Haikyu!! Season 1, Episode 9: A Toss to the Ace

1

The End & The Beginning

Shouyou Hinata is enamored with volleyball; he is in the 3rd year of middle-school, and will not be discouraged by the fact that he has no teammates to play with. He finally scrapes together a team to enter his first and last official tournament.

24 min

2

Karasuno High School Volleyball Club

Before starting high school, Hinata had sworn revenge against Kageyama of Kitagawa Daiichi. But strangely enough he encounters the "king of the court" again, but this time in the gym of Karasuno High School. Their head-butting is unrelenting and they start their own match, but the third-year captain Sawamura disallows them from participating in the volleyball club until they learn to show team spirit. What now?

24 min

3

The Formidable Ally

Hinata and Kageyama are challenged to a match against fellow first-years, with the aid of second-year Tanaka. While they practice for the match early one morning, Hinata demands Kageyama to give him a toss, to which Kageyama responds: “I don't think you're essential in winning,” and refuses to toss him the ball.

24 min

4

The View from the Summit

Hinata and Kageyama have second-year Tanaka on their side of the three-on-three match against first-years Tsukishima and Yamaguchi and third-year team-captain Sawamura. Tsukishima keeps razzing Kageyama, but is a high wall of defense to overcome.

24 min

5

A Coward's Anxiety

Kageyama is improving his natural skills as setter, and Hinata has natural speed and spring. When the two of them get synched, their combination brings them victory in the three-on-three match. So they are officially accepted as members of the Karasuno High School Volleyball Club.

24 min

6

An Interesting Team

Karasuno High School Volleyball Club has challenged Aoba Johsai High School to a practice match. But even before the match begins, Hinata's anxiety level reaches maximum. And Kageyama has a "reunion" with his ex-teammate Kindaichi, who now attends Aoba Johsai.

24 min

7

Versus the Great King

The Hinata-Kageyama combo is back in form again, they won the next set, Karasuno has cornered Seijoh, and they're one step closer to victory. But at that time, Seijoh's captain Oikawa who was out on hiatus visits the court. How does Karasuno respond to super-offensive setter Oikawa's powerful serves?

24 min

8

He Who is Called "Ace"

His term of suspension having been served, second-year Nishinoya, the "guardian god" of Karasuno Volleyball Club shows up to among club-members during practice. On the other hand, Takeda is acutely aware of the need of a coach after the Seijoh match. He tenaciously requests Ukai Keishin, grandson of the illustrious coach Ukai, to coach the team. However...

24 min

9

A Toss to the Ace

On occasion of the practice-match against Nekoma, Sawamura tries to convince Azumane Asahi to return to the volleyball club. But Asahi refuses because he says he's lost face with Sugawara and Nishinoya. Meanwhile, Keishin, who has deep connections to Nekoma, is told by Takeda about the upcoming practice-match.

24 min

10

Yearning

Asahi proves his imposing presence as ace in the Karasu versus Neighborhood Association team practice-match. Hinata gazes in a awe at Asahi who possesses both power and height that Hinata doesn't have. But Kageyama, seeing him being so enamored, takes unexpected action to make Hinata focus on the game instead.

24 min

11

Decision

The Karasuno Volleyball Club is at training camp, getting ready for the practice-match against Nekoma and for the Interhigh preliminaries. Even while the team's intense training is showing promising results, Keishin is in a quandary: Who will he choose as setter against Nekoma, Kageyama or Sugawara?

24 min

12

The Neko-Karasu Reunion

The practice match against Nekoma has finally begun. Karasuno, with their ace and libero back in play, battles their opponent with the Hinata-Kageyama duo's fast attacks. But Nekoma finds an unexpected tactic to stop them...

24 min

13

Rival

Hinata's momentum got thwarted by Nekoma's high-level defense and powers of observations, but he powers through to try quicks without closing his eyes. But his attacks don't go too well. Aided by their teammates, however, Inuoaka and Hinata are a close matchup.

24 min

14

Formidable Opponents

Interhigh is coming up next month. The Karasuno volleyball club is pensive, tension rises. They endeavor in training individually and with clearer vision as a team, as they get more inspired. In the meantime, pairings of the preliminaries get announced...

24 min

15

Revival

The much awaited day of Interhigh preliminaries has come. Karasuno's first match is against Tokonami High School. Sawamura battles against a former teammate in junior high, Ikejiri. The tournament is now official; one loss and you're out of the running. It's time for Karasuno's revival. Onward to the battle!

24 min

16

Winners and Losers

Karasuno is winning the first round of Interhigh against Tokonami. But though Tokonami knows they're outclassed, they don't give up, they keep the ball in play. On another court, in spite of Michimiya's encouragement, the Karasuno girls' team is having a rough battle. Everyone is immersed in thought, but there can only be one winner!

24 min

17

The Iron Wall

The second match of Interhigh preliminaries has begun. Azumane has a history with Date Tech, but he is determined to rise to the occasion. Date Tech's tactic is to throw their opponent off kilter with their serves - but Karasuno focuses on receives. The wall of Date Tech looms high; what will Karasuno do?

24 min

18

Guarding Your Back

Thanks to Hinata and Kageyama's cornerstone "freak quicks," Karasuno is in the lead against Date Tech. But with Aone blocking, Date Tech starts catching up to Karasuno. This is when the ace Azumane must prove his worth. Will Azumane blast through Date's iron wall?

24 min

19

Conductors

Karasuno's volleyball team makes it to the third round and they'll be facing off with Aoba Johsai. Seijoh, led by Oikawa, shows even more combination plays than they did in their practice match together. Meanwhile, the coach comes up with a formation to stop Oikawa's powerful serve. And before their match, Kageyama, who is Oikawa's junior from junior high, decides to...

24 min

20

Oikawa Toru Is Not a Genius

The 3rd round Interhigh match against Aoba Johsai has begun. Without wasting any time, Kageyama and Oikawa start a setter battle. Well-experienced as a team, Aoba Johsai scores point after point against Karasuno with Oikawa's serves. Kageyama starts to panic. It's then that Karasuno's mood-maker, Tanak gets riled up. After seeing that, Oikawa...

24 min

21

Senpai's True Abilities

Because Karasuno's plays become messy and the match's rhythm gets thrown off, they change setters. Sugawara goes onto the court in place of Kageyama and because he's always seen things from outside the court, he says he knows what's going on, and Karasuno starts their counterattack. Meanwhile, after seeing the match from the outside, there's a change in Kageyama as well.

24 min

22

Evolution

After being subbed back in Kageyama begins to try to communicate with each of his teammates. He begins to learn where the best setting point is for each of them, and Tsukishima comes up with a new attack that proves Karasuno can be a threat from all fronts.

24 min

23

The Point that Changes the Momentum

Aoba Johsai begins to pull away in set 3, forcing Coach Ukai to make some drastic decisions. Yamaguchi is subbed in as an ace server, but the pressure proves to be too much to overcome. A service error occurs, but the error allows Karasuno to calm down and climb back within two.

24 min

24

Removing The Solitary King

Kageyama begins to match Toru point for point. The teams become dead even at 25 a piece. Long sets begin to drain both teams, and Toru acknowledges that Kageyama has realized what teamwork is all about and is no longer the solitary king. The game winning points are shown.

24 min

25

The Third Day

After suffering a heartbreaking loss to Aoba Johsai, the third years must decide if they will retire or participate in the spring tournament. Kageyama and Hinata vent their frustration on the court after their practice has been cancelled. The winner of the fall tournament is revealed, and Karasuno begins their first real practice to get ready for the spring tournament.

24 min