1m58 tall girl dominates the world of volleyball

Among the short, lightweight stars that are causing a stir at the Japan Women's Volleyball World Championship, Kojima Manami attracts special attention because of her height of under 1m60.

Kojima has many impressive saves - Photo: FIVB

Playing the libero position in volleyball is obviously not for tall players. But being under 1m60 like Kojima is still exceptionally rare at the World Championships.

The girl wearing the number 8 jersey of the Japanese volleyball team made fans and even opponents admire her with her superb performance in the quarter-finals, helping her team come back to beat the Netherlands 3-2.

The Netherlands is a typical example of the height difference between Western teams and Japan. With an average height of 1m87 (12cm more than Japan), the Netherlands also has a superior physique in their liberos.

The two liberos of this Western European team are Reesink and Jansen, who are 1m74 - 1m81 tall respectively, much taller than Kojima - who is only 1m58 tall. The liberos of China, an Asian team, are also all over 1m70 tall.

But it was Kojima who won, with 14 successful saves in the whole match against the Netherlands, surpassing both Reesink and Jansen.

Overall, Kojima is currently ranked 7th in saves made in the league, with 51 successful saves. But the numbers don't tell the whole story about Kojima's importance.

Kojima is shorter than most professional volleyball players - Photo: NEC

Playing on the shortest team in the tournament, with blockers, hitters and middle blockers all just over 1m80 tall - an inch shorter than the tournament average, Kojima was often forced to face powerful smashes.

But this 1m58 tall girl still shines, becoming a symbol of Japanese resilience.

Although she is 31 years old, Kojima's career in the national team has only started in the last 3 years. However, she has received admiration from Vietnamese audiences since 2019.

Born in 1994, Kojima started his professional career at NEC Red Rockets in 2016. Vietnamese audiences first got to know Kojima at VTV Cup 2019, when NEC Red Rockets came to play a friendly match.

Her fierce saves, regardless of falling, left a strong impression on the audience. And the title of Best Libero of the tournament brought Kojima's name closer to international fans.

However, it was not until 2022, at the age of 28, that Kojima was first called up to the Japanese national team. Since then, she has become an indispensable member of the team.

Kojima is the late bloomer of the Japanese team - Photo: FIVB

Kojima's peak was at VNL 2024, when she surpassed many of the world's top athletes to win the title of Best Libero of the tournament. That year, the Japanese team also shone brightly to win the silver medal of this prestigious tournament.

That same year, Kojima reached a new milestone in her career when she joined the US club Salt Lake. In her first season, she shone brightly with more than 200 saves, before receiving the title of the best Libero of the tournament in 2025.

Only 1m58 tall, and not yet on the national team until the age of 28, Kojima proved to the volleyball world that nothing can stop the dream of a strong-willed Japanese girl.

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HUY DANG

Source: https://tuoitre.vn/co-gai-cao-1m58-khuynh-dao-lang-bong-chuyen-the-gioi-20250904080335499.htm