The trophy in the Japanese Volleyball Cup for the season 2022-23 was won by the JTEKT Stings and NEC Red Rockets.
The men’s and women’s finals of the 2022 Japanese Cup—the 2022 Emperor’s Cup All Japan Volleyball Championship and the 2022 Empress’s Cup All Japan Volleyball Championship—were held on December 18 at the Tokyo Metropolitan Gymnasium. The players, both men and women, of the Toray Arrows are the true tragedians of the final matches of the Japanese Cup. They entered the title match in both competitions but finished empty-handed.
In the men’s event, the Stings annulled the rival’s serve power, which had been their powerful weapon up to this point, and won in straight sets, partially 25-21, 25-13, and 25-17, claiming their second victory in the last three cup events (2020 and 2022). The outside hitter on the winning side, Masahiro Yanagida, was named MVP.
In the women’s final, the Red Rockets developed an effective attack against Toray to earn their first-ever victory in the Empress’s Cup since the event was established in 2007: 3-1 (25-14, 23-25, 25-18, 25-23). Their outside hitter, one of the biggest Asian volleyball stars, Sarina Koga, was named MVP.
