I am a fan of Hinotori 火の鳥NIPPON and Team Captain #3 木村 沙織 Saori Kimura

When it comes to women’s volleyball in the Philippines, my heart will forever be loyal to the collegiate team De La Salle University Lady Spikers. Though, I am obviously a Filipino, that doesn’t mean I can’t be a fan of other nation’s National Women’s Team. We have to admit, the top teams in the world in volleyball are in a whole another level above ours and it will still take some time before we can really compete against them. Though, I believe that there are really extremely talented women volleyball players in our country, there are a lot of things to improve and develop. But that’s besides the point because I am supposed to talk about the Japan National Women’s Team.

What I really admire about this team is the fact that the players are not actually the tallest in the world. They are the Davids while players from other dominant and top teams in the world are the Goliaths. YET, they’re one of the best teams in the world at the present. They have been marking their name for the past years. Only few of the players are at least 6 feet tall and because of this, Hinotori Nippon (as the National Women’s Team are known) is not known as a good blocking team. BUT what they lack in net defense they make up for their floor defense. They are no doubt a good digging team. They are going to dive for the ball without any hesitation. Evidently, all players are trained for that. Most of the time, five of the six players in the court are going to keep that ball alive when they are not able to block it. I also noticed that they become all-around players… someone who don’t just score points offensively but contribute through the other skills.

Can you just imagine? What if the players are as tall as the other teams in Europe and America? I read a post by someone who said that though Japan is one of the top teams in the world, they are really not that good… and he even compared it to a former powerhouse team. But when you look at the picture… Japan didn’t just get to where it is now in the ranking (currently ranked number 4 in the world) without any evident testament that they deserve it especially because like I said, given their height, it was harder for them unlike the other teams. Yet, they are up there. They won’t be able to at least defeat Brazil, USA, Russia, China, etc if their ranking is just a joke. I bet, IF they’re taller, I won’t be surprised if they become World No. 1. That’s just my own opinion, though.

This team is a proof that well, though it’s definitely better if the players are taller, a height disadvantage can be overcome. I want to say to my fellow Filipino who posted that comment that I have mentioned in the previous paragraph… come to think of it… our players here have the same disadvantage (and other things). They can learn from the Japan’s team actually. That’d be a good strategy especially now that the National Team is becoming active lately prior to the Asian Championship, Asian Games, ASEAN Games, etc. Be realistic and face the FACTS. Hinotori Nippon is a team that you should not look down.

When we talk about Hinotori Nippon, we can NEVER forget to mention the name of whom many consider as the Queen of Japan’s Volleyball. Touted as Japan's future, Infinite Saorin (ニッポンの未来 サオリン無限大 Nippon no mirai Saorin Mugendai) and Miracle Saorin, though she already played and somehow caught come attention at the 2004 Athens Olympics and 2008 Beijing Olympics, these nicknames became more evident during the World Championship 2010 with her undeniable heroic performance (second highest-scorer at the end of the tournament) beating the powerhouse and currently World Number 1 USA team that led Japan to a Bronze Medal finish.

She was catapulted further as one of the best women volleyball players in the world when she helped her team make a historic comeback by winning the Bronze Medal in the 2012 London Olympics since their last one at the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics. With her 33-point output against China in the Quarterfinal, Japan had finally beaten their Asian arch rival after 11 years. She became the third-highest scorer in the tournament. This unexpected medal win made Japan ranked number 3 in the world behind USA and Brazil.

Since debuting internationally at the age of 17, she displayed great potential with her versatility and improvement in her skills as well as her mental toughness. Everyone expected her to carry the team most especially at crucial moments. It was on the year 2013 when she finally became the Team Captain of Hinotori Nippon. With her leadership, Japan won the Bronze Medal in the 2013 World Grand Champions Cup and Silver Medal in the 2014 World Grand Prix.

Some say, her performance has been dwindling because she’s getting older but I believe it’s only a matter of transition. Once she gets her groove back and she gets used to it, she will explode and contribute for her team to win. She still got the fire in her. I think Japan will be able to achieve their goals especially with the upcoming huge tournaments in Asia and worldwide. #3 Saori Kimura 木村 沙織 will again be a crucial part.