SAARA . 🏐🇯🇵🇮🇹

Thank you Kento 🥰

Yuki Ishikawa revealed the "real reason" move to Turkey, three months ago ‼️ 🎤 : What are your plans for next season? Yuki : "It's already decided. I'm going to Ziraat, Turkey." "Some might think that I joined Ziraat in the Turkish league because of the money I have, but that's not the only reason. First and foremost, I wanted to gain various experiences in a new environment." "To be honest, other Italian clubs were appealing. But in terms of salary, they were lower than Perugia. Salary is a big factor in being valued as a professional player. I wondered if it was worthwhile to stay in Italy, a place I'm familiar with, even if it meant losing almost half of what I've built up so far. When I thought about what I could gain and what kind of growth I could achieve there, I had a pretty clear image in my mind. When I decided to join Perugia in the first place, it was a big step in the sense of a new challenge, a new team, let alone a top team, so at this point, there's nothing more I could ask for. I've reached the milestone age of 30, but I still think I'm in a growth phase, so I thought it might be good to take on another new challenge, and that's why I chose a different place." —— Regarding a large gap in skill compared to Italy and Poland : "That's not a concern at all. There are 14 teams, so of course there are differences in skill levels, but the Turkish league itself is improving, and even the mid-table teams are spending money to acquire good players. The level will definitely be higher next season than this season. In fact, the top teams have beaten Trentino (a strong team in Serie A), and if you finish first in Turkey, you can go to the Champions League. So I'm not too worried about the level of competition." "Living in an English-speaking environment is a new experience for me, and I have absolutely no idea what Turkey is like or what the environment is like. I felt that stepping into such a place would definitely lead to many different experiences, and that it would be interesting." "Through my time with the national team last season, I learned that you can't move things just by playing well. In that sense, I've always had this feeling in the back of my mind that I want to have more new experiences. So, I think this transfer will be a positive thing from the perspective of the Japanese national team." number.bunshun.jp/articles/-/870…

Yuki Ishikawa on what sets Simone Giannelli apart from other setters: "I'm not sure if 'mental strength' is exactly the right way to put it, but what's incredible about him is that he never changes who he is—not only in his play, but in every other aspect as well. He has a very strong sense of self. After playing on the same court with him for two seasons, I've felt that he never lets himself waver. No matter the situation, he stays true to himself." "What sets Simone Giannelli apart from other setters is his ability to grasp the entire situation on the court...Then he distributes his sets based on all of that information." "Another thing is that he's able to identify the opponent's weak points, decide on the best way to attack them, and then relentlessly exploit those areas." "That's what I think is really clever about him. It feels as though he raises the ball according to his own convictions, staying completely faithful to the game plan he's built in his mind."

[Full article] Pre-departure interview with Yuki Ishikawa 🇯🇵✈️ "I think the team is in very good shape, and the atmosphere within the squad is also excellent. We've been able to train at a high quality. The players who joined after the end of the SV League only came together on May 26, so compared to other countries, we've had less time to practice. Even so, we've had productive training sessions and have prepared well for the Volleyball Nations League (VNL).We're leaving for China now, and after training tomorrow and the day after, we'll begin competition. I think we'll be going into the matches in good condition." "We didn't have much time, so our players-only meeting will take place after we arrive in China.However, during the full team meeting with Coach Laurent Tillie, the message was that we should aim for the podium. At the same time, for this season, the biggest objective is the Asian Championship in September, which serves as qualification for the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics. We've been told that 'everything we do is for the Asian Championship.'" "That's the kind of tournament we want it to be." "Changes...More than anything, it feels like the atmosphere has come back.Right now, there are 16 players on the senior national team, and about 80 percent of them—13 players—are members who had been together all the way through the Paris Olympics." "The atmosphere in training is better than it was last year, and everyone is practicing with a strong competitive mindset. We're all fully focused on fighting together." "I wouldn't really call it a change—it's more that things have returned to how they were. It's a really good atmosphere. Because there are so many familiar faces, it's easier to build that kind of team environment and chemistry." "I've been in good condition since joining the team. In fact, I feel better now than I did while I was in Italy, so I think I'll be able to perform at a higher level." "I can't say the pain is completely gone, but with taping, I've reached the point where I can play without it bothering me. The number of times I feel pain has also been decreasing, so I think my condition is progressing very well." "Personally, I feel both happy and relieved, so I want to focus even more on the Japan national team." "We have some changes in the roster, and there are players returning as well. But even with different personnel, what we need to do doesn't change.More than anything, I want us to become a team that can faithfully execute what the coach asks of us." "It wasn't during a full team meeting, but I think some players, myself included, spoke with the coach individually during the club season. I'm sure various requests and opinions were shared then. Since joining the national team camp, there haven't really been any new requests from the players.I think the staff has been listening to the players' opinions and adjusting things accordingly—whether that's our goals, our training methods, or other aspects of the team." "Everything I wanted to say was already expressed in the official statement.That's all there is to it." "The most important thing for us is winning the Asian Championship.Of course, it would be great if we could win the VNL, but that's not our primary target.For us, it's a stepping stone toward peaking at the Asian Championship. That's why I think the experience of standing on the podium is very important, but we don't necessarily have to be fixated on winning the title itself.If we play good volleyball with the Asian Championship in mind, I believe the results will naturally follow. As for this VNL, if we're talking about results, then aiming for the podium is the goal. But we're not overly concerned about the exact ranking. What's more important is the quality of our volleyball. We simply haven't had much time to train together, so I'm sure various issues will emerge as we play matches. I hope we can make adjustments during the tournament and gradually move in a better direction." "That's certainly part of it, but I don't think it's because of me alone. Every player has come into camp with that kind of attitude.We haven't even had a players-only meeting yet, but the fact that this atmosphere already exists shows that each individual understands how important our approach to training is. That's why I think we're able to create such a positive environment. It's not just me—when I watch practice, I feel that the other players are also demanding a high standard in both the atmosphere and the quality of our training." "We communicate much more. Even during practice, when one situation comes up, we'll say, 'If this happens, we do this. If that happens, we do that.' The coach does it too, but the players are also discussing these things among themselves.What's different is that we're actually able to act on what we've talked about as players. Those are the kinds of things that are hard to say unless you've accumulated experience or have been in a leadership role within the team.With those experienced players back, those conversations have become much more frequent. And the more we confirm things together, the more everyone tries to act on them. Compared with last year, I think there are more players who are thinking for themselves.The more experienced players you have, the more those kinds of conversations naturally happen. I think that's what creates a good atmosphere." "He always talks to me about leadership.Beyond that, though, last year was a bit unusual. My return to the national team was delayed, and it wasn't just me—some players were given time to rest. There were also times before matches when the amount of training was reduced quite a bit, and I felt we could have trained a little more.We also briefly discussed things like adjustments, systems, and tactics. Rather than leaving everything entirely up to the players, it might be better to have a certain framework—not exactly strict rules, but some structure—within which the players can still move freely."

The following 16 players of Japan Volleyball NT for VNL China round were confirmed at check-in : OH : Ishikawa, Tomita, Otsuka, Ran, Kai MB : Yamauchi, Kentaro, Onodera, Nishimoto, Larry OP : Miyaura, Nishida S : Fukatsu, Eiro L : Yamamoto, Ogawa

📸off shot. カメラを向けて名前を呼ぶとポーズをしてくれますが、ほぼ100%でピースです。 byまね

＼日本でプレー／ 高橋慶帆がSTINGS愛知に復帰！ 海外挑戦を経て2年ぶりに古巣へ volleyballking.jp/article/82112/

Welcome back, adik!

“It will be difficult for some players to recover emotionally” 😩 I can’t even imagine what it’s like to be in the players’ shoes. I hope plenty of professional help is made available to them & I hope this season can finally kick off properly for RJN.

JVA President, Shunichi Kawai made a statement on his Instagram regarding Sato arrested‼️ "None of the athletes who accompanied Sato participated in last year's VNL, World Championships, or Paris Olympics." "Please refrain making baseless accusations and slanderous comments against other players !" "And right now, the ones who are hurting the most are the other national team players who are currently at training camp." "This incident occurred at a time when players should be most motivated for international competitions, so it will be difficult for some players to recover emotionally. Nevertheless, I believe they will continue to practice without hesitation and perform well in international tournaments." instagram.com/p/DY66p46P_S8/…

Referring to the 4 players who went to pachinko, JVA Chairman Kawai had made a statement clarifying that they’re not the players who played in VNL 2025, WCH 2025 and Paris OG. He also urges everyone to refrain from making speculation about other players instagram.com/p/DY66p46P_S8/…

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いつもウルフドッグス名古屋を応援いただき、誠にありがとうございます。 このたびの選手の不祥事により、多大なるご心配とご迷惑をおかけしておりますことを深くお詫び申し上げます。 選手・スタッフ一同、皆さまの信頼回復に向け真摯に取り組んでまいります。 今後とも変わらぬご支援をどうぞよろしくお願いいたします。 🔸詳しくはこちら wolfdogs.jp/user_files/upl… #ウルフドッグス名古屋

still not over the last match 😌✨

MATTIAB MASTERCLASS x.com/alemichstan/st…

New information revealed that 4 other national team players had also been at the pachinko parlor. Police conducted urine tests on the 4 players and all results were negative. According to investigators, Sato was the only one found to be in possession of cannabis. news.yahoo.co.jp/articles/5deb2…

in a recent article of the "Hochi News" , is confirmed that the RJN players learned the news by Sato shortly before the start of the press conference: "On the afternoon of the 28th, all the national team players, including captain Yuki Ishikawa, were gathered together and given an explanation of the incident by Mr. Nanbu. The public training scheduled for that day was cancelled, and the players were reportedly very disappointed. Coach Tillie also said that the incident was "unworthy of the Japanese national team."

Sato's problematic behavior coming into light after his arrest: Multiple sources pointed out that he had a habit of being late. According to one source, there had been no improvement even during national team activities. Last season, during a training camp in Okinawa, he allegedly flirted with women and attended a drinking gathering, then showed up late for the following day’s scheduled activities. Another insider sarcastically remarked, “Honestly, just having Sato on the national team hurt the atmosphere. It might actually improve now that he’s gone.”

なぜJVAさんは、一部の選手以外くっっそ少ない数で応援シャツを販売するんでしょうね サイズ展開も販売数も選手たちなめすぎやろ、もっと人気ありますよ...だから値段も上げてるんやろうに

Fully agreed

imagine being called a national representative but cant uphold responsibility and dignity.. what a waste. some players can only dream about making it to nt but they have so much more discipline