Haikyu revolves around volleyball and the KarasunoHigh School club, which was considered a powerhouse in the past but has since fallen to mediocrity after losing its iconic coach and players. Haikyu is one of the best sports anime of all time and features a variety of moments that can leave the fans with goosebumps.
There are plenty of breathtaking matches in Haikyu, but some are definitely better than others. The following matches are ones that went above and beyond everyone’s expectations and were a delightful treat to watch from start to finish.
10Karasuno Vs. Tokonami
Interhigh Tournament
Karasuno’s first official match after Kageyama and Hinata joined them was against Tokonami High. Tokonami never expected to go far ahead in the Miyagi Prefectural Qualifiers, and their determination to win wasn’t as high as Karasuno’s, making the match fairly one-sided at the beginning.
However, as the match progresses, members of the Karasuno team experiment with their new tools against the opposing team, making it an overall fun match to watch.
9Karasuno Vs. Kakugawa
Spring Tournament Qualifiers
Karasuno faces off against Kakugawa in the preliminary games of the Spring Tournament Qualifiers. Kakugawa’s Ace, Hyakuzawa Yudai, is an incredibly tall opponent for the Karasuno Team and gives them a lot of trouble.
Luckily, despite being exceptionally tall, Kakugawa is fairly inexperienced when it comes to volleyball, and Karasuno manages to utilize that fact to their advantage, finally overcoming the giant wall in front of them and coming out victorious.
8Karasuno Vs. Date Tech
The first confrontation between Date Tech and Karasuno in the anime happens during the second phase of the Interhigh Tournament’s Miyagi Prefectural Qualifiers. Date Tech, known for their strong defense, had utterly defeated Karasuno in their last match before this one, and that defeat also affected Asahi Azumane,Karasuno’s Ace, quite negatively.
The match primarily focuses on Asahi Azumane’s internal struggles and Nishinoya and Kageyama trying their best to support him in overcoming this wall. This match also serves as the foundation for the friendship betweenHinata Shoyoand Date Tech’s Takanobu Aone.
7Karasuno Vs. Wakutani Minami
Wakutani Minami, led by Takeru Nakashima, managed to give Karasuno a tough time, and due to a certain accident, Karasuno had to play at a disadvantage. While the members of Wakutani weren’t that strong individually, Takeru Nakashima managed to lead them to become a formidable force against Karasuno.
This match also sheds light on Karasuno’s Ennoshita Chikara, who had only been sitting on the bench for many matches before this one. In this match, Ennoshita proves that he’s just as capable as Karasuno’s current regular members.
6Karasuno Vs. Johzenji
Johzenji embodies the spirit of freedom and having fun. The team gives a tough time to Karasuno with their unorthodox play style. While Karasuno initially manages to get a solid foothold in the match by winning the first set, Johzenji bounces back immediately in the second set.
During the second set, due to the words of their capable manager, Johzenji becomes incredibly hyped up and starts to play seriously, making it one of the best matches in the game.
5Nekoma Vs. Nohebi
Spring Tournament Representative Playoffs
After losing to Itachiyama, Nohebi didn’t want to let go of their final chance to play in the Spring Tournament by losing against Nekoma. The match showcases Nohebi utilizing their mind games against Nekoma’s unwavering tenacity.
Nekoma also tries out a few new moves against Nohebi, but in the end, Nekoma’s strong defense secures them the win and earns them a spot in the Spring Tournament.
4Karasuno Vs. Aoba Johsai
Karasuno faces Aoba Johsai at full strength now that Oikawa Toru has been playing as a starting member. The match highlights the gap between Karasuno and other powerhouse teams in the region as Oikawa single-handedly manages to overcome whatever Karasuno’s Kageyama and Hinata Shoyo manage to throw at him.
The match shows that while Aoba Johsai’s players weren’t that strong individually, Oikawa Toru’s skills as a setter managed to bring out the maximum potential of each player.
3Karasuno Vs. Shiratorizawa
Karasuno plays against Shiratorizawa in the finals of the Spring Tournament Qualifiers, the undisputed best team in the region. Much credit for their strength goes to Wakatoshi Ushijima, one of the top players in Japan and the Ace of Shiratorizawa.
The match showcases the individual growth of each player of Karasuno, and each player performs their role perfectly. Shiratorizawa also plays magnificently as they try their best to win against Karasuno.
2Karasuno Vs. Aoba Johsai
In the semi-finals of the Spring Tournament Qualifiers, Karasuno faces off against Aoba Johsai. The rematch showcases the results of the harsh practice Karasuno has been going through since their loss against Aoba Johsai during the Interhigh Tournament.
While the match itself is outstanding, it gets especially good towards the latter half of the game when Oikawa decides that he isn’t going to lose to Kageyama easily and starts making extra effort to snatch the victory from Karasuno’s hands.
1Karasuno Vs. Inarizaki
Spring Tournament
During the second phase of the Spring Tournament,Karasuno faces Inarizaki. Inarizaki’s Miya twins prove exceptionally challenging for Karasuno to deal with. Aside from the twins, each of Inarizaki’s players is incredibly strong.
However, the thing that makes this the best match in the anime is that it highlights how strong each Karasuno member has become since the start, especially Hinata Shoyo, after spending time at the Youth Camp.
