Achieve results,
I want to convey the joy of volleyball.

College of Health and Welfare Third-year students
Girls' Volleyball Club Side Attacker
Graduate of Hitachi Daini High School, Ibaraki Prefecture

Aika Ishizaki

Main content

Inspired by the presence of my senior, I went to J. F. Oberlin University

Influenced by my older sister, I started playing volleyball in the first grade of elementary school. Volleyball is a sport that tests team strength, and I was able to seriously engage with my teammates and experience a sense of fulfillment. I became interested in J. F. Oberlin University when I was in high school. I was called to a practice match in J. F. Oberlin University, and seeing my seniors working hard to get promoted to Division 1 really struck me with passion. I found the training content and development policies appealing, so I decided to go to J. F. Oberlin University.

When I entered university, I felt that the level was much higher than in high school. Also, and this should be obvious, there isn't a single player who is just playing because they're told to. They decide on the practice menu and give each other feedback on their play after matches. They are all proactively engaged in their activities.

I realized the importance of communication after losing.

We entered the spring league with the goal of advancing to the top ranks, but we struggled to win from the start. There were matches where we fought on equal terms, but we couldn't close them out in the end, and there were many matches that went to a full set and ended in defeat. However, by venting what everyone had been holding back in meetings, we were able to communicate effectively and clarify what we needed to do, which allowed us to focus on winning. Winning is the greatest joy, so we will continue to work hard in practice with a strong desire to win.

My strength is playing with more effort than anyone else. I want to lead the team by speaking up during matches and by playing well. I'm not particularly adept at adapting to different people's personalities, and I'm not good at conversations, but I try my best to communicate effectively. In our current team, first and second-year students are also key members playing in matches, so I want to communicate well both on and off the court and clearly convey my thoughts.

So that you can enjoy playing volleyball

We put a lot of effort into studying not only in club activities but also in College of Health and Welfare. I haven't decided on my dreams for the future, but I want to keep playing volleyball as long as I can. To do that, I want to learn knowledge like nutrition that can be applied to competitions. Alongside club activities, I also plan to take a teacher training course. I hope to gain various experiences and learning opportunities at university to become valuable sources for my future life.

We didn't get the results we wanted in the spring league, so we're determined to achieve results in our future activities. Our current goals are to finish 6th or higher in the autumn league and reach the top 4 in the East Japan Intercollegiate Championships. We're using the disappointment of the spring as motivation and working together as a team. What I aim for is fun volleyball. We want to play in a way that we enjoy, and that the spectators also find enjoyable.

Interview date:
This was done in June 2023 for the "Obirin Sports" website.

Achieve results,I want to convey the joy of volleyball.

Main content

Inspired by the presence of my senior, I went to J. F. Oberlin University

I realized the importance of communication after losing.

So that you can enjoy playing volleyball

Related content

Achieve results,
I want to convey the joy of volleyball.