Jaja Santiago and the Saitama Ageo Medics arrested a three-match losing streak on Sunday after sweeping the PFU Bluecats, 27-25, 25-17, 25-18, at the Komatsu Gymnasium.
Santiago contributed six points on four kills and two blocks, as the Ageo Medics improved to 3-3 in the season. It was their first win since sweeping Okayama in the opening weekend of the league.
Saitama also gained a measure of revenge after falling in three sets to PFU on Saturday, with Santiago scoring 11 points in that defeat.
Mami Uchiseto had 15 points, all on kills, while Lorenne Tisheira had 13 points including all three of Ageo Medics' aces.
Service errors caused Saitama to fall behind 3-7 in the opening set, prompting a timeout from their coach. But they recovered and showed great composure in the end game, with Santiago and Yuka Sato conspiring to bring the Ageo Medics back in the hunt.
A block by Sato won the set for Saitama, and they used the momentum of their tight win to close out the Bluecats in the second and third.
The Ageo Medics will play powerhouse Hisamitsu Springs (5-1) next week.
Meanwhile, Bryan Bagunas and Marck Espejo were both unable to lead their teams to victory once more in the men's division.
Espejo and FC Tokyo fell to 0-6 in the season after absorbing a 24-26, 23-25, 25-23, 21-25 loss to the Wolfdogs Nagoya, also on Sunday at the Toyoda Gosei Memorial Gymnasium.
Espejo scored six points, all on kills, as he converted just 27.3% of his attacks against a stout Nagoya defense. Jonas Kvaren led FC Tokyo with 19 points. They had no answer for Nagoya's Bartosz Kurek, who exploded for 29 points.
Bagunas and the Oita Miyoshi Weisse Adler slipped to 1-5, suffering a fifth straight defeat as they were beaten by the Toray Arrows, 17-25, 18-25, 25-22, 16-25.
Oita stayed competitive until midway through the fourth set, with a Bagunas ace keeping them within striking distance. But they were overwhelmed by the service game of Krisztián Pádár, who helped the visitors pull away after the second technical timeout.
Bagunas contributed eight points in the loss. Pádár led Toray with 23 points on 14 kills, six aces, and three blocks.
Espejo and Bagunas will face off next week in the V.League.
