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.

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?

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.

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.

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.