Ishikawa Yūki Powering Japanese Olympic Volleyball Campaign in Paris

Japan’s Indominable Ace

The mood surrounding the Japanese men’s volleyball team has changed dramatically for the better since the squad’s unexpectedly strong showing at the Tokyo Olympics in 2021. More and more, commentators are proclaiming with confidence that men’s volleyball has gotten better and that the team has a shot at a medal.

The current squad is being heralded as the strongest ever. However, for much of recent history, the Japanese men’s team has struggled on the international stage and failed time and again to qualify for the Olympics. How has the team generated such high expectations after so long in the shadows?

A key figure in the current squad is team captain and star outside hitter Ishikawa Yūki. The pillar of the team, the veteran of Italy’s top flight professional volleyball league has built a successful career with an unwavering winning spirit and a burning desire to be the top player in the world.

Ishikawa Yūki high-fives teammate Takahashi Ran during Japan’s match against Italy at the Nations League on July 23, 2023, in Gdansk, Poland. (© Foto Olimpik via Reuters Connect)

Pivotal on Ishikawa’s road to becoming the best volleyball player ever to come out of Japan was his decision to go to Italy in August of 2014 while still a student at Chūō University. The roughly three months he spent playing for Modena Volley were transformative. Up to then he had not considered playing long term for a team overseas, but getting a taste of play in one of the top professional leagues convinced him that he wanted to compete at the highest level of the sport.

Since moving to Italy, Ishikawa has played for the likes of Top Volley Latina, Emma Villas Siena, Kioene Padova, and Allianz Milano. Facing off against towering, fast players in a fiercely competitive environment, he has built his confidence while honing his technique and bolstering his mental fortitude.

Ishikawa is a strong all-around player. Armed with a blistering spike that barrels down from a height of 351 centimeters and utilizing a diverse approach to attack vectors, he has forged a reputation as a trusted scorer in any situation. He also boasts a fierce serve, while on the defensive end he offers reliable receiving skills. His unsatiated thirst for points and strong desire to win inspires his teammates and results in true synergy on the court.

Standing 192 centimeters, Ishikawa is not particularly tall for a volleyball player. However, his abilities are world-class, earning him respect on the global stage and working to raise the image of Japanese volleyball.

Shining at the Top

While at Milano, Ishikawa was core to the club’s historic third-place finish during the 2023–24 season, its highest ever in the top flight. With 475 points during the season, the fourth highest in the SuperLega, he loomed over opposing teams. He has proved himself to be not only Japan’s leading talent, but one of the best players in the world.

Ishikawa transferred to SuperLega’s Sir Safety Perugia for the 2024–25 season, his tenth in Italy. He was approached by a number of teams in other leagues, including in Japan, but signed with what many consider to be the world’s best professional team anywhere out of his steadfast desire to become the top player globally. Speaking of his decision he said, “I’m focused on winning, and I want to use this a season to narrow in on becoming the best in the world.”

This determination to stand at volleyball’s pinnacle has enable Ishikawa to thrive wherever he has played. Using his ability to calmly analyze situations and make clear judgments, he has continued to grow while performing at the top of his game. Pushing himself to be the best, he has achieved greater heights than any Japanese player ever.

Ishikawa shows off his new uniform at a press conference following his transfer to the 2024 SuperLega champions Perugia on May 17, 2024. (© Jiji)

Ishikawa had a successful international season in 2023 capped by him leading the Japanese national team to bronze at the Volleyball Nations League Championship, the squad’s first medal in 46 years. The experience undoubtedly boosted the confidence of Ishikawa and his teammates, particularly as Japan beat powerhouse Brazil for the first time in almost 30 years and downed a powerful Italian side in the third-place match.

However, just a few months later at the Men’s Olympic Volleyball Qualifying Tournament, Japan suffered a painful defeat against Egypt early in the competition, which forced the team to recalibrate its strategy. Japan managed to right its course and succeeded in punching its ticket to Paris.

The qualifying tournament highlighted Japan’s strengths. Ishikawa showed his confidence in the squad, saying that “we are in the running for a medal in Paris. We’re playing at a higher level, and we’re still getting stronger.”

True to Ishikawa’s words, Japan at the 2024 Men’s Volleyball Nations League, held in May and June of this year, improved on its previous performance by taking home the silver. Far from satisfied, though, Ishikawa expressed disappointment at failing to capture the gold and reaffirmed his commitment to win it all in Paris.

Medal Fever

If the team realizes its dreams of an Olympic medal, it will be the first for Japanese volleyball since the men’s team won gold at the Munich Games in 1972. Ishikawa says that the team is wholly focused on medaling, declaring that ”we wouldn’t be talking about it if we weren’t confident. We’re laying it all on the line, and I think with these players and with this team we can do it.”

The Japanese men’s team failed to qualify for the 2016 Rio Olympics, and Ishikawa was resigned to watching the final between Brazil and Italy from the stands. Fueled by this earlier disappointment, at his maiden Olympics in Tokyo, he attacked with assertiveness and tenacity against top-ranked Brazil. Despite his outstanding showing, though, Japan fell short of its goal of reaching the semifinals. Ishikawa is intent on not to let that happen again.

Ishikawa will get its chance to shine this summer. Japan’s ace has only grown stronger since Tokyo, and he and his teammates are primed and ready to achieve long-awaited glory at the Olympics.

(Originally published in Japanese. Banner photo: Ishikawa Yūki spikes against Turkey in an Olympic qualifying match on October 4, 2023, in Tokyo. © Kyōdō.)