On the 27th, the Japan Volleyball Association announced the members who will participate in the final round of the Nations League starting on the 28th. Ai Takahashi (22, Suntory Sunbirds Osaka), who has been on the reserve since the third week’s match against Canada due to injury, has been registered as a reserve again this time. In addition to the 14 players, up to four replacement members can be registered for this tournament.

Japan, who finished the preliminary round in fourth place with nine wins and three losses, will advance to the final round, where the top seven teams can advance, along with the host country Poland. The final round will be played in a knockout format, with losers being eliminated. Japan, ranked second in the world, will face Canada, ranked ninth, in the quarterfinals on the 28th. When they faced each other in the third week of the preliminary round, Japan lost after a full set.

Captain Yuki Ishikawa (28), who arrived in Poland, said, “If we lose in the final round, it’s over. Our goal is to go to the final, so we want to do our best to achieve that goal.” In the previous tournament, Japan won the bronze medal for the first time in 46 years at the world championships. *World rankings as of 12:00 a.m. on the 27th.

[Final Round: 14 players and reserve players]

■ Setter
Akihiro Fukatsu (36, Tokyo Great Bears)
Seita Sekita (30, JTEKT STINGS)

■Outside hitter/opposite
Nishida Yuji (24, Osaka Bulletion)
Kento Miyaura (25, JTEKT STINGS)
Tatsunori Otsuka (23, Osaka Bulleteon) *Transferred to Milan next season
Masama Tomita (27, Osaka Bulletion)
Yuki Ishikawa (28, Sil Susa Vim Perugia/Italy)
Yuto Kai (20, 3rd year student at Senshu University)

■ Middle blocker
Futoshi Onodera (28, Suntory Sunbirds Osaka)
Akihiro Yamauchi (30, Osaka Bulletion)
Kentaro Takahashi (29, JTEKT STINGS)
Everdedan Rally (23, Osaka Bulleteon)

■ Libero
Tomohiro Ogawa (27, JTEKT STINGS)
Tomohiro Yamamoto (29, Osaka Bulletion)

■ Reserve players
Kenta Takanashi (27, Wolfdogs Nagoya)
Maki Oya (29, Suntory Sunbirds Osaka)
Ai Takahashi (22, Suntory Sunbirds Osaka)
Hiroto Nishiyama (21, Osaka Bulletion)

[Nations League Qualifying Round]*Schedule is Japan time

■ Week 1: Rio de Janeiro (Brazil)
May 22nd Japan 3-1 Argentina
May 24th Japan 3-0 Serbia
May 25th Japan 3-2 Cuba
May 26 Japan 1-3 Italy

■ Week 2: Kitakyushu City, Fukuoka Prefecture
June 4th Japan 3-0 Iran
June 5th Japan 3-2 Germany
June 7th Japan 0-3 Poland
June 8th Japan 3-1 Slovenia

■ Week 3: Manila (Philippines)
June 18th Japan 2-3 Canada
June 21st Japan 3-0 Netherlands
June 22nd Japan 3-2 France
June 23rd Japan 3-0 USA