Latest news with #V.League
The Mainichi
6 days ago
- Sport
- The Mainichi
Players see forming union as key to Japan volleyball league success
TOKYO (Kyodo) -- Stars of Japanese volleyball's say the league must address its crowded match schedule and other issues affecting players following the conclusion of the rebranded competition's inaugural season. One of the league's biggest stars has been leading calls for the formation of a players' union to address such concerns and support the league's goal of becoming the global benchmark in professional volleyball. Osaka Bluteon's Yuji Nishida, a star of the Japanese men's national team, proposed the establishment of the union in an April 27 post on X, formerly Twitter. "To all players, let's form a players' union to make the league better and raise the level of our play," he said. "The union is absolutely necessary if the wants to be the top of world volleyball. We have so many questions. For instance, each team plays 44 matches, but we play some opponents four times and others six times. What are the reasons for this?" For the inaugural 2024-2025 regular season, the league increased the number of men's matches per team to 44, up from 36 in the predecessor while doubling the number of women's matches per team to 44 from 22. The league launched last year with 10 men's teams and 14 women's teams, aiming to become the world's most competitive and popular volleyball league by 2030. Chairman Masaaki Okawa said he envisions a league that players from around the globe aspire to join. Nishida also raised the issue of promoting teams from the second division. The Hokkaido Yellow Stars topped the eight-team second-division standings with a dominant 26-2 record but will not be promoted for next season. "Another question is why can't a team that has received a license move up (from the second division). Is it impossible to have an odd number of teams? One year isn't 'just one year' for players," Nishida said. Meanwhile, regular-season attendance totaled 1,034,667, up 204 percent from the 2023-2024 season, the said on April 16, two days before the playoffs began. Attendance for men's matches surged 75 percent to 664,709, while women's attendance jumped 195 percent to 369,958, buoyed by the expanded schedule. However, average attendance per women's match fell by 31 percent. Nishida's Bluteon teammate Thomas Jaeschke, who won two bronze medals while playing for the United States in the past three Olympics, has also pointed to multiple issues that the needs to address. "It's just too many matches, physically, for players," Jaeschke told Kyodo News after his team played two matches against the Tokyo Great Bears at the beginning of March. "It's not reasonable for players. It's really a big mistake. It needs to be adjusted." "Back-to-back matches. Everybody plays twice a weekend. The market is just kind of saturated. You can't watch every night. They're competing against each other. They're playing the same time." He added that when he played for European clubs, including in Italy and Turkey, teams with two weekly matches typically played once midweek and once on the weekend, whereas the current schedule in Japan is less conducive to match quality and player health. "I think guys (foreign players) will come here and see that. The money here is good. A lot of things are good, but I do think some changes need to be made," Jaeschke said. The 31-year-old outside hitter has decided not to return to Japan for his third season. The believes the current schedule is ideal for fans to attend matches. It also reduces costs, enabling match organizers to set up and clear a venue once per weekend, as many clubs do not have their own arenas, the league said in a recent reply to questions from Kyodo News. The league added that it is harder to assign umpires and supporting staff on weekdays, and the current weekend schedule also makes it easier for fans to travel for away matches. Asked about players who say their performance is better with one midweek and one weekend match per week, the league said, "There are also players who prefer playing on weekends while resting on weekdays. Those players say it's easier to get themselves in shape that way." "If we have more matches on weekdays, we might get more (media) exposure. That's a positive thing. We know there are various opinions. We'll continue to examine the best options for the league." (By Hiroki Noda)
Kyodo News
09-05-2025
- Sport
- Kyodo News
FOCUS: Volleyball: Players see forming union as key to SV.League success
By Hiroki Noda, KYODO NEWS - 15 hours ago - 19:14 | Sports, All Stars of Japanese volleyball's say the league must address its crowded match schedule and other issues affecting players following the conclusion of the rebranded competition's inaugural season. One of the league's biggest stars has been leading calls for the formation of a players' union to address such concerns and support the league's goal of becoming the global benchmark in professional volleyball. Osaka Bluteon's Yuji Nishida, a star of the Japanese men's national team, proposed the establishment of the union in an April 27 post on X, formerly Twitter. "To all players, let's form a players' union to make the league better and raise the level of our play," he said. "The union is absolutely necessary if the wants to be the top of world volleyball. We have so many questions. For instance, each team plays 44 matches, but we play some opponents four times and others six times. What are the reasons for this?" For the inaugural 2024-2025 regular season, the league increased the number of men's matches per team to 44, up from 36 in the predecessor while doubling the number of women's matches per team to 44 from 22. The league launched last year with 10 men's teams and 14 women's teams, aiming to become the world's most competitive and popular volleyball league by 2030. Chairman Masaaki Okawa said he envisions a league that players from around the globe aspire to join. Nishida also raised the issue of promoting teams from the second division. The Hokkaido Yellow Stars topped the eight-team second-division standings with a dominant 26-2 record but will not be promoted for next season. "Another question is why can't a team that has received a license move up (from the second division). Is it impossible to have an odd number of teams? One year isn't 'just one year' for players," Nishida said. Meanwhile, regular-season attendance totaled 1,034,667, up 204 percent from the 2023-2024 season, the said on April 16, two days before the playoffs began. Attendance for men's matches surged 75 percent to 664,709, while women's attendance jumped 195 percent to 369,958, buoyed by the expanded schedule. However, average attendance per women's match fell by 31 percent. Nishida's Bluteon teammate Thomas Jaeschke, who won two bronze medals while playing for the United States in the past three Olympics, has also pointed to multiple issues that the needs to address. "It's just too many matches, physically, for players," Jaeschke told Kyodo News after his team played two matches against the Tokyo Great Bears at the beginning of March. "It's not reasonable for players. It's really a big mistake. It needs to be adjusted." "Back-to-back matches. Everybody plays twice a weekend. The market is just kind of saturated. You can't watch every night. They're competing against each other. They're playing the same time." He added that when he played for European clubs, including in Italy and Turkey, teams with two weekly matches typically played once midweek and once on the weekend, whereas the current schedule in Japan is less conducive to match quality and player health. "I think guys (foreign players) will come here and see that. The money here is good. A lot of things are good, but I do think some changes need to be made," Jaeschke said. The 31-year-old outside hitter has decided not to return to Japan for his third season. The believes the current schedule is ideal for fans to attend matches. It also reduces costs, enabling match organizers to set up and clear a venue once per weekend, as many clubs do not have their own arenas, the league said in a recent reply to questions from Kyodo News. The league added that it is harder to assign umpires and supporting staff on weekdays, and the current weekend schedule also makes it easier for fans to travel for away matches. Asked about players who say their performance is better with one midweek and one weekend match per week, the league said, "There are also players who prefer playing on weekends while resting on weekdays. Those players say it's easier to get themselves in shape that way." "If we have more matches on weekdays, we might get more (media) exposure. That's a positive thing. We know there are various opinions. We'll continue to examine the best options for the league." Related coverage: Volleyball: Sunbirds win men's championship Volleyball: Osaka Marvelous win inaugural women's title Volleyball: Osaka Bluteon run winning streak to 16 games in
Kyodo News
08-05-2025
- Sport
- Kyodo News
FOCUS: Volleyball: Players see forming union as key to SV.League success
By Hiroki Noda, KYODO NEWS - 4 minutes ago - 19:14 | Sports, All Stars of Japanese volleyball's say the league must address its crowded match schedule and other issues affecting players following the conclusion of the rebranded competition's inaugural season. One of the league's biggest stars has been leading calls for the formation of a players' union to address such concerns and support the league's goal of becoming the global benchmark in professional volleyball. Osaka Bluteon's Yuji Nishida, a star of the Japanese men's national team, proposed the establishment of the union in an April 27 post on X, formerly Twitter. "To all players, let's form a players' union to make the league better and raise the level of our play," he said. "The union is absolutely necessary if the wants to be the top of world volleyball. We have so many questions. For instance, each team plays 44 matches, but we play some opponents four times and others six times. What are the reasons for this?" For the inaugural 2024-2025 regular season, the league increased the number of men's matches per team to 44, up from 36 in the predecessor while doubling the number of women's matches per team to 44 from 22. The league launched last year with 10 men's teams and 14 women's teams, aiming to become the world's most competitive and popular volleyball league by 2030. Chairman Masaaki Okawa said he envisions a league that players from around the globe aspire to join. Nishida also raised the issue of promoting teams from the second division. The Hokkaido Yellow Stars topped the eight-team second-division standings with a dominant 26-2 record but will not be promoted for next season. "Another question is why can't a team that has received a license move up (from the second division). Is it impossible to have an odd number of teams? One year isn't 'just one year' for players," Nishida said. Meanwhile, regular-season attendance totaled 1,034,667, up 204 percent from the 2023-2024 season, the said on April 16, two days before the playoffs began. Attendance for men's matches surged 75 percent to 664,709, while women's attendance jumped 195 percent to 369,958, buoyed by the expanded schedule. However, average attendance per women's match fell by 31 percent. Nishida's Bluteon teammate Thomas Jaeschke, who won two bronze medals while playing for the United States in the past three Olympics, has also pointed to multiple issues that the needs to address. "It's just too many matches, physically, for players," Jaeschke told Kyodo News after his team played two matches against the Tokyo Great Bears at the beginning of March. "It's not reasonable for players. It's really a big mistake. It needs to be adjusted." "Back-to-back matches. Everybody plays twice a weekend. The market is just kind of saturated. You can't watch every night. They're competing against each other. They're playing the same time." He added that when he played for European clubs, including in Italy and Turkey, teams with two weekly matches typically played once midweek and once on the weekend, whereas the current schedule in Japan is less conducive to match quality and player health. "I think guys (foreign players) will come here and see that. The money here is good. A lot of things are good, but I do think some changes need to be made," Jaeschke said. The 31-year-old outside hitter has decided not to return to Japan for his third season. The believes the current schedule is ideal for fans to attend matches. It also reduces costs, enabling match organizers to set up and clear a venue once per weekend, as many clubs do not have their own arenas, the league said in a recent reply to questions from Kyodo News. The league added that it is harder to assign umpires and supporting staff on weekdays, and the current weekend schedule also makes it easier for fans to travel for away matches. Asked about players who say their performance is better with one midweek and one weekend match per week, the league said, "There are also players who prefer playing on weekends while resting on weekdays. Those players say it's easier to get themselves in shape that way." "If we have more matches on weekdays, we might get more (media) exposure. That's a positive thing. We know there are various opinions. We'll continue to examine the best options for the league." Related coverage: Volleyball: Sunbirds win men's championship Volleyball: Osaka Marvelous win inaugural women's title Volleyball: Osaka Bluteon run winning streak to 16 games in
Japan Forward
04-05-2025
- Sport
- Japan Forward
Osaka Marvelous Outplay NEC Red Rockets in SV.League Women's Finals
The Marvelous led the with a 37-7 record in the 2024-25 season and secured the title with a determined effort against the Red Rockets. The Osaka Marvelous celebrate after winning the Championship Finals women's title on May 3, 2025, at Ariake Arena. (© Throughout the 2024-25 women's volleyball season, Osaka Marvelous opposite Lise Van Hecke played an instrumental role in the team's success, smashing the ball over the net for points on a consistent basis. Marvelous fans will remember the totality of her team-leading 567 points, including 468 on attack, in the regular season. But Van Hecke's title-clinching point in the Championship Finals will probably remain in their collective memory even longer. Van Hecke delivered the final blow with a hard-hit spike at Ariake Arena on Saturday evening, May 3 against the NEC Red Rockets Kawasaki as the Marvelous completed a sweep in the best-of-three series. Osaka won the second match 25-21, 25-21, 21-16. The thrill of victory was a recurring theme throughout Van Hecke's interactions with reporters after the match. "I think it's always an amazing feeling when you win a title and to be the first in history, it makes it only more beautiful," the Belgian star said. "We're very happy, I'm very proud. It's been a long season, but to finish it like this, it's the best way and I think we showed everyone we deserve to be the champion." On Friday night, the Marvelous triumphed 25-14, 25-10, 25-21, grabbing momentum from the get-go in the opening set (an 8-0 lead). Marvelous players celebrate a point in the championship finals on May 3. (© In 2024, the Red Rockets captured their second consecutive title in the (the predecessor), beating the Marvelous in the finals. This time, Osaka's supremacy during the regular season (a league-best 37-7 record) maintained form in the playoffs. Van Hecke and Marvelous captain Mizuki Tanaka led the club with 13 and 11 attack points, respectively, in Saturday's match. Outside hitter Kotona Hayashi registered nine kills and Sachi Minowa contributed seven to bolster the team's attack at the net. Osaka Marvelous opposite Lise Van Hecke competes for a point against the NEC Red Rockets on May 3. (© After exchanging hugs and high-fives with her teammates after the match, Tanaka shared her insights on what it took for the Marvelous to complete their title quest. "This was a chance to get revenge for last year, and since NEC is a strong team, I'm happy that we were able to win the championship in two matches against them," the 29-year-old outside hitter who was named Finals MVP told reporters. "So many people supported us and pushed us forward. "We're glad that we were able to express that properly on the court. As for what went well, there was, of course, a team strategy for our offense, but in the end, what matters is how the spiker finishes the play when the ball is entrusted to them." Marvelous captain Mizuki Tanaka holds the championship trophy. (©SANKEI) In addition to its slight edge in attack points (47-33), Osaka owned an 8-3 advantage in blocks, led by Minowa with three. Ameze Miyabe and Haruka Oyama contributed two apiece. Teamwork was a defining characteristic of the Marvelous' season, according to Minowa, who hails from the Philippines. "Everyone really did a great job today and I think how we prepared to come here, I think my team really deserves it," she said. "There's always a lot of ups and downs but I can see with the eyes of my teammates and how we work hard on the practice, I don't see any doubt for my team." Added Minowa, whose maiden name is Jaja Santiago, "I think serve was the key to break the attack of NEC. They really have a lot of good attackers and by serving and giving pressure, I think we can control everything." Strong serving did pay off for the Marvelous, who had 73 attempts and only three service errors. Marvelous head coach Daisuke Sakai credited his players for their cohesiveness in pursuit of success. "Even though it wasn't a perfect season, seeing the team perform like this today was the result I wanted," Sakai said, "and I think it's something we need to build on and continue. I'm grateful for everything that's been achieved so far, and I'd like to thank the company as well." Title-winning coach Daisuke Sakai (©SANKEI) Sakai added, "It's important that we've been working on creating a system that allows the team to be more adaptable and responsive, both in defense and offense. The players themselves have been implementing what we've practiced, so it's a lot about improving and checking those details." Marvelous outside hitter Kotona Hayashi in action. (©SANKEI) Just like in the opening set, the second set was an intense clash between Osaka and NEC. Outside hitter Yoshino Sato and frontcourt mate Lorrayna Marys da Silva helped the Red Rockets pull ahead, and teammate Yukiko Wada gave them a 13-10 lead on a well-executed attack. And then, faster than it takes to eat an ice cream cone, it was 13-13 in Game 2. Neither team could grab a decisive lead as they traded points in rapid succession. Red Rockets player Yoshino Sato attacks at the net. (©SANKEI) But Osaka regained its edge and closed out the second set on a point by Oyama. In the third set, after the score was knotted at 12-12, the Marvelous gained the upper hand and pulled away. Van Hecke shattered the tie with a dynamic play at the net to make it 13-12. Marvelous setter Mina Higashi (©SANKEI) Moments later, it was 20-13 and the Red Rockets' chances of extending the match to a fourth set appeared insurmountable. When it was over, Red Rockets head coach Takayuki Kaneko said his team had a better overall performance than it did on Friday, but it wasn't enough to overcome the Marvelous. "Yesterday, after suffering such a frustrating and one-sided defeat, we reflected thoroughly on what we needed to do and entered today's match with a clear mindset," Kaneko told reporters. "I think there were moments when we were able to show our true style. We'll take this to heart and move forward." NEC had a 30-14 record in the regular season. Sato led the Red Rockets with 14 attack points. JAPAN SPORTS NOTEBOOK | Tops 1 Million in Attendance in 2024-25 Author: Ed Odeven Find Ed on JAPAN Forward' s dedicated website, SportsLook . Follow his [Japan Sports Notebook] on Sundays, [Odds and Evens] during the week, and X (formerly Twitter) ＠ed_odeven .
