Tokyo International News Agency

In the Volleyball Nations League (VNL) Men's Tournament, the Japanese national team scored a thrilling 3-1 comeback victory over China, successfully advancing to the semifinals. Facing a tough away-court atmosphere, Japan sealed the win with a dramatic service ace from Shoma Tomita, sending fans into wild celebration. Japan faced a difficult start, dropping the first set to China. However, powerful plays from stars like Ran Takahashi and Yuji Nishida, combined with the team's impressive overall depth, helped swing the momentum back in Japan's favor. During a tense fourth set, with Japan sitting on match point, Tomita stepped up and delivered an untouchable service ace to close out the game in spectacular fashion. Social media erupted following the match, with "Service Ace" quickly trending. Fans showered Tomita with praise, posting comments such as, "A service ace on match point is way too cool!", "How did he deliver under that much pressure?!"...

On July 19, 2026, the Japanese men's national volleyball team achieved a historic milestone in the Volleyball Nations League (VNL) preliminary round. In their final match of the Osaka round, Japan swept Argentina in straight sets, securing an undefeated 12-0 record. This marks the first time in the tournament's history that any country has advanced to the final round with a perfect preliminary record, claiming the top spot. In their final preliminary clash against Argentina, Japan put on a dominant display to secure a straight-sets victory. With this win, they achieved a perfect 12-0 run—a feat never before accomplished in the history of the tournament. Following the match, star player Ran Takahashi summed up the mood with his signature shout of "Saiko de-su!" (It's the best!), capturing the excitement of fans across the country. The historic achievement quickly took over social media, with "Undefeated in Preliminaries" trending on X (formerly Twitter). ...