Ran Takahashi
Ran Takahashi | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
![]() | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Personal information | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Full name | Ran Takahashi | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Nationality | Japanese | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Born | (2001-09-02) 2 September 2001 (age 22) Kyoto, Japan | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Height | 188 cm (6 ft 2 in) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Weight | 84 kg (185 lb) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Spike | 343 cm (135 in) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Block | 315 cm (124 in) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
College / University | ![]() | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Volleyball information | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Position | Outside hitter | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Current club | ![]() | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Number | 12 (National) 13 (University) 12 (Club) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Career | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
National team | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Medal record
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Years active | 2021–present | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Genre | Vlog | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Subscribers | 321 thousand[1] | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Total views | 16 million[1] | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Last updated: July 30, 2024 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Last updated: July, 2023 |
Ran Takahashi (髙橋 藍 or たかはしらん, Takahashi Ran, born 2 September 2001) is a Japanese male 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.[2][3]
Biography
Ran Takahashi was born on 2 September 2001 in Kyoto Prefecture, Japan. His mother is a 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.[4]
Career
Elementary school years
Ran started playing volleyball in his second grade of elementary school for the school's team.[5]
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.[6][7]
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.[8][9]
College years and international success
After graduating from high school, Ran 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.[10] 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.[11]
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.[12] He also played for his college team in the 2021 All Japan Intercollegiate Volleyball Championship, but lost in the quarterfinals against Jutendo University.[13]
On November 29, it was announced that Ran would play in the Italian Volleyball League Division 1 with Pallavolo Padova.[14] 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.[15][16] Pallavolo Padova announced that Ran has renewed his contract with the club for Season 2022-2023.[17] He was nominated MVP of the match against Valsa Group Modena for the first time in Italian league.[18]
From 2023 until 2024, Vero Volley Monza signed with Ran Takahashi for the Italian Volleyball League.[19] 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, Ran 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.[20]
Clubs
Higashiyama High School [ja] (2017–2020)
Nippon Sport Science University (2020–2024)[21]
Pallavolo Padova (2021–2023)[22][23]
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.[24]
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
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
- 2023/24 Coppa Italia -
Ambassador
He becomes an ambassador for campaigns of the brands: KOSÉ, DIOR, and Akari.
References
- ^ a b "About RanRui". YouTube.
- ^ "NSSU volleyball club 選手・スタッフ -#20 髙橋藍". nittai-vb.sakura.ne.jp/ (in Japanese). Retrieved 30 May 2021.
- ^ "イタリア挑戦の高橋藍「スパイクの決定率を追求したい」チーム選択には石川から助言も" (in Japanese). news.yahoo.co.jp. Retrieved 14 January 2022.
- ^ "龍神ニッポンの次世代エース・高橋藍「世界に行って、レベルの高いプレーを早く経験できたらいいな」" (in Japanese). hominis.media. Retrieved 30 May 2021.
- ^ "髙橋藍、男子バレーの新星は19歳。兄が振り返る急成長の過程" (in Japanese). Takai Miwa. sportiva.shueisha.co.jp. Retrieved 30 May 2021.
- ^ "Ran Takahashi". Sport Sunchlorella. Retrieved 21 August 2021.
- ^ "髙橋藍(バレーボール)はハーフなの?父や兄もすごい?シューズや東山高校時代は?" (in Japanese). sports-brothers.com. Retrieved 30 May 2021.
- ^ "【TOKYO2020+1カウントダウン】バレー・高橋藍、東京五輪へ石川と歩む!次期エースへ石川を超える!" (in Japanese). www.sanspo.com. Retrieved 30 May 2021.
- ^ "バレーボール東京五輪男子日本代表の高橋藍がセリエAのパドバに加入へ - バレーボール : 日刊スポーツ". nikkansports.com (in Japanese). Retrieved 2021-12-14.
- ^ "第73回秩父宮賜杯全日本バレーボール大学男子選手権大会 ミキプルーンスーパーカレッジバレー2020" (PDF). jva.or.jp (in Japanese). JVA. Retrieved 30 May 2021.
- ^ "国際第32回オリンピック競技大会(2020 /東京)バレーボール男子日本代表チーム・龍神NIPPON出場内定選手コメント". jva.or.jp. Retrieved 21 August 2021.
- ^ "秋季関東大学男子1部リーグ 試合結果と最終順位 | 月バレ.com【月刊バレーボール】". 月バレ.com【月刊バレーボール】 | 月刊バレーボールが運営するバレー情報サイト (in Japanese). 2021-11-01. Retrieved 2022-06-23.
- ^ "【バレー】男子は高橋藍擁する日体大が慶応大とフルセットの激闘。女子も2年ぶりVを目指す筑波大が天理大に辛勝 全日本インカレ" (in Japanese). news.yahoo.co.jp. Retrieved 14 January 2022.
- ^ "イタリア挑戦の高橋藍「スパイクの決定率を追求したい」チーム選択には石川から助言も" (in Japanese). news.yahoo.co.jp. Retrieved 14 January 2022.
- ^ "【バレー】イタリア・セリエA男子 21/22シーズン第13節 前半最終節で高橋藍がリーグデビュー果たす" (in Japanese). news.yahoo.co.jp. Retrieved 14 January 2022.
- ^ "Ran Takahashi's first point in SuperLega". Twitter. Retrieved 2022-01-16.
- ^ "Nazionale giapponese a Padova, Ran Takahashi confermato in bianconero". Pallavolo Padova (in Italian). 2022-05-21. Retrieved 2022-06-23.
- ^ "【バレー】髙橋藍 開幕戦スタメンを獲得し17得点でMVP(月刊バレーボール)". Yahoo!ニュース (in Japanese). Retrieved 2022-10-06.
- ^ 勝部晃多. "【バレー】日本代表の高橋藍がイタリア・セリエAのモンツァと契約 日体大に在学しながらプレー - バレーボール : 日刊スポーツ". nikkansports.com (in Japanese). Retrieved 2023-06-01.
- ^ NEWS, KYODO. "Olympics: Japan suffers heartbreaking men's volleyball q'final loss". Kyodo News+. Retrieved 2024-08-06.
- ^ "Vol.9 Aim High, Reach Higher Spring High champion takes on the world. A story of the Takahashi brothers". Sport Sunchlorella. Retrieved 21 August 2021.
- ^ "Takahashi Ran". Legavolley (in Italian). Retrieved 2021-12-14.
- ^ "日体大・高橋藍がセリエA挑戦「完成度高い」称賛のパドバに今冬加入 - バレーボール : 日刊スポーツ". nikkansports.com (in Japanese). Retrieved 2021-12-14.
- ^ "髙橋藍ファースト写真集 RAN 二十歳の肖像(髙橋藍/監修) | BBMスポーツ | ベースボール・マガジン社". www.bbm-japan.com (in Japanese). Retrieved 2022-08-27.
External links
- Ran Takahashi on Instagram
- Ran Takahashi on X
- Japan's men's volleyball team might be out of the Olympics, but its star rookie is going viral on Twitter for his slick moves straight out of sports anime 'Haikyuu!!'