Japanese superstar Yuji Nishida seeks improvements after Ryujin Nippon suffered a stinging loss to Canada in the 2024 Volleyball Nations League Manila Leg.
Japan opened its Manila leg campaign in the 2024 Volleyball Nations League off the wrong foot on Tuesday night, June 18.
Ryujin Nippon fell short of a comeback, dropping a five-set heartbreaker to Canada, 21-25, 25-20, 15-25, 25-20, 10-15, at the Mall of Asia Arena.
The Japanese, ranked sixth in the world, suffered their third loss of the tournament. But superstar hitter Yuji Nishida had nothing but respect for their Canadian tormentors.
[RELATED: VNL: Ran Takahashi points out necessary improvement for Japan after tough five-set loss to Canada]
“They're so high-level. Respect. Major respect to the opponent tonight,” Nishida said.
“Kudos to Canada.”
Japan had an off night to kickstart its Week 3 bid, as it struggled to build momentum right at the onset. This allowed Canada to dictate the tempo and ultimately frustrate the crowd favorites.
“Every single play is important. I think today was not our kind of game. Many times we didn't have good plays,” Nishida admitted.
Despite the stinging result, Nishida, who spearheaded Ryujin Nippon with 19 points, is taking the setback in a stride.
[ALSO READ: VNL: Yuki Ishikawa grateful for Filipino support, promises Japan’s best efforts in Manila leg]
Nishida seeks to further refine his form and lead Japan back to the win column.
“I'm looking for more combinations and try not to make more mistakes and a little bit more [improvement] on the communication. They are points that I can [improve on] next game,” he said.
“Most importantly, on the communication, obviously on the passion.”
Nishida and the rest of Japan are looking to regain their winning ways against the Netherlands on Friday, June 21.