Nagoya, Japan, November 11, 2006: Japan produced an astonishing comeback to inflict a first defeat of the World Championships on Serbia and Montenegro.
Japan lost the first two sets 25-18, 25-22 but roared back to take the next three 25-18, 25-21, 15-11 for an epic Pool E victory in front of a capacity crowd of 8,000 at Nagoya Rainbow Hall.
It was Serbia and Montenegro's first defeat in eight World Championships matches after sweeping the first round 5-0 and winning their first two of the second round.
The opening exchanges were full of quick, crisp winners and few rallies.
Ivana Djerisilo highlighted the quality of the Serbia and Montenegro spiking by climbing high and pounding the ball down from a height that made it virtually impossible for the agile Japanese diggers to retrieve.
Jelena Nikolic, well known to Japanese players and fans alike from her season in the professional V-League, added a jump serve ace to an earlier left-wing winner, and the visitors led 8-5 at the first TTO. When this lead expanded to 11-7, Japan called the first TO of the match.
Whereas Japan's chief attackers, Miyuki Takahashi and Shuka Oyama, were having difficulty breaking through and making clean hits, Serbia and Montenegro had more height and power as Djerisilo took them forward. At 16-10, the first set was slipping out of Japan's grasp.
Anja Spasojevic made sure there would be no Japan comeback, although Erika Araki produced a couple of nice points with her well-timed runs to feed of setter Yoshie Takeshita.
The well-organised defence of Serbia and Montenegro matched their sparkling attack, and libero Suzana Cebic displayed excellent positioning as well as cool reception under pressure. A crunching Nikolic block on Oyama brought up set point at 24-16, and the same player finished it 25-18 with a flying left-winner winner.
Japan could not match the pace of the Serbia and Montenegro team, and called a breather early in the second set when falling behind 5-2.
No matter how many times Japan blocked and kept the ball alive with their customary alert ground defence, the next steepling spike was only a second away, and the Europeans were in control 8-3 at the first TTO.
Oyama was having a torrid time against the big blue block, and Japan needed their second TO of the second set when their opponents romped ahead 13-7 by turning Oyama attacks into their own block points.
A few errors, notably on serve, began to creep into Serbia and Montenegro's play, and the visitors called a TO when their lead was cut to four at 19-15.
When Djerisilo pounced again at the net to make it 21-16, all looked lost for Japan, but Saori Kimura pulled them back into it with two points in a row, and a Sugiyama block on Nikolic closed the gap to 21-19 and had the full house rocking.
A Takahashi ace into the corner reduced Japan's deficit to one point at 23-22, but the visitors came up with some big winners at critical times, notably when Spasojevic showed incredile athleticism and timing to smash home the last point of the set without breaking stride, 25-22.
Following the 10-minute entertainment break, Japan came out for the third set with much more fire and self-belief, and led 8-4 at the first TTO. Japan's early points included a nonchalant flick into space by Takeshita to send a boost of confidence rushing through her teammates.
Japan's blocking swept them forward to 11-4, and when Araki pummeled another winner for 12-4, Serbia and Montenegro were in trouble and called a TO. Roared on by a full house, Japan were playing some of their best volleyball of the championships and their opponents were clearly shaken by the tenacity of the comeback.
Takahashi took Japan to the second TTO ahead by seven at 16-9, and kept the next rally alive with a never-say-die dig that almost took her over the advertising board behind the first referee.
Although Serbia and Montenegro regrouped and closed the gap to four at 21-17, Oyama was now in full flow and swept Japan down the stretch, 25-18.
Serbia and Montenegro tried to re-establish their authority at the start of the fourth set, and Aleksandra Rankovic, Djerisilo and Spasojevic scored nerve-calming winners for an 8-6 lead at the first TTO.
Kimura rose to the challenge again, and dragged Japan back with some effortless winners, and Takahashi took Japan to the second technical break ahead 16-12 with a wristy winner down the left side.
Jovana Brakocevic gave Serbia and Montenegro fresh impetus when coming on in the fourth set, but a spike into the net by captain Vesna Citakovic brought about a TO with her team down 21-18.
The pressure was taking its toll on the Europeans, and Spasojevic and Nikolic both fired wide on successive points to give Japan the fourth set 25-21.
Takahashi and Araki quickly had Serbia and Montenegro on the back foot in the tie-break, and they called an early TO down 2-0.
A Sugiyama block on Spasojevic was followed by an Oyama winner, 7-5 Japan, and a Sugiyama swat at the net enabled Japan to turn round 8-7 in front. When Araki struck on the right for 9-7, Serbia and Montenegro called their final TO of the match.
Spasojevic and Oyama traded crashing winners, and Djerisilo and Nikolic kept their team in touch, but an Araki block and swashbuckling punch from Takahashi took Japan close to their target at 13-10. Takahashi brought up match point at 14-11 and Natasa Krsmanovic spiked long to give Japan an incredible victory.
