# Ran Takahashi

Ran Takahashi (髙橋 藍 or たかはしらん, Takahashi Ran, born 2 September 2001) is a Japanese volleyball player and an Olympian. He currently plays as an Outside Hitter for Japan men's national volleyball team and Suntory Sunbirds, and previously for Pallavolo Padova and Vero Volley Monza in the Italian Volleyball League, as well as Nippon Sport Science University at collegiate level.

## Biography

Ran Takahashi was born on 2 September 2001 in Kyoto Prefecture, Japan. His mother is Japanese of part British and German descent, and his father is Japanese. Ran has one brother, Rui, who is one and a half year older, and one younger sister, Riri. He started playing volleyball following the footsteps of his brother. His sister also plays volleyball.

## Career
### Elementary school years

Ran started playing volleyball in his second grade of elementary school for the school's team.

### High school years

Ran played for Kyoto Municipal Hachigaoka Junior High School. Because of his height, in the first grade, he was mainly used as a Libero.
Afterward, he attended Higashiyama High School, and he was in the starting line up in high school since his first year and served as an ace and captain of his team by the third year. He led his team to the top 4 of the "Inter-High School Sports Festival." Furthermore, his team won the "National Sports Festival" of Japan as well as the winter 2020 All Japan High School Volleyball Championships, also known as "Haruko." In addition, he received the "Most valuable player" award at the end of the competition.
He has no under category experience at all, but he was immediately elected as a senior representative in February 2020 while he was still in the 3rd grade of high school.

### College years and international success

After graduating from high school, Takahashi entered Nippon Sport Science University. He led the team, receiving the runner-up place in the 2020 All Japan Intercollegiate Volleyball Championship, and got the Best scorer award from the competition. In 2021, he was one of the Outside Hitters for the Japan men's national volleyball team at the 2020 Summer Olympics held in Tokyo, Japan.
After winning 2nd place at the Asian Men's Volleyball Championship with the Japan men's national volleyball team, he returned to play for his college team in the 2021 Kanto University Men's Division 1 League, winning 1st place by defeating Waseda University in straight sets. He also played for his college team in the 2021 All Japan Intercollegiate Volleyball Championship, but lost in the quarterfinals against Jutendo University.
On November 29, it was announced that Takahashi would play in the Italian Volleyball League Division 1 with Pallavolo Padova. He arrived Italy on December and signed 14 as his jersey number, the same as Yūki Ishikawa's when he played with Padova.
On December 19, Ran debuted in the Italian Volleyball League as a substitute in the third set against Modena Volley. Pallavolo Padova announced that Ran has renewed his contract with the club for Season 2022-2023. He was nominated MVP of the match against Valsa Group Modena for the first time in Italian league.
From 2023 until 2024, Vero Volley Monza signed with Ran Takahashi for the Italian Volleyball League. He later signed with Suntory Sunbirds and is set to make his debut in the Japanese Volleyball League.
At the 2024 Summer Olympics held in Paris, France, Takahashi made his second Olympics appearance alongside Japan men's national volleyball team. They reached the quarterfinals but eventually lost to Italy men's national volleyball team.

## Clubs

* Higashiyama High School [ja] (2017–2020)
* Nippon Sport Science University (2020–2024)
* Pallavolo Padova (2021–2023)
* Vero Volley Monza (2023–2024)
* Suntory Sunbirds (2024–2025)

## Personal life

He owns an Instagram account with 2 million followers, a YouTube and TikTok channel with his brother, called RanRui, which is a portmanteau of their given names.
Ran Takahashi: The First Photobook, a career retrospective, was released on August 22, 2022.

## Awards
### Individual

* 2020 All Japan High School Volleyball Championships – Most Valuable Player
* 2020 All Japan Intercollegiate Volleyball Championship – Best Scorer
* 2023 Asian Championship – Best Outside Spiker
* 2023 Anan Awards – Anan Awards for Athlete Category
* Superlega 2023/2024 season – Best Receiver Awards
* 2024 Emperor's Cup and Empress' Cup All Japan Volleyball Championship - MVP

### High school team

* 2020 All Japan High School Volleyball Championships – Champion, with Higashiyama High School

### College team

* 2020 All Japan Intercollegiate Volleyball Championship – Runner-up, with Nippon Sport Science University
* 2021 Kanto University Men's Division 1 League – Champion, with Nippon Sport Science University

### National team

* 2021 Asian Championship – Runner-up
* 2023 Volleyball Nations League – 3rd place
* 2023 Asian Championship – Champion
* 2023 World Cup - Runner-Up
* 2024 Volleyball Nations League - Runner-Up

### Club team

* Vero Volley Monza
** 2023/24 Coppa Italia - 2nd Place
** 2023/24 CEV Challenge Cup - 2nd Place
** 2023/24 Italian Superlega - 2nd Place
* Suntory Sunbirds
** Emperor's Cup and Empress' Cup All Japan Volleyball Championship|2024 - 1st Place

## Ambassadorship

Takahashi's brand ambassadorships include French luxury fashion house Dior, Japanese makeup brand Kosé, and Filipino electronics company Akari.