The Best Trio in Japan Volleyball History | Yuji Nishida, Yuki Ishikawa & Ran Takahashi. The Japan men's national volleyball team (Japanese: 男子バレーボール日本代表) represents Japan in international volleyball competitions and friendly matches, governed by Japan Volleyball Association.
Their nickname is "RYUJIN NIPPON (龍神 NIPPON)", meaning "Japanese Dragon God" or "Dragon God of Japan" in Japanese.
Yuji Nishida (西田 有志, Nishida Yūji, born 30 January 2000) is a Japanese left-handed volleyball player. Currently Nishida plays for Panasonic Panthers at club level.
Nishida made his debut with JTEKT Stings at V.League on 6 January 2018 in a match against Osaka Blazers Sakai. His impressive debut at the young age of 17 soon earned him a position in JTEKT's Starting 6,[5] as well as Japan men's national volleyball team. Nishida led the national team to seventh place at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, its best result 29 years.
Ran Takahashi (髙橋 藍 or たかはしらん, Takahashi Ran, born 2 September 2001) is a Japanese male volleyball player and an Olympian. He plays as an Outside Hitter for Nippon Sport Science University's club,[1] Japan men's national volleyball team and Vero Volley Monza.
Yūki Ishikawa (石川祐希, Ishikawa Yūki, born 11 December 1995) is a Japanese male professional volleyball player from Okazaki City, Aichi Prefecture.
Ishikawa is the first volleyball player to have a wax figure in Japan. Currently, his wax figure is displayed at Madame Tussauds Tokyo.
Japan will try and do the same as well.
Ryan Takahashi's got a great jump serve on him.
Sting of that one.
Removed by the net.
Touch.
Yes! Classic!
What a great swing we can see.
There's a slight delay in his approach as he tracks the peak of that.
Does so well. He jumps.
And you'd think Bright's going to go for a swing.
Uh-oh. Pump fake. Thank you.
I love watching Tsukita. The way he runs his offense is so fun.
I mean, and his volley IQ is just...
It just answers back.
This is what they do so well.
Has anyone seen Ishikawa? Anyone? Anyone?
Oh, there he is!
Fouled him. Fouled him on that pipe attack.
Over the middle blocker, opening that window for the pipe attack.
I think that's his first hit of the match.
Is that an ace? It is an ace!
Ran and Ishikawa served between them in one set.
Four aces each.
Took Australia apart.
Good dig. It's outside the antenna.
Comes back.
Magnificent.
Now for those of you wondering just what was going on there,
the ball was dug, but it goes outside the antenna,
so you can bring it back outside.
Well, a bit going at it. The call was late there.
But that doesn't matter.
Really good finish from Yuki Ishikawa.
Ishikawa answering back with his own right side.
They have to go two in front if they can.
Good swing. And again, a bit of deception from Tsukita.
I mean, Tsukita, well-disguised.
His hands and his set location stayed the same
for when he's setting in front, his middle, or behind.
Ran with system.
Still able to find a way to score.
As soon as he jumps, he draws his arm back like that.
Keeps his elbow high.
Set.
Tsukita. Magnificent.
Look at the speed.
The speed of the arm swing.
I mean, equal to that, the set of the ball.
Just firing the crowd up to see everyone's involved.
Nishida.
Had a good serving run in the first set.
Did Ran.
And he started with an ace here in the second.
What a brilliant disguise on the serve.
That's the rhythm in his serve he was looking for.
We can see how his wrist starts...
Set.
Advantage Japan.
Four players moving.
Yes, that is for everybody to enjoy.
Magnificent volleyball.
I love even the crowd.
Every single time that there is an insane contact,
even mid-rally, the crowd just recognizes it
and claps along for each and single.
Here.
As it is. Oh, yes.
Tsukita's doing it.
Lost.
Time-out by three.
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Team and dig and then bat.
I just love him.
That was one for 90.
Rotation six for Japan.
Pretty straightforward one.
Should be having plenty of options in the air, but he didn't.
That might fit.
No, he's clipped the sideline.
What a swing.
Go ahead, Tsukita.
Reward your passers with a set.
This is where he gets that.
He's passed that ball and he's got out so quickly.
Well played, Yamamoto.
Clever from Ishikawa.
Ripped away down the line.
All cross-court.
There's nothing at all that Ruchichevich could do about it.
What a great...
And Japan take the set.
25-21.
And that means it is one-all here for Nibongeshi.
Created on that pass.
He just got that there early.
Had it set.
Tsukita knew exactly where it was going to be going.
And then the second.
The second is like a micro-millimeter away from his arm.
He's off because he knows.
That's a good serve.
Lots of weight behind it from Lubarich.
It's nice.
It's caught the antenna.
That's kind of the difference really.
When you watch Japan and you watch Serbia.
Serbia really get through the ball.
It impacts on you.
You know that you've been hit.
You know...
It's tough for Ishikawa to do.
I don't know if Serbia have advantages or not.
It's not going to be easy.
Full swing had.
Ishikawa has a full swing.
Yes.
Cracking swing.
Kapoor unlucky.
He got in the right.
You just will never ever tire of watching a team
who can hit like this from the final.
Whether it's Japan.
Whether it's Serbia.
Whether it's the USA.
Iran.
France.
Whoever it is.
It's just a choice.
Just one quick swing after another, isn't it?
No matter what kind of situation there are at times.
It's been dug so quick.
I mean, that's a bum set.
On or past the baseline for those types of plays.
A serve Ishikawa.
Ishikawa pulling ahead for Japan.
Being a force to reckon with.
With this serve.
Challenging.
That five area on the court.
It's a block for Serbia.
And with that.
Great touch.
So is that.
Location though by Krzysztof Kusmanowicz.
We can see how he spreads his hands.
Crossing the center line is not a violation.
It didn't matter.
There was no interference with play.
It has to be the hole of the foot over the hole of the line.
It's a pretty good swing.
Worked by Ishikawa.
And now Japan are two away from victory.
