Toray Arrows Men's Volleyball Club
Toray Arrows (東レアローズ) is a men's volleyball team based in Mishima city, Shizuoka, Japan. They play in V.League Division 1. The owner of the team is Toray Industries.
 | |
| Short name | Toray (東レ) |
|---|---|
| Founded | 1947 |
| Ground | Mishima City, Shizuoka Japan. |
| Manager Head Coach |  Shintaro Watanabe Ayumu Shinoda |
| Captain | Yudai Minemura |
| League | V.League Division 1 |
| 2022–23 | 5th place |
| Website | Club home page |
| Championships | |
| 3 | |
History
The team was founded in 1947 as "Toray Kuryukai" at the Shiga Plant of Toray Industries, Inc. The name "Kuryukai" comes from the nine players in the team and the "Crane Wing Formation" in Sun Tzu's "The Art of War".
In 1961, the team won the title in the 9-player division of the All-Japan Championship and the 6-player and 9-player divisions of the National Sports Festival. In 1963, the team won its second title in the 9-player division of the All-Japan Championship and moved its home base to Mishima the following year.
In the Japan Industrial League (then V.Challenge League), the team was promoted in the 6th league in 1974 but was relegated five years later and returned in 1988. In the first V LEAGUE, the team advanced to the final in first place but finished fourth in the final league. After a slump, the team finished second in the 5th, 6th, and 8th V LEAGUE. In the 10th V LEAGUE, the team narrowly missed the relegation playoffs. However, in the 11th V LEAGUE, under the slogan "Total Power", the team achieved its first championship by continuing its winning streak of 20 games from the opening of the league.
In the 2008/09 season, the team won its second championship in four seasons by defeating Sakai in the championship game. The team won its third championship in eight seasons in the 2016/17 season. The team aims to be loved by everyone and grateful for the environment in which they can play volleyball. This season, under the slogan "BREAK THE TARGET", the team aims to break through the target of winning the championship.[1]
Toray Arrows joined Asian Club Championship to represent Japan for the first time in 2018 and ranked the 5th place.
Honours
- Japan Volleyball League/V.League/V.Premier League
- Champions
(×3): 2004–05, 2008–09, 2016–17 - Runners-up
(×6): 1998–99, 1999–00, 2001–02, 2006–07, 2007–08, 2011–12
- Champions
- Kurowashiki Tournament
- Champions
(×6): 1961, 1963, 2002, 2005, 2006, 2011 - Runners-up
(×4): 1953, 1959, 2004, 2009
- Champions
- Emperor's Cup
- Champions (×2): 2008, 2013
- Runner-up (×3): 2012, 2019, 2022
- Champions
Team roster
Current roster
The following is team roster of Season 2023–2024[2]
| No. | Name | Date of birth | Height | Position |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Takahiro Namba | May 1, 1998 | 1.98 m (6 ft 6 in) | Middle blocker |
| 2 | Kentaro Takahashi | February 8, 1995 | 2.01 m (6 ft 7 in) | Middle blocker |
| 3 | Takumi Yamaguchi | August 3, 1997 | 1.68 m (5 ft 6 in) | Libero |
| 4 | Keisuke Sakai | August 25, 1996 | 1.87 m (6 ft 2 in) | Setter |
| 5 | Yuta Yoneyama | August 29, 1984 | 1.85 m (6 ft 1 in) | Outside hitter |
| 6 | Shunsuke Watanabe | April 11, 1988 | 1.81 m (5 ft 11 in) | Libero |
| 7 | Yudai Minemura (c) | May 19, 1994 | 1.85 m (6 ft 1 in) | Outside hitter |
| 8 | Koyu Manago | September 14, 1998 | 1.84 m (6 ft 0 in) | Setter |
| 9 | Shoma Tomita | June 20, 1997 | 1.90 m (6 ft 3 in) | Outside hitter |
| 10 | Tobias Takeshi | February 8, 2001 | 1.91 m (6 ft 3 in) | Outside hitter |
| 11 |  Xu Ke | March 1, 2001 | 2.01 m (6 ft 7 in) | Outside hitter |
| 14 |  Krisztián Pádár | November 14, 1996 | 1.99 m (6 ft 6 in) | Opposite |
| 15 | Haku Ri | December 27, 1990 | 1.95 m (6 ft 5 in) | Middle blocker |
| 16 | Reimondo Kamijo | September 16, 1999 | 1.95 m (6 ft 5 in) | Middle blocker |
| 17 | Hiroki Ozawa | September 21, 1997 | 1.86 m (6 ft 1 in) | Outside hitter |
| 18 | Keigo Nishimoto | October 27, 1998 | 1.89 m (6 ft 2 in) | Middle blocker |
| Head coach: Ayumu Shinoda | ||||
Former roster
| Team roster – Season 2022-2023 | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| No. | Name | Date of birth | Height | Position | |
| 1 | Takahiro Namba | May 1, 1998 | 1.98 m (6 ft 6 in) | Middle blocker | |
| 2 | Kentaro Takahashi | February 8, 1995 | 2.01 m (6 ft 7 in) | Middle blocker | |
| 3 | Takumi Yamaguchi | August 3, 1997 | 1.68 m (5 ft 6 in) | Libero | |
| 4 | Keisuke Sakai | August 25, 1996 | 1.87 m (6 ft 2 in) | Setter | |
| 5 | Yuta Yoneyama | August 29, 1984 | 1.85 m (6 ft 1 in) | Outside hitter | |
| 6 | Dai Tezuka | November 18, 1988 | 1.92 m (6 ft 4 in) | Outside hitter | |
| 7 | Yudai Minemura (c) | May 19, 1994 | 1.85 m (6 ft 1 in) | Outside hitter | |
| 8 | Koyu Manago | September 14, 1998 | 1.84 m (6 ft 0 in) | Setter | |
| 9 | Shoma Tomita | June 20, 1997 | 1.90 m (6 ft 3 in) | Outside hitter | |
| 10 | Tobias Takeshi | February 8, 2001 | 1.91 m (6 ft 3 in) | Outside hitter | |
| 14 | Krisztián Pádár | November 14, 1996 | 1.99 m (6 ft 6 in) | Opposite | |
| 15 | Haku Ri | December 27, 1990 | 1.95 m (6 ft 5 in) | Middle blocker | |
| 16 | Reimondo Kamijo | September 16, 1999 | 1.95 m (6 ft 5 in) | Middle blocker | |
| 17 | Hiroki Ozawa | September 21, 1997 | 1.86 m (6 ft 1 in) | Outside hitter | |
| 18 | Keigo Nishimoto | October 27, 1998 | 1.89 m (6 ft 2 in) | Middle blocker | |
| 21 | Naonobu Fujii | January 5, 1992 | 1.83 m (6 ft 0 in) | Setter | |
| Head coach: Ayumu Shinoda | |||||
Notable Players
Local Players
Yuta Yoneyama (2007–present)
Naonobu Fujii (2014–2023)
Foreign Players
Lloy Ball (1996-1999)
Pavel Abramov (2003-2005)
Vladimir Nikolov (2006-2007)
League results
Champion Runner-up
| League | Position | Teams | Matches | Win | Lose | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| V.League | 1st (1994–95) | 4th | 8 | 21 | 15 | 6 |
| 2nd (1995–96) | 5th | 8 | 21 | 11 | 10 | |
| 3rd (1996–97) | 6th | 8 | 21 | 10 | 11 | |
| 4th (1997–98) | 7th | 8 | 21 | 5 | 16 | |
| 5th (1998–99) | Runner-up | 10 | 18 | 13 | 5 | |
| 6th (1999-00) | Runner-up | 10 | 18 | 12 | 6 | |
| 7th (2000–01) | 3rd | 10 | 18 | 13 | 5 | |
| 8th (2001–02) | Runner-up | 10 | 18 | 14 | 4 | |
| 9th (2002–03) | 5th | 8 | 21 | 12 | 9 | |
| 10th (2003–04) | 7th | 8 | 21 | 10 | 11 | |
| 11th (2004–05) | Champion | 8 | 28 | 25 | 3 | |
| 12th (2005–06) | 6th | 8 | 28 | 15 | 13 | |
| V・Premier | ||||||
| 2006-07 | Ruuner-up | 8 | 28 | 22 | 6 | |
| 2007-08 | Runner-up | 8 | 28 | 17 | 11 | |
| 2008-09 | Champion | 8 | 28 | 20 | 7 | |
| 2009-10 | 3rd | 8 | 28 | 19 | 9 | |
| 2010-11 | 3rd | 8 | 24 | 15 | 9 | |
| 2011-12 | Runner-up | 8 | 21 | 19 | 2 | |
| 2012-13 | 3rd | 8 | 28 | 17 | 11 | |
| 2013-14 | 4th | 8 | 28 | 15 | 13 | |
| 2014-15 | 7th | 8 | 21 | 8 | 13 | |
| 2015–16 | 3rd | 8 | 27 | 18 | 9 | |
| 2016–17 | Champion | 8 | 28 | 21 | 7 | |
| 2017–18 | 5th | 8 | 26 | 18 | 8 | |
| V.League Division 1 | 2018–19 | 3rd | 10 | 34 | 20 | 14 |
| 2019–20 | 6th | 10 | 27 | 12 | 15 | |
| 2020–21 | 5th | 10 | 33 | 17 | 16 | |
| 2021–22 | 4th | 10 | 36 | 25 | 11 | |
| 2022–23 | 5th | 10 | 36 | 23 | 13 | |
References
- "チームの歴史". 一般社団法人日本バレーボールリーグ機構. Retrieved 2023-06-28.
- "活動スケジュール・トピックス | 東レアローズ男子バレーボール部 | TORAY". www.toray-arrows.jp. Retrieved 2023-05-31.