Victorina Himeji

Victorina Himeji (ヴィクトリーナ姫路) is a women's volleyball team based in Himeji, Japan. The owner of the team is Masayoshi Manabe, former head coach of the Japan women's national volleyball team.^[1] The club was founded in 2016.^[2][3]

Victorina Himeji

Short name	Himeji
Nickname	Victorina
Founded	March 14, 2016
Ground	Himeji, Hyogo Prefecture, Japan
Executive Adviser Head Coach	Yoshie Takeshita Avital Selinger
Captain	Mika Shibata
League	V.League Division 1
2021-22	11th
Website	Club home page
Uniforms
Home Away

Himeji entered the V.League in 2018 playing in V.League Division 2 and won the 2018-2019 season Championship^[4] which automatically promoted them to Japan's top level V.League Division 1.

History

The team registered with the Japan Volleyball association in March 2016. Three months later Yoshie Takeshita was announced as head coach.^[5][6] In November 2016 Masayoshi Manabe, who was born in Himeji, was appointed general manager.^[7][8]

In July 2017, Himeji announced it would transfer the franchise of bankrupt club Sendai Belle Fille to Himeji Victorina, with a requirement that it take 8 of the players from Sendai Belle Fille and reach contract agreements with them.^[9] If successful it would be the first time in Japan that one club team had transferred to another.^[10] The team's goal was to enter the V.Challenge League II for the 2017-2018 season. By August 3rd Himeji had reached an agreement with only two Sendai players.^[11] On August 10 the V.League announced Himeji had been unable to sign a sufficient number of Sendai players and would not be allowed to participate in the V.Challenge League II 2017-18 season.^[12]

In March 2018 the Japanese V.League announced Himeji Victorina will play the 2018–2019 season in the newly organized V.League Division 2^[13]

On March 17, 2019, Himeji Victorina defeated JA Gifu Rioreina in straight sets to claim the title of Women's V.League Division 2 Champions.^[14] As 2018-2019 V2 Champions they are automatically promoted to play the 2019-2020 season in V.League Division 1.^[15]

Masayoshi Manabe is currently the team owner and Kiyoshi Abo is the team's general manager.^[16]

Honors

V.League Division 2

• Champions (1): 2018-2019
• Runners-up ():

Emperor's Cup and Empress' Cup All Japan Volleyball Championship

• Champions (1): 2024

League results

League		Position	Teams	Matches	Win	Lose
V.League Division 2	2018-19	Champions	8	18	17	1
V.League Division 1	2019-20	12th	12	21	3	18
	2020-21	10th	12	21	4	17
	2021-22	11th	12	33	8	25

Current squad

2024-2025 Squad^{[17][18][19][20][21]}

• Head coach: Avital Selinger

No.	Name	Position	Date of birth	Height (m)
2	Miki Sakurai	Setter	(1996-05-01) 1 May 1996 (age 28)	1.70 m (5 ft 7 in)
3	Saki Tanaka	Outside Hitter	(1996-09-21) 21 September 1996 (age 28)	1.70 m (5 ft 7 in)
4	Chihiro Sasaki	Middle Blocker	(1997-11-17) 17 November 1997 (age 27)	1.75 m (5 ft 9 in)
5	Mika Shibata (C)	Setter	(1994-06-07) 7 June 1994 (age 30)	1.71 m (5 ft 7 in)
6	Mari Morita	Libero	(1997-09-18) 18 September 1997 (age 27)	1.60 m (5 ft 3 in)
7	Minja Osmajić	Middle Blocker	(2003-02-12) 12 February 2003 (age 21)	1.92 m (6 ft 4 in)
8	Akiho Matsumoto	Outside Hitter	(1997-06-29) 29 June 1997 (age 27)	1.70 m (5 ft 7 in)
9	Kaya Watanabe	Outside Hitter	(1998-06-09) 9 June 1998 (age 26)	1.71 m (5 ft 7 in)
10	Arisa Inoue	Outside Hitter	(1995-05-08) 8 May 1995 (age 29)	1.78 m (5 ft 10 in)
11	Airi Miyabe	Outside Hitter	(1998-07-29) 29 July 1998 (age 26)	1.81 m (5 ft 11 in)
12	Karen Moriki	Setter	(1999-09-11) 11 September 1999 (age 25)	1.78 m (5 ft 10 in)
13	Mao Ito	Middle Blocker	(2000-06-23) 23 June 2000 (age 24)	1.78 m (5 ft 10 in)
14	Runa Adachi	Middle Blocker	(2000-11-03) 3 November 2000 (age 24)	1.76 m (5 ft 9 in)
15	Asuka Nozu	Outside Hitter	(2000-05-23) 23 May 2000 (age 24)	1.71 m (5 ft 7 in)
16	Mana Yoshida	Libero	(2001-02-01) 1 February 2001 (age 23)	1.66 m (5 ft 5 in)
18	Ana Luiza Rüdiger	Outside Hitter	(2003-01-02) 2 January 2003 (age 21)	1.86 m (6 ft 1 in)
19	Chatchu-on Moksri	Outside Hitter	(1999-11-06) 6 November 1999 (age 25)	1.81 m (5 ft 11 in)

Former players

Domestic Players  Japan Mihoko Tsutsui (2018-2019) Yuki Kawai (2018-2019)[22] Sakie Takahashi (ja) (2018–2020)[23] Kyoko Katashita (2018–2020) Rie Takaki (2018–2020)[24] Yuko Asazu (2018–2020) Haruka Kojima (2019–2020) Transferred to staff[25] Yuka Kanasugi (2018–2021) Yurika Mizoguchi (2018–2021) Transferred to Prestige International

Foreign Players  Brazil Suelle Oliveira (2018-2019) Ivna Colombo (2019-2020) Ana Luiza Rüdiger (2024-)  Moldova Aliona Martiniuc (2020–2021)  Serbia Minja Osmajić (2024-)  Thailand Chatchu-on Moksri (2023-)

References

1. "Players Staff". VICTORINA OFFICIAL WEBSITE. Retrieved 1 July 2019.
2. "Women's volleyball, "Victorina Himeji" and Olympic athletes "Victorina Dreams" launched". FPhime Business news. FPhime. Retrieved 2 February 2019.
3. "Support Japan's first professional volleyball team "Victorina Himeji"". Corporate Information News Release. Glory Group. Retrieved 1 February 2019.
4. "2018-19 V.LEAGUE DIVISION2 WOMEN Final stage Final 6 Final Result Announcement". V.League Japan Official Web Site. Japan Volleyball League Organization. Retrieved 18 March 2019.
5. "Launch of Yoshie Takeshita as Victorina Himwji Head Coach". Kobe newspaper NEXT. 神戸新聞社. Archived from the original on 2017-08-01. Retrieved 24 May 2019.
6. "Victorina Himeji and Olympic Athletes Debut". FPhime. FPhime (Efupi Heim). Retrieved 24 May 2019.
7. "Victorina Himeji GM appointed". Sankei News. Sankei News. Retrieved 24 May 2019.
8. "Mr. Volleyball Manabe Victorina Himeji GM". Kobe Newspaper NEXT. Next News. Archived from the original on 2017-08-01. Retrieved 24 May 2019.
9. "Japan: Victorina Himeji Cannot Play in V-League 17-18". Uprising Sports. Retrieved 18 March 2019.
10. "Victorina Buys Its Way Into 2nd Division". Volley Mob. 2017-08-07. Retrieved 29 November 2018.
11. "Arisa Sato joins new club Ligare Sendai". Volley Mob. 2018-08-10. Retrieved 29 November 2018.
12. "Victorina Himeji Cannot Play in V-League 17-18". Volley Mob. 2017-08-13. Retrieved 29 November 2018.
13. "Japan Women's V.LEAGUE announces 18-19 League Teams". Volley Mob. 2018-03-24. Retrieved 29 November 2018.
14. "2018-19 V.LEAGUE DIVISION2 WOMEN Final stage Final 6 Final Result Announcement". V.League Japan Official Web Site. Japan Volleyball League Organization. Retrieved 18 March 2019.
15. "ヴィクトリーナ姫路がＶ１昇格 Ｖ２優勝". Kobe newspaper NEXT. Kobe Shimbun All. Retrieved 18 March 2019.
16. "Players Staff - Victorina Himeji". VICTORINA OFFICIAL WEBSITE. Himeji Victorina. Retrieved 13 July 2019.
17. "Victorina Himeji Players List". V.League Official Site. Retrieved 13 December 2021.
18. "Players and Staff". Victorina Official Web Site. Retrieved 13 December 2021.
19. "Announcement of the 2019 fiscal year prospective players". Victorina Official Website. Himeji Victorina. 10 December 2018. Retrieved 28 September 2019.
20. "Himeji Victorina - Japan V.League Women". Japan Women's Indoor Volleyball. sitenoise.com. Retrieved 13 December 2021.
21. "Transfer Announcement - Registration Addition List". JVL Official Web site. Japan Volleyball League. Retrieved 4 June 2021.
22. "Resigning of-retired players News". Victorina Himeji Official Site. Himeji Victorina. 24 April 2019. Retrieved 11 June 2019.
23. "Announcement of leaving players in 2019". Himeji Victorina Official Web Site. Himeji Victorina Co., Ltd. 19 March 2020. Retrieved 7 August 2020.
24. "2019-20 season retired player announcement". Himeji Victorina Official Web Site. Himeji Victorina Co., Ltd. 15 May 2020. Retrieved 7 August 2020.
25. "Victorina Himeji 2020-21 new season announcement". Himeji Victorina Official Web Site. Himeji Victorina Co., Ltd. 19 May 2020. Retrieved 7 August 2020.

External links

• Club Home Page