Japan's Women Volleyball Team

Those who knows must be thinking it's weird for me not to talk about the Women's Volleyball World Championship Tournament in Japan! Here I come! ;-)

Japan is the host country and the tournament has been running since October 31. The tournament just ended today with Russia being the new World Champion after defeated unbeatable Brazil in the tie break set (taken the title over from the 2002 World Champion - Italy who's placed forth for the 2006 Worlds). Japan was aiming for any medal, but they actually fell short and eventually placed sixth after losing the last match to the Chinese.

To my surprise (yes, even to myself), I actually seriously watched every single matches of the Japanese Team since the first round. I don't really know why, but I think maybe because I had been seeing news and some scoops about the current team since before the tournament's started. And those who have seen Women's Volleyball matches, you might think similarly that there is something attractive in the Women's plays. Japanese team might not be the best in the world now, but I enjoyed my time watching their plays.

There are actually a few players of my favourite, No. 5 - Takahashi Miyuki (wing Spiker), No. 6 - Sugayama Kaoru (Lobero), No. 9 - Sugiyama Sachiko (Middle Blocker). But my most is given to No.3 - Takeshita Yoshie (captain and setter).

No. 5 - Takahashi Miyuki
No. 6 - Sugayama Kaoru
Head coach: Yanagimoto Shoichi, No.9: Sugiyama Sachiko and No.14: Oyama Shuka
No. 3 - Takeshiya Yoshie
Takeshita is the tiniest player out of all athelete in this tournament. It's not easy for a woman this size (159 cm. in height) to be through all the pressure and other things to be able to stand solid as she can today. Takeshita has been on Japanese Volleyball Squad since 1995 for the Youth Team, then moved on to the National team in 1997. The team lost in the last qualifying match for the 2000 Sydney Olympics and the nation took a blame on Takeshita who was claimed to be too small to play Volleyball. In April 2002, she decided to resign from her company's team as well as the National squad to leave Volleyball behind. But after been seriously talked back into playing Volleyball, she decided to come back to the National Squad in August of the same year. After the 2004 Athens Olympics, she was appointed Captain by their head coach Yanagimoto Shoichi (who was once also an invited Coach to Thailand's Men Volleyball team in 1985 and led them to win SEA Games).

look at the difference in size!
Takeshita is known to be the smallest, but the strongest setter in the world. This tournament proves very well that she really is. Her amazing settings, servings, receivings, diggings and blockings were just stunning. To reconfirm that, she was awarded the best setter for the tournament after setting 1,082 balls with only 2 faults and also was chosen as an MVP for the tournament!


After more than half a month of watching the tournament, I have to say that I am waiting to see more of their plays. Too bad I couldn't make it to see the real match in Osaka. But that's ok. I think the team is still on the upturn, so surely there will be something else interesting for the following matches to come...