VOLLEYBALL STARS

Last modified May 19, 1998.

WOMEN

Mayumi Saitoh
Born Feb.27, 1971. 177 cm.tall, weighs 62 kilos.
A member of the national team since 1989. She was awarded MVP at only 18 years of age when her team, Ito Yokado clinched the Japan League title in 1989. She quite Ito Yokado in July 1997, tied the knot with Daiei, and clinched the MVP title. The winner of the highest numnber of votes for the 1998 all star games.

Yoko Zetterlund
Born Mar.24, 1969 in San Francisco. Is 180 cm. tall and weighs 65 kilos. Her father is Swedish, and her mother was Japan's national team volleyball player. Her Japanese name is Yoko Horie. She graduated from Waseda University in Tokyo. In 1991, she took on American nationality. She won the bronze medal at the 1992 Barcelona Olympic Games as a setter of the US national volleyball team. Yoko played with a corporate league team, Toshiba for the '96-'97 season. Her new team for the '97-'98 season is Daiei.
Michiyo's Note: On the right is Yoko when I met her on Dec.4, 1997. 2 days later, the V.league took off. And she played well to help her team win. She definitely contributed to the Daiei's V. League victory that season.

Mika Saiki
172 cm., weighs 64 kilos.
She won the MVP award in the V.League for the 1996 season as the player of Unitika. Is considered one of the most reliable players. She spoke to reporters first in Sept. '96 saying she will retire from indoor volleyball. However, she decided to stay with Unitika for another V.league season. It was confirmed on Mar.3 '97, that she will move on to play beach volleyball instead. She has since been playing in different parts of the world.
Michiyo's Note: I saw Saiki wearing Unitika's uniform for the last time at the all-star games on Apr. 19 '97. She already looked like a beach volleyball player with her tan.


RETIRED RECENTLY
Motoko Ohbayashi
182 cm. tall, weights 67 kilos.
Became a national team player as a high school student in 1985. Has been Japan's ace attacker since 1988 Soeul Olympic Games.
Joined Hitachi in 1986, but was fired from the team in 1994.
Hitachi was attached by many, for taking such action.
She went to play in the Italian league, then joined Toyobo in 1995. She ended her playing career in Mar. 1997.

Mika Yamauchi
182 cm. tall, 69 kg. Played for Daiei. Was an idol player.
She became the first indoor player to go professional in April 1995. She married a former baseball player on May 10, 1997 and decided to quit volleyball.


MEN

Masayuki Izumikawa
Born Jan.22, 1971. Is 196 cm.tall and weighs 86 kilos. Plays for Toray Arrows.
Is nicknamed "Pete" as in the golf player Pete Izumikawa. He joined the national team already as an university freshman. Izumikawa is the ace attacker of the Japanese national team today. He was the number one pick for the '97 all star games.

Yuichi Nakagaichi
193 cm.tall and weighs 92 kilos. People call him "gaichi". Plays for Nippon Steel Blazers. He has long been captain of the national team. Won the MVP title 3 times.


VOLLEYBALL LEGENDS

WOMEN
Masae Kasai
One of the Toyo no majo, or witches of the Orient, as the Tokyo Olympic gold medalist team was called.

Takako Shirai
One of Japan's best national team spiker ever. Montreal Olympic Games gold medalist. Played for Hitachi.

Yumi Egami
Bronze medalist in LA Olympics. She retired from volleyball at one time, but made a comeback and played in Soeul. Played for Hitachi in her heydays and later for Odakyu.

Kumi Nakada
Born Sept. 3 1965. 176 cm tall. weighs 62 kg. One of Japan's best setters ever. Bronze medalist at the 1984 LA Olympics and played also in Soeul and Barcelona. She was awarded MVP in the Japan League (predecessor of the V.League) 4 times. Nakada is coaching for Hitachi's women's team from the 96-97 season.

MEN
Katsutoshi Nekota
Born Nov. 10 1957. Holds the most Olympic titles in volleyball.
His medal improved as he moved along, winning the bronze in 1964, the silver in 1968, and finally the gold in 1972.

Michiyo's Note: I'm gradually working on this page!