In the original story, Hoshiumi had also found a playing style suited to shorter players, finally making sure his height was not exactly a disadvantage.
But to be honest, that idea of abandoning the advantages that came with being short in order to pursue the same kind of intimidation that tall players possessed was actually wrong.
Every height had its own advantages.
You could not deliberately change yourself just because you wanted to prove something.
Hank could not agree with that way of thinking.
"The second ace from Miyagi Prefecture. He really does look pretty interesting."
At this moment, Atsumu Miya, who had been standing at the very front of the team the whole time, suddenly glanced toward Hank, who had just joined the group. A hint of interest flashed through his eyes.
In his view, someone like Hank would definitely be able to go even further in the future. And because Hank, like him, was a first-year who had been selected for the All-Japan Youth training camp, that meant the two of them would have common ground to talk about.
Aside from that, the position Atsumu played did not conflict with Hank's.
That part was indeed quite good. At the very least, there would not be any competition for his setter position.
And because Hank was an ace, it seemed there was also a possibility that they could end up on the same team in the future.
"So he really is from Miyagi Prefecture… Just where did this guy come from? He was actually able to beat even Ushijima."
Kiyoomi Sakusa wore a mask, his hands tucked into his pockets. The way he looked at Hank was like he was looking at an enormous problem.
In his heart, he had always regarded Ushijima as someone to chase after. But he had never expected that his idol would actually be defeated by Hank, who was standing right in front of him.
Unbelievable. That was the only word that could describe it.
"Haha… Sakusa's getting tense again. Did he already mark Hank as a threat?"
Motoya Komori, whose eyebrows were extremely distinctive, was Sakusa's close friend, so naturally, he could tell what Sakusa was thinking right now. He quickly connected Sakusa's reaction to Hank.
Originally, it was already enough that Hank was an ace from Miyagi Prefecture.
On top of that, he was the ace of the team that had defeated Shiratorizawa Academy, Ushijima Wakatoshi's team.
For Sakusa to see him as a threat was not strange at all. It was a conclusion anyone could reach without even thinking about it.
"All right. We'll begin reach-height training now. Each person gets three attempts."
"We'll start with the libero group."
The All-Japan Youth coach wearing glasses gave the order. Next, he needed to record the exact height information and jump-height information of all these players. That would make it easier to compare their progress two years later, see how much they had improved, whether they still had potential worth developing, and so on.
It was not as if they would be allowed to stay on the team forever simply because they had managed to stand out in their own regions.
After all, this was a selection from all across Japan, representing the most elite team of the nation.
They had to hold everyone to strict standards. Only then could they avoid embarrassing themselves on the international stage.
"301."
"298."
…
"287."
That said, even if these players' jumping ability was not particularly outstanding, there would not be too many demands placed on them.
They only needed to be good at receiving.
(End of Chapter)
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