Kotone Minatozaki

Ace of Hearts

Sidestepper (by Sejeong)

27 - 2021

1 (High School 3rd year)

Opposite Hitter

***"I admire your confidence, but why do you have it?"***

Kotone Minatozaki (Japanese: 湊崎琴音, *Minatozaki Kotone*) was the main protagonist of the Haikyuu!! fanfiction *Constellation of Valor* by seven8nine, and was the captain of Jinsoku Hisho's female volleyball team. She was first mentioned by Okuni in *Unmatched Success* while talking to Kiran, before she appeared: "Yeesh, she's late again. I even told her the match started 15 minutes earlier when she asked me what time." Her teammates and friends shorten her name to Mina.

As of *Refresher*, Mina plays for RC Cannes, a French professional volleyball team in the LNV Ligue A Féminine as a starting Outside Hitter.

## Appearance

Mina has wavy, medium-length dull brown hair that she keeps in a ponytail most of the time, and long bangs that she often uses a headband to hold back. In contrast, her eyes are a bright jade green. For a volleyball player, she has an average height, only about an inch below the 6 foot mark. Mina is on the slimmer side for someone of her height. She is mostly seen with the typical Jinsoku Hisho boy's school uniform: A white button-up shirt under a dark purple gakuran, with long khaki pants. However, on some occasions, she is shown in different outfits altogether.

In matches, Mina wears her volleyball uniform: A dark purple jersey with thin yellow stripes on the sleeves and hem, and her school's name written in kanji in the top left. On the back is her position number 1, and the kanji 突進 (Tosshin, meaning *Rush*) is written under her number. On the court, she wears one white kneepad on her left leg and has black volleyball shoes with white highlights.

## Personality

Mina is confident, energetic, and perceptive. She knows how to hype people up and get their adrenaline going before a game.

Although she seems to be a conceited person, she considers herself inferior to the aces and captains of other teams, constantly comparing her skills to them and putting herself down for not being able to do some of the things they do. This can especially be seen when she talks to Aiko Furikawa from Niiyama, trying to keep her confident exterior until it ultimately crumbles and she starts making reckless plays.

## Background

Mina went to Kitagawa Daiichi Junior High. Although she was a very good player, she never put 100% of her effort into matches and was always overshadowed by Ashita Sanada. In her third year of Junior High, she was going to quit volleyball before she met Okuni Uno.

## Plot

### **Spring Interhigh Arc**

#### **Jinsoku Hisho vs. Gimerou**

Mina's thoughts reveal how worried she is about their first game, saying that she shouldn't be anxious because her team is good and that there's nothing to be worried about. When she sees the bracket, she thinks that it's good since their game isn't first, so they'll have more time to warm up. Shortly after, she checks her phone to see a message from Sejeong that she won't be there for their first game, and she gets anxious all over again.

She isn't focused as they warm up, becoming surprised when Morino receives her spike and again when Ayaka appears in front of the net to spike.

## Statistics

 Stamina
 Game Sense
 Technique
 Speed

She's most known for her incredible and unique blocking techniques that revolve around tricking the opponent. However, she has a powerful spike that's nature is able to break through the blocks of a dedicated blocker like Sana Hirayama with ease. Mina's serving skills with both hands are also very honed, and she's known to switch serves on a whim.

Her foresight and game sense are to be admired, as she's able to notice tiny things about anyone and prepare accordingly, even if it's the first time she's playing against someone. As seen in the practice match vs. Karasuno, she called Okuni forwards during Tanaka's serve, knowing that he wouldn't be able to control his serve as well as Asahi or Kageyama.

## Relationships

**Jinsoku Hisho High**

* Okuni Uno: Mina and Okuni have a very close friendship.

## Post-Timeskip Information

From 2018 onwards, Mina plays for RC Cannes, a French professional volleyball team in the LNV Ligue A Féminine as a starting Outside Hitter. She and Mariana Thomaz de Aquino are known for their synergy and quick attacks with each other, even though neither of them are setters. She went back to Japan in 2016 to play for Japan's National Team in the 2016 Olympics, and was the tem's ace. It is uncertain if she participates in the 2021 Olympics. She also has a name in the TETRIS community, playing in a few tournaments with high-level Tetris/Puyo Puyo players in her free time.

Mina and Oikawa also make guest appearances in the Blue Lock project, showing up in the Before and After chapter *From Another Perspective*.

## Quotes

* *"Don't be so confident... I'll show you why I'm the Ace of my team, Aiko."* (To Aiko Furukawa, *That's What an Ace Is for*)
* *"This is it... The chance we've been waiting for! The Ace, King, Queen, and Jack are on the court! We can finally beat their full house!"* (*The "King" Emerges*)
* *"Surprise, girlie. You're not the only one that's improved from last year."* (To Ashita Sanada, *Green-Eyed Monster*)
* *"You already have to have a plan A, B, and C by the time the ball gets to you, and you can never give away which plan you go through with. That's how you control the flow of the game."* (To Chigiri, *From Another Perspective*)