2025-2026 S.V League Championship Thoughts
The 2025-26 SV.League Finals are over, and congratulations to the Osaka Bluteon on winning the championship after an incredible series against Suntory Sunbirds Osaka.
As a Suntory fan, this one hurts a lot. I’m especially devastated that Dmitriy Muserskiy may retire without getting one last SV.League title. He’s been such a huge part of this era of Japanese volleyball and it really felt like this team had the pieces to do it again this season.
Suntory came into the finals looking dominant after finishing the regular season 40-4 and riding long winning streaks through the season. They also took the first finals match 3-1, with set scores of 26-24, 22-25, 25-16, 25-23.
But Bluteon completely flipped the momentum in the second match and honestly just outplayed Suntory when it mattered most. After getting blown out in the first set 25-13, they stayed composed and took the next three of four sets: 25-23, 25-22, 20-25, 15-9 in the deciding fifth.
The biggest thing that stood out to me was how much steadier Bluteon looked in pressure moments. Their serve pressure and defense improved massively after Game 1, and Suntory started looking unusually shaky in transition. By the fifth set, Bluteon looked like the calmer and more confident team.
Still, it’s hard not to feel emotional watching this era of Suntory potentially close without another championship for Muserskiy. He’s one of the players who helped elevate the visibility and level of the league internationally, and I really wanted to see him lift the trophy one more time.
Credit where it’s due though: Osaka Bluteon earned this title. They adjusted after Game 1 and were simply better in the decisive match.
What did everyone else think was the turning point of the series?