Japan’s women’s national volleyball team, under the guidance of head coach Masayoshi Manabe, has announced a 24-player roster as they gear up for the 2024 Volleyball Nations League (VNL). This competition serves as their pathway to qualify for the Paris 2024 Olympics following a third-place finish in the previous Olympic Qualifying Tournament. The team, maintaining its core with 12 of the 14 players from the last official competition, includes 22 athletes from Japan’s V. League. Highlighting the squad are Sarina Koga, the V. League MVP, and international stars Tamami Matsui and Mayu Ishikawa. Positioned ninth in the FIVB World Ranking, Japan aims to secure an Olympic spot by being one of the top five unqualified teams by the end of the VNL Preliminary Phase.
Japan women’s national team:
- Setters: Nanami Seki, Koyomi Iwasaki, Tamami Matsui, Tsukasa Nakagawa
- Opposite: Yukiko Wada
- Outside Hitters: Kotona Hayashi, Sarina Koga, Mayu Ishikawa, Mizuki Tanaka, Arisa Inoue, Okumu Oba Fuyumi Hawi, Ai Kurogo, Miwako Osanai, Yoshino Sato
- Middle Blockers: Aya Watanabe, Nichika Yamada, Airi Miyabe, Shiro Hirayama, Ayaka Araki, Hiroyo Yamanaka
- Liberos: Akane Yamagishi, Manami Kojima, Keimi Fukudome, Yanami Nishimura
