Noticeably missing is none other than 2016 Olympian MIYU NAGAOKA!!!
After missing the 2017 season due to an ACL injury, the left handed spiker got HURT again last December and it’s the same knee! The 27 year old was playing for Imoco Volley in the Italian League.
She has been recovering in Japan but there’s no update on how she is doing. The only thing we know is that she will MISS the 2019 season since she is excluded from the preliminary roster released by the Japanese Volleyball Association.
There are some new faces on the team but Coach Kumi Nakada is keeping her veterans like veteran middle blocker Erika Araki, Risa Shinnabe, Yuki Ishii, Yurie Nabeya and Sarina Koga. The list also shows the return of setter Haruka Miyashita who was excluded from major tournaments in 2017 and 2018.
Setters:
TOMINAGA, Koyomi
MIYASHITA, Haruka
SATO, Miya
TASHIRO, Kanami
SEKI, Nanami
Liberos:
INOUE, Kotoe
YAMAGISHI, Akane
KOBATA, Mako
Middle Blockers:
ARAKI, Erika
IWASAKA, Nana
OKUMURA, Mai
AKUTAGAWA, Aika
SHIMAMURA, Haruyo
WATANABE, Aya
IRISAWA, Mai
Wing Spikers (Outside Hitters & Opposite Hitters):
SHINNABE, Risa
ISHII, Yuki
UCHISETO, Mami
NABEYA, Yurie
IMAMURA, Yuka
KOGA, Sarina
KUROGO, Ai
NAKAGAWA, Miyu
OSANAI, Miwako
YOSHINO, Yuri
TOKOKU, Reina
ISHIKAWA, Mayu
MIYABE, Ameze
The hosts of the 2020 Olympics will have a very busy 2019 season. They will start training later this month and will compete in the following tournaments:
Montreux Volley Masters May 2019
FIVB Volleyball Nations League Preliminary Round May 2019 – June 2019
FIVB Volleyball Nations League Finals July 2019 (If Japan qualifies)
Asian Women’s Championship August 2019
FIVB World Cup September 2019
What a calendar!!!
As for Nagaoka, we hope she fully recovers and will still compete in the 2020 Olympics.
Good luck Nippon!!!