# Suntory Sunbirds

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 final to become the first Japanese club to win the Asian Clubs Championship title.

## Honours
### FIVB Volleyball Men's Club World Championship

* (×1): 2023

### Asian Men's Club Volleyball Championship

* (×1): 2023
* (×2): 2001, 2022
* (×1): 2008

### Japan Volleyball League/V.League/V.Premier League

* (×9): 1994–1995, 1999–2000, 2000–2001, 2001–2002, 2002–2003, 2003–2004 2006–2007, 2020–2021, 2021–2022.
* (×6): 1984–1985, 1990–1991, 2005–2006, 2010–11, 2014–15, 2022–23.

### Kurowashiki All Japan Volleyball Championship

* (×6): 1979, 1985, 1991, 1995, 2000, 2022.
* (×3): 1986, 1992, 1999, 2023.

### Emperor's Cup

* (×1): 2010, 2024.

## Current Roster

The following is team roster of Season 2024–25
| No. | Name | Date of birth | Height | Position |
| 1 | Taishi Onodera | (1996-02-07) February 7, 1996 (age 28) | 2.02 m (6 ft 8 in) | Middle blocker |
| 2 | Kenji Sato | (1997-01-16) January 16, 1997 (age 27) | 1.96 m (6 ft 5 in) | Middle Blocker |
| 4 | Atomu Torikai | (1996-04-06) April 6, 1996 (age 28) | 1.95 m (6 ft 5 in) | Opposite hitter |
| 6 | Ryo Shimokawa | (2000-01-12) January 12, 2000 (age 24) | 1.78 m (5 ft 10 in) | Setter |
| 7 | Alain De Armas | (2001-03-04) March 4, 2001 (age 23) | 1.90 m (6 ft 3 in) | Outside Hitter |
| 8 | Soshi Fujinaka | (1999-12-02) December 2, 1999 (age 25) | 1.84 m (6 ft 0 in) | Libero |
| 9 | Masaki Oya | (1995-04-23) April 23, 1995 (age 29) | 1.77 m (5 ft 10 in) | Setter |
| 10 | Kenya Fujinaka (c) | (1993-07-25) July 25, 1993 (age 31) | 1.88 m (6 ft 2 in) | Outside Hitter |
| 11 | Aleksander Śliwka | (1995-05-24) May 24, 1995 (age 29) | 1.98 m (6 ft 6 in) | Outside Hitter |
| 12 | Ran Takahashi | (2001-09-02) September 2, 2001 (age 23) | 1.88 m (6 ft 2 in) | Outside Hitter |
| 13 | Dmitry Muserskiy | (1988-10-29) October 29, 1988 (age 36) | 2.18 m (7 ft 2 in) | Opposite hitter |
| 14 | Ren Oniki | (2000-08-28) August 28, 2000 (age 24) | 2.04 m (6 ft 8 in) | Middle Blocker |
| 15 | Yoshimitsu Kiire | (1995-05-13) May 13, 1995 (age 29) | 1.74 m (5 ft 9 in) | Libero |
| 17 | Hiroto Kashimura | (1999-01-15) January 15, 1999 (age 25) | 1.96 m (6 ft 5 in) | Middle Blocker |
| 18 | Hikaru Someno | (2001-07-03) July 3, 2001 (age 23) | 1.85 m (6 ft 1 in) | Outside Hitter |
| 19 | Kotaro Kai | (2001-11-05) November 5, 2001 (age 23) | 1.85 m (6 ft 1 in) | Opposite hitter |
| 20 | Hiroki Nishida | (1997-08-15) August 15, 1997 (age 27) | 1.80 m (5 ft 11 in) | Setter |
| 21 | Rui Takahashi | (2000-01-14) January 14, 2000 (age 24) | 1.86 m (6 ft 1 in) | Outside Hitter |
| 22 | Kenshin Kuwada | (1999-06-28) June 28, 1999 (age 25) | 1.90 m (6 ft 3 in) | Outside Hitter |
| 23 | Tatsuki Kashiwada | (1997-11-09) November 9, 1997 (age 27) | 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 | (1996-02-07) February 7, 1996 (age 28) | 2.02 m (6 ft 8 in) | Middle blocker |
| 2 | Yuito Takahashi | (1997-05-23) May 23, 1997 (age 27) | 1.73 m (5 ft 8 in) | Libero |
| 4 | Atomu Torikai | (1996-04-06) April 6, 1996 (age 28) | 1.95 m (6 ft 5 in) | Opposite hitter |
| 6 | Yu Yuantai | (1997-12-03) December 3, 1997 (age 27) | 1.86 m (6 ft 1 in) | Outside hitter |
| 7 | Alain De Armas | (2001-03-04) March 4, 2001 (age 23) | 1.90 m (6 ft 3 in) | Outside Hitter |
| 8 | Soshi Fujinaka | (1999-12-02) December 2, 1999 (age 25) | 1.84 m (6 ft 0 in) | Libero |
| 9 | Masaki Oya (c) | (1995-04-23) April 23, 1995 (age 29) | 1.77 m (5 ft 10 in) | Setter |
| 10 | Kenya Fujinaka | (1993-07-25) July 25, 1993 (age 31) | 1.88 m (6 ft 2 in) | Outside Hitter |
| 12 | Kenji Sato | (1997-01-16) January 16, 1997 (age 27) | 1.96 m (6 ft 5 in) | Middle Blocker |
| 13 | Dmitry Muserskiy | (1988-10-29) October 29, 1988 (age 36) | 2.18 m (7 ft 2 in) | Opposite hitter |
| 14 | Ren Oniki | (2000-08-28) August 28, 2000 (age 24) | 2.04 m (6 ft 8 in) | Middle Blocker |
| 15 | Yoshimitsu Kiire | (1995-05-13) May 13, 1995 (age 29) | 1.74 m (5 ft 9 in) | Libero |
| 20 | Hiroki Nishida | (1997-08-15) August 15, 1997 (age 27) | 1.80 m (5 ft 11 in) | Setter |
| 21 | Rui Takahashi | (2000-01-14) January 14, 2000 (age 24) | 1.86 m (6 ft 1 in) | Outside Hitter |
| 22 | Kenshin Kuwada | (1999-06-28) June 28, 1999 (age 25) | 1.90 m (6 ft 3 in) | Outside Hitter |
| 23 | Tatsuki Kashiwada | (1997-11-09) November 9, 1997 (age 27) | 1.92 m (6 ft 4 in) | Middle Blocker |
| Head coach: Kota Yamamura |||||

## League results

Champion Runner-up
| League | League | Position | Teams | Matches | Win | Lose |
| V.League |
| V.League | 1st (1994–95) | Champion | 8 | 21 | 14 | 7 |
| V.League | 2nd (1995–96) | 4th | 8 | 21 | 14 | 7 |
| V.League | 3rd (1996–97) | 3rd | 8 | 21 | 12 | 9 |
| V.League | 4th (1997–98) | 4th | 8 | 21 | 12 | 9 |
| V.League | 5th (1998–99) | 3rd | 10 | 18 | 14 | 4 |
| V.League | 6th (1999–00) | Champion | 10 | 18 | 14 | 4 |
| V.League | 7th (2000–01) | Champion | 10 | 18 | 14 | 4 |
| V.League | 8th (2001–02) | Champion | 10 | 18 | 11 | 7 |
| V.League | 9th (2002–03) | Champion | 8 | 21 | 13 | 8 |
| V.League | 10th (2003–04) | Champion | 8 | 21 | 11 | 10 |
| V.League | 11th (2004–05) | 5th | 8 | 28 | 14 | 14 |
| V.League | 12th (2005–06) | Runner-up | 8 | 28 | 20 | 8 |
| V・Premier |
| V・Premier | 2006-07 | Champion | 8 | 28 | 23 | 5 |
| V・Premier | 2007-08 | 3rd | 8 | 28 | 24 | 4 |
| V・Premier | 2008-09 | 4th | 8 | 28 | 22 | 6 |
| V・Premier | 2009-10 | 5th | 8 | 28 | 15 | 13 |
| V・Premier | 2010-11 | Runner-up | 8 | 24 | 18 | 6 |
| V・Premier | 2011-12 | 3rd | 8 | 21 | 10 | 11 |
| V・Premier | 2012-13 | 4th | 8 | 28 | 24 | 4 |
| V・Premier | 2013-14 | 6th | 8 | 28 | 11 | 17 |
| V・Premier | 2014-15 | Runner-up | 8 | 21 | 16 | 5 |
| V・Premier | 2015–16 | 7th | 8 | 21 | 9 | 12 |
| V・Premier | 2016–17 | 4th | 8 | 21 | 13 | 8 |
| V・Premier | 2017–18 | 5th | 8 | 21 | 8 | 13 |
| V・League Division 1 | 2018–19 | 4th | 10 | 32 | 21 | 11 |
| V・League Division 1 | 2019–20 | 3rd | 10 | 30 | 20 | 10 |
| V・League Division 1 | 2020–21 | Champion | 10 | 36 | 33 | 3 |
| V・League Division 1 | 2021–22 | Champion | 10 | 38 | 29 | 9 |
| V・League Division 1 | 2022–23 | Runner-up | 10 | 40 | 28 | 12 |