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Hakuba Gao Angst. Gao is the son of a single mom. One day at practice, he's not playing so well, making lots of mistakes, and then has a breakdown over how he never feels good enough at anything. He doesn't even feel good enough to be the man of his house and lets his mom down
Gao has tried to be good at other things in life, but he's not so great with school or pretty much any trade. Volleyball is different for Gao. It's the first place he has an advantage. He vows to work hard and get better, so he can earn enough money to buy his mom a new house
But when he gets to Kamomedai, he falls short of everyone's expectations. Gao can barely keep up with his monstrous teammates, especially his fellow second years Hoshiumi and Hirugami. He's the only one who makes mistakes. All he has is height. But height isn't enough.
When Gao realizes he's not cut out to be a wing spiker, that he'll never be at the same level as Kourai, he decides to beg Hirugami to teach him "everything about being the best middle blocker." Hirugami, who plans to quit after HS, takes Gao as his disciple. It's not easy.
But Gao is determined to get better. He's staked his life on this goal, and he wants to win it all so he can earn money, and buy his mother something nice. She had to give up a lot so that he could attend Kamomedai. Under Sachirou's guidance, he trains every day with no end.
Finally, when he graduates from Kamomedai, he's renowned for being one of the best blockers in the nation. With the help of Hirugami's family, he and Kourai land good agents and he signs a contract to play for the Tachibana Red Falcons. He never forgets the feeling of gratitude.
So when he and Hoshiumi take the world stage, Gao chooses the jersey number "7." It skips a number after Kourai's #5, but this is their way for leaving a spot for someone who has taught them so much. Gao never forgets Kamomedai Number 6. Hirugami tears up seeing them play.
Gao uses his first tournament earnings to get his mother a nice house with a garden. She looks up at her tall son, hugs him at the waist, and says, "I always knew since the day you were born that you would reach great heights. That's why I gave you the name 'Gao.'"
