Suntory Sunbirds
 | |
| 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 |
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.
History
In 2023, Sunbirds beat Indonesia's Bhayangkara in the final to become the first Japanese club to win the Asian Clubs Championship title.[1]
Honours
(×1): 2023
(×10): 1994–1995, 1999–2000, 2000–2001, 2001–2002, 2002–2003, 2003–2004, 2006–2007, 2020–2021, 2021–2022, 2023-2024.
(×6): 1984–1985, 1990–1991, 2005–2006, 2010–2011, 2014–2015, 2022–2023.
- (×6): 1979, 1985, 1991, 1995, 2000, 2022.
- (×3): 1986, 1992, 1999, 2023.
(×1): 2010, 2024.
Current roster
The 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
| 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
Champions Runners-up
| League | Position | Teams | Matches | Wins | Losses | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| V.League | ||||||
| 1st (1994–95) | Champions | 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) | Champions | 10 | 18 | 14 | 4 | |
| 7th (2000–01) | Champions | 10 | 18 | 14 | 4 | |
| 8th (2001–02) | Champions | 10 | 18 | 11 | 7 | |
| 9th (2002–03) | Champions | 8 | 21 | 13 | 8 | |
| 10th (2003–04) | Champions | 8 | 21 | 11 | 10 | |
| 11th (2004–05) | 5th | 8 | 28 | 14 | 14 | |
| 12th (2005–06) | Runners-up | 8 | 28 | 20 | 8 | |
| V・Premier | ||||||
| 2006-07 | Champions | 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 | Runners-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 | Runners-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 | Champions | 10 | 36 | 33 | 3 | |
| 2021–22 | Champions | 10 | 38 | 29 | 9 | |
| 2022–23 | Runners-up | 10 | 40 | 28 | 12 | |
| 2023–24 | Champions | 10 | ||||
References
- ^ "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.