Suntory Sunbirds (サントリー・サンバーズ, Santorī Sanbāzu) is a men's volleyball team based in Osaka city, Osaka, Japan. It plays in V.League Division 1. The club was founded in 1973. The owner of the club is Suntory.
 | |
| Founded | 1973 |
|---|---|
| Ground | Suntory Training Center Minoh City, Osaka, Japan |
| Manager Head Coach |  Masayuki Shimizu Masaji Ogino |
| Captain | Masaki Oya |
| League | V.League Division 1 |
| 2022–23 | Runner-up |
| Website | Club home page |
History
editIn 2023, Sunbirds beat Indonesia's Bhayangkara in final to become the first Japanese club to win the Asian Clubs Championship title.[1]
Honours
edit
(×1): 2023
(×9): 1994–1995, 1999–2000, 2000–2001, 2001–2002, 2002–2003, 2003–2004 2006–2007, 2020–2021, 2021–2022.
(×6): 1984–1985, 1990–1991, 2005–2006, 2010–11, 2014–15, 2022–23.
- (×6): 1979, 1985, 1991, 1995, 2000, 2022.
- (×3): 1986, 1992, 1999, 2023.
(×1): 2010.
Current Roster
editThe following is team roster of Season 2024–25[2]
| No. | Name | Date of birth | Height | Position |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Taishi Onodera | February 7, 1996 | 2.02 m (6 ft 8 in) | Middle blocker |
| 2 | Kenji Sato | January 16, 1997 | 1.96 m (6 ft 5 in) | Middle Blocker |
| 4 | Atomu Torikai | April 6, 1996 | 1.95 m (6 ft 5 in) | Opposite hitter |
| 6 | Ryo Shimokawa | January 12, 2000 | 1.78 m (5 ft 10 in) | Setter |
| 7 |  Alain De Armas |
March 4, 2001 | 1.90 m (6 ft 3 in) | Outside Hitter |
| 8 | Soshi Fujinaka | December 2, 1999 | 1.84 m (6 ft 0 in) | Libero |
| 9 | Masaki Oya | April 23, 1995 | 1.77 m (5 ft 10 in) | Setter |
| 10 | Kenya Fujinaka (c) | July 25, 1993 | 1.88 m (6 ft 2 in) | Outside Hitter |
| 11 |  Aleksander Śliwka |
May 24, 1995 | 1.98 m (6 ft 6 in) | Outside Hitter |
| 12 | Ran Takahashi | September 2, 2001 | 1.88 m (6 ft 2 in) | Outside Hitter |
| 13 |  Dmitry Muserskiy |
October 29, 1988 | 2.18 m (7 ft 2 in) | Opposite hitter |
| 14 | Ren Oniki | August 28, 2000 | 2.04 m (6 ft 8 in) | Middle Blocker |
| 15 | Yoshimitsu Kiire | May 13, 1995 | 1.74 m (5 ft 9 in) | Libero |
| 17 | Hiroto Kashimura | January 15, 1999 | 1.96 m (6 ft 5 in) | Middle Blocker |
| 18 | Hikaru Someno | July 3, 2001 | 1.85 m (6 ft 1 in) | Outside Hitter |
| 19 | Kotaro Kai | November 5, 2001 | 1.85 m (6 ft 1 in) | Opposite hitter |
| 20 | Hiroki Nishida | August 15, 1997 | 1.80 m (5 ft 11 in) | Setter |
| 21 | Rui Takahashi | January 14, 2000 | 1.86 m (6 ft 1 in) | Outside Hitter |
| 22 | Kenshin Kuwada | June 28, 1999 | 1.90 m (6 ft 3 in) | Outside Hitter |
| 23 | Tatsuki Kashiwada | November 9, 1997 | 1.92 m (6 ft 4 in) | Middle Blocker |
Head coach:  Olivier Lecat
| ||||
Former Roster
edit| Team roster – Season 2023/24 | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| No. | Name | Date of birth | Height | Position | |
| 1 | Taishi Onodera | February 7, 1996 | 2.02 m (6 ft 8 in) | Middle blocker | |
| 2 | Yuito Takahashi | May 23, 1997 | 1.73 m (5 ft 8 in) | Libero | |
| 4 | Atomu Torikai | April 6, 1996 | 1.95 m (6 ft 5 in) | Opposite hitter | |
| 6 |  Yu Yuantai |
December 3, 1997 | 1.86 m (6 ft 1 in) | Outside hitter | |
| 7 | Alain De Armas |
March 4, 2001 | 1.90 m (6 ft 3 in) | Outside Hitter | |
| 8 | Soshi Fujinaka | December 2, 1999 | 1.84 m (6 ft 0 in) | Libero | |
| 9 | Masaki Oya (c) | April 23, 1995 | 1.77 m (5 ft 10 in) | Setter | |
| 10 | Kenya Fujinaka | July 25, 1993 | 1.88 m (6 ft 2 in) | Outside Hitter | |
| 12 | Kenji Sato | January 16, 1997 | 1.96 m (6 ft 5 in) | Middle Blocker | |
| 13 | Dmitry Muserskiy |
October 29, 1988 | 2.18 m (7 ft 2 in) | Opposite hitter | |
| 14 | Ren Oniki | August 28, 2000 | 2.04 m (6 ft 8 in) | Middle Blocker | |
| 15 | Yoshimitsu Kiire | May 13, 1995 | 1.74 m (5 ft 9 in) | Libero | |
| 20 | Hiroki Nishida | August 15, 1997 | 1.80 m (5 ft 11 in) | Setter | |
| 21 | Rui Takahashi | January 14, 2000 | 1.86 m (6 ft 1 in) | Outside Hitter | |
| 22 | Kenshin Kuwada | June 28, 1999 | 1.90 m (6 ft 3 in) | Outside Hitter | |
| 23 | Tatsuki Kashiwada | November 9, 1997 | 1.92 m (6 ft 4 in) | Middle Blocker | |
| Head coach: Kota Yamamura
| |||||
League results
editChampion Runner-up
| League | Position | Teams | Matches | Win | Lose | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| V.League | ||||||
| 1st (1994–95) | Champion | 8 | 21 | 14 | 7 | |
| 2nd (1995–96) | 4th | 8 | 21 | 14 | 7 | |
| 3rd (1996–97) | 3rd | 8 | 21 | 12 | 9 | |
| 4th (1997–98) | 4th | 8 | 21 | 12 | 9 | |
| 5th (1998–99) | 3rd | 10 | 18 | 14 | 4 | |
| 6th (1999–00) | Champion | 10 | 18 | 14 | 4 | |
| 7th (2000–01) | Champion | 10 | 18 | 14 | 4 | |
| 8th (2001–02) | Champion | 10 | 18 | 11 | 7 | |
| 9th (2002–03) | Champion | 8 | 21 | 13 | 8 | |
| 10th (2003–04) | Champion | 8 | 21 | 11 | 10 | |
| 11th (2004–05) | 5th | 8 | 28 | 14 | 14 | |
| 12th (2005–06) | Runner-up | 8 | 28 | 20 | 8 | |
| V・Premier | ||||||
| 2006-07 | Champion | 8 | 28 | 23 | 5 | |
| 2007-08 | 3rd | 8 | 28 | 24 | 4 | |
| 2008-09 | 4th | 8 | 28 | 22 | 6 | |
| 2009-10 | 5th | 8 | 28 | 15 | 13 | |
| 2010-11 | Runner-up | 8 | 24 | 18 | 6 | |
| 2011-12 | 3rd | 8 | 21 | 10 | 11 | |
| 2012-13 | 4th | 8 | 28 | 24 | 4 | |
| 2013-14 | 6th | 8 | 28 | 11 | 17 | |
| 2014-15 | Runner-up | 8 | 21 | 16 | 5 | |
| 2015–16 | 7th | 8 | 21 | 9 | 12 | |
| 2016–17 | 4th | 8 | 21 | 13 | 8 | |
| 2017–18 | 5th | 8 | 21 | 8 | 13 | |
| V・League Division 1 | 2018–19 | 4th | 10 | 32 | 21 | 11 |
| 2019–20 | 3rd | 10 | 30 | 20 | 10 | |
| 2020–21 | Champion | 10 | 36 | 33 | 3 | |
| 2021–22 | Champion | 10 | 38 | 29 | 9 | |
| 2022–23 | Runner-up | 10 | 40 | 28 | 12 | |
References
edit- ^ "Japan's Suntory Sunbirds claim historic Asian Clubs Championship title". www.fivb.com. Retrieved 2023-05-25.
- ^ "2024-25シーズン「サントリーサンバーズ大阪」チーム体制と新ユニフォームのお知らせ". SUNBIRDS サントリー (in Japanese). Retrieved 2024-07-03.