
5 Fukurodani Support Their Star Ace
A lot of Fukurodani’s intimidating presence comes from their powerful star ace and captain, Koutarou Bokuto. He’s one of the top five aces in all of Japan and has helped take his team to Nationals for all three of his high school years. But Fukurodani wouldn’t be in Tokyo’s top four if their ace was their only good player; the team functions just as well whenever Bokuto goes into one of his pouty emo modes. Vice-captain Akaashi leads Konoha, Onaga, Komi, and the rest, and they handle setting, spiking, and defense just fine on their own.
4 Kamomedai Has The Next Little Giant
The three tenets of Kamomedai’s play are blocking, serving, and mental fortitude. Their blocking is some of Japan’s best, with read blocking as a specialty mixed with their use of bunch, stack, and shading formations. Pro-level coach Aaron Murphy instilled into them a sense of mental strength, and no matter how the game is going for the team, they continue to play with the same attitude and quality as always.
Their second-year players are well-known, including the 203-centimeter-tall Hakuba, middle blocker Hirugami who never falls for a decoy and is nicknamed “Immovable Hirugami,” and Kourai Hoshiumi, Kamomedai’s ace and “Little Giant” who shares Hinata’s immense jump height and passion for the sport.
3 Itachiyama Takes Tokyo’s Top Spot
Though not as much is known about Itachiyama, what knowledge is available shows just how strong they can be. Their most intimidating factor is how accomplished they already are. Itachiyama is Tokyo’s number one team, and more than one of their players is the best in the nation for their position. Sakusa is a top-three ace, Komori is Japan’s best high school libero, and captain and setter Iizuna was the best setter at the Junior Olympic Cup. Itachiyama took first place at Tokyo’s Inter-High over Fukurodani, Nekoma, and Nohebi, and they make it far in the National tournament.
2 Shiratorizawa Is A Menacing Powerhouse
Coach Tanji Washijo built Shiratorizawa’s volleyball team around principles of power and intensity. Many of the players were accepted on sports scholarships, and the team reigned as Miyagi’s prefectural champion for generations. Super-ace Ushijima Wakatoshi has the brute force to pummel through even the tightest blocks or the most cunning strategy, which has made him another of Japan’s top three aces.
His teammates are equally skilled – like middle blocker Tendou with his “Guess Monster” style that can block any spike placement – and they’re all expected to focus their strength towards Ushijima to allow him to attack. Shiratorizawa have menacing strength, size, and presence, and their defeat at the hands of the rising Karasuno came as a shock to the nation.
1 Inarizaki Is All-Around Intimidating
If there was an all-around most intimidating team in Japanese high school volleyball, it seems that Inarizaki would be it. Their team has it all: presence, history, strategy, big names, and power. They carry themselves with confidence thanks to their impressive track record of 31 Nationals attendances.
The current team has multiple nationally-recognized players, including Aran, who is among the top five aces, and Atsumu Miya, who is Japan’s best setter and server and who combines with twin brother Osamu in fast-paced and powerful plays. Inarizaki holds a reputation as the “strongest challengers,” and their banner reading “We Don’t Need Memories” reminds opponents and audiences that they aren’t afraid to take risks and will never back down from a challenge.