From the results of an analysis of 16 matches made up of 63 sets in the 2000 Olympic Final Qualifications for women’s volleyball, We identified the probable higher-rank group line-ups and the line-ups to be avoided if the Japanese team is to compete with the Italian team. For the Japanese, the probable higher-rank groups were Lup 4 and 5, while the line-ups to be avoided were L-up 2 and 6. For L-up 4, which took first place in the estimated total ranking, the best starting rotation phase was expected to be R 5 if the Japanese team was on the servicing side or R 4 if on the receiving side, provided that the Italian team starts with its rotation R 1. With this lineup, it was believed to be essential for the Japanese team to enhance the defensive power of R 1, which would give a lower defensive power index, and to maintain the offensive power of R 4 and R 1, which both would give higher offensive power indexes. It was also required that the team improve the offensive power of R 5 and R 6 which have lower offensive power indexes when compared to R 4 and R 1, as well as to retain defensive power for R 2 and R 5 with higher defensive power indexes. However, the Japanese team selected L-up 2 and 1 instead of Line-up 4 for the match. Line-up 2 usually decreases in defensive power index for R 3, R 4, and R 5. These rotation phases chosen by Japan faced R 4, R 5, and R 6 of the Italian L-up1, which were estimated to be higher in offensive power index. The Japanese team failed to enhance the inferior defensive power of L-up 2 for these rotation phases, while the Italian team successfully retained and even improved the strong offensive power for the corresponding rotation phases. We judged that this fact was one of the reasons why the Japanese team failed to win the match. (set count: JPN 0-3 ITA) This study's method could re-build up a volleyball game analysis.