Women’s Daido Life SV.League Team Previews - Part 2

One of the most traditional and historically competitive women's volleyball national leagues on the planet, the Japanese Daido Life SV.League will have the start of the second season since the massive revamp it went through in just a few days.

After a very successful 2024-2025 season, the tournament is set to showcase again most of the country's national team players, as well as an increased number of international stars, who have moved to Japan in the offseason as a result of the significant investment boost seen in the league. As was the case last season, VBTV will again stream every match of the 2025-2025 Daido Life SV.League live.

• Watch the Women’s Daido Life SV.League live on VBTV

Reuniting 14 teams, the regular season starts on Friday, October 10, and will have each of them playing 44 matches until April 5. The eight best teams will advance to the playoffs, but, unlike most other leagues, the first criterion to determine teams' positioning in the standings is winning rate (total number of wins divided by total number of matches played). The quarterfinals, semifinals and Finals will all be played in best-of-three series.

With the start of the season quickly approaching, it's time to know more about the 14 title contenders - we analyzed the first seven teams a few days ago, and now we look into the other seven:

Osaka Marvelous

The Marvelous were the best team in the regular season in 2024-2025, registering 37 wins and seven losses, and confirmed their status in the postseason, where they secured their fourth national title (2010-2011, 2019-2020, 2020-2021, 2024-2025). After a successful first year, head coach Daisuke Sakai continues in charge, while on the court the team will be led by Belgian opposite Lise Van Hecke, who also joined in 2024-2025 - American middle blocker Samantha Francis and Philippino opposite Alyssa Jae Solomon are the other international players in the squad. The Marvelous also count on two players who helped Japan make it to the semifinals of the Volleyball Nations League in 2025 - setter Hitomi Shiode and libero Mana Nishizaki - and former national team players Kotona Hayashi (outside hitter) and Erina Ogawa (middle blocker).

PFU Blue Cats Ishikawa Kahoku

The Blue Cats finished tenth in the SV.League last season, collecting 19 wins and 25 losses in the regular season. Thai national team middle blocker Thatdao Nuekjang returns for a second season with the club and will be the only international player in the roster led by second-year head coach and former national team assistant Daitaku Baba. The Blue Cats also have a strong core formed by domestic players that includes national team regulars Tamaki Matsui (setter) and Yuki Nishikawa (outside hitter) and Cuban-born opposite Melissa Valdés.

Queenseis Kariya

The Queenseis were the first team outside the qualification zone for the playoffs last season, ending the regular season in ninth place with 20 wins and 24 losses. Looking to do better in 2025-2026, the team made a significant revamp, which started with the hiring of veteran head coach Shingo Sakai. The Queenseis were also aggressive in the player's transfer market, bringing four international veterans to lead their team on the court - legendary Thai setter Nootsara Tomkom, American opposite Danielle Cuttino, Russia outside hitter Sofya Kuznetsova and German middle blocker Marie Schölzel. Libero Yuka Tateishi and outside hitter Hinata Shigihara are among the most seasoned Japanese players on the squad.

SAGA Hisamitsu Springs

The winners of eight SV.League titles (2001-2002, 2006-2007, 2012-2013, 2013-2014, 2015-2016, 2017-2018, 2018-2019, 2021-2022), Hisamitsu finished third in last year's regular season with 30 wins and 14 losses and repeated the placement in the playoffs. An Olympic medalist with the country's national team during her playing career, Kumi Nakada returns to the coaching position at the club after ten years - she coached them to three national titles in her first stint. The coach finds a strong squad to lead, having American opposite Stephanie Samedy, Greek outside hitter Ólga Strántzali and Thai middle blocker Hattaya Bamrungsuk as international players and a handful of Japanese stars, such as setter Aki Momii, who returns to the country after one season in Greece, outside hitters Megumi Fukazawa and Ayane Kitamado, middle blocker Ayaka Araki and libero Minami Nishimura.

Saitama Ageo Medics

Saitama had the fifth-best campaign in the Japanese League's regular season in 2024-2025 with 27 wins and 17 losses and maintained their spot at the playoffs after going down in the quarterfinals. Head coach Shigekazu Okubo starts his fourth season with the team and this time will have mainly a group of domestic players to work with, as American opposite Izabella Margarido is the only international player in the squad. The team has plenty of players with experience at the Japanese national team, including setter Koyomi Iwasaki, opposite Ai Kurogo, outside hitter Fuyumi Hawi Okumu Oba and libero Miiku Iwasawa.

Toray Arrows Shiga

Four-time Japanese League champions (2007-2008, 2008-2009, 2009-2010, 2011-2012) Toray finished seventh in the 2024-2025 season after getting 26 wins and 18 losses in the regular season and falling in the quarterfinals in the playoffs. On the sidelines, Akira Koshiya enters his 14th season with the team, his sixth as head coach. French opposite Lucille Gicquel, a new signing for 2025-2026, and Dutch middle blocker Juliet Löhuis, who returns for a second season with the team, are the international players available for him. Olympic setter Kanami Tashiri leads the group of domestic players in the squad, which also features outside hitter Tsugumi Fukazawa, middle blocker Kyoko Aoyagi and libero Miku Nakashima.

Victorina Himeji

Himeji ranked sixth in the Japanese League last season with a campaign of 27 wins and 17 losses in the regular season and defeats in the quarterfinal round of the playoffs. Led by Dutch head coach Avital Selinger since 2023-2024, the team made interesting moves in the offseason and should be able to fight for bigger goals this season. Besides bringing Thai outside hitter Chatchu-On Moksri back for a third season, they also signed Japanese star libero Satomi Fukudome, Korean outside hitter Jae-Yeong Lee, Bulgarian middle blocker Mira Todorova and Italian opposite Camilla Mingardi to join middle blocker Airi Miyabe, setter Miki Sakurai and outside hitter Rui Nonaka.

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