The opening weekend of the regular season will feature an exciting 14 matches from Friday to Monday.
The 2025-2026 Japanese Daido Life SV.League women`s regular season is set to kick off this weekend. A total of 14 matches are scheduled from Friday to Monday, marking the beginning of what promises to be an intense competition, fueled by significant investments teams have made to bolster their rosters.
This season is the second since the league underwent a major restructuring. Numerous international stars have been recruited, joining a strong contingent of Japanese national team players to form the core of the various squads. This infusion of talent sets the stage for an exhilarating eight-month battle for the Japanese championship.
League Structure and Opening Matches
Comprising 14 teams, the regular season officially commences on Friday, October 10. Each team is scheduled to play 44 matches before the season concludes on April 5. The top eight teams will then proceed to the playoffs. A distinct feature of this league is that team standings are primarily determined by their winning rate (total wins divided by total matches played), rather than points. The quarterfinals, semifinals, and Finals will all be contested in best-of-three series.
The reigning champions, Osaka Marvelous, are slated to be among the first teams in action. They will kick off a two-match series against Victorina Himeji on Friday at 19:10 local time (10:10 GMT), with a second clash set for Saturday at 15:05 (6:05 GMT).
Osaka, who have claimed the national title four times, has largely retained its core roster. Their team will be spearheaded by Belgian opposite Lise Van Hecke and former Japanese national team outside hitter Kotona Hayashi. Victorina Himeji, finishing sixth last season, successfully brought back Thai outside hitter Chatchu-On Moksri and strengthened their lineup with national team libero Satomi Fukudome and Italian opposite Camilla Mingardi.
Also on Friday, the Kurobe Aqua Fairies will take on the Okayama Seagulls at 19:05 (10:05 GMT), with their second match scheduled for Saturday, four hours earlier. Kurobe`s roster features German national team outside hitter Lena Stigrot as a key player, while the Seagulls have bolstered their youthful squad with the addition of Vietnamese middle blocker Trần Thị Bích Thủy.
Denso Airybees and Toray Arrows Shiga are poised for thrilling encounters this weekend, with matches on Saturday and Sunday, both at 13:05 (4:05 GMT). These contests will showcase a compelling battle between two of the league`s top opposites: Brazilian Olympic medalist Rosamaria Montibeller, embarking on her third season with Denso, and French Olympian Lucille Gicquel, a significant offseason acquisition for Toray.
A highly anticipated showdown will feature NEC Red Rockets Kawasaki and SAGA Hisamitsu Springs, two of Japan`s most established teams. They are set to face off on Saturday at 14:05 (5:05 GMT), and again on Sunday, an hour earlier. The Red Rockets have brought in the league`s top scorer from 2024-2025, Italian opposite Sylvia Nwakalor, to augment a robust Japanese core that includes opposite Yukiko Wada, outside hitter Yoshino Sato, and middle blocker Nichika Yamada. The Springs have also made strategic roster moves, acquiring setter Aki Momii while successfully retaining American opposite Stephanie Samedy and Japanese national team middle blocker Ayaka Araki.
Concurrently, Aranmare Yamagata and Astemo Rivale Ibaraki are set to clash on the same days and at the same times. Aranmare has significantly strengthened their squad by signing two key players from the Thai national team this season: outside hitter Ajcharaporn Kongyot and middle blocker Wimonrat Thanapan. Astemo, in contrast, will rely on American talents Brionne Butler (middle blocker) and Mackenzie May (outside hitter) to lead their team.
Saitama Ageo Medics and PFU Blue Cats Ishikawa Kahoku will also compete on Saturday and Sunday, with their matches scheduled for 13:05 (4:05 GMT) on both days. Both teams primarily feature domestic players at their core. Saitama`s lineup includes setter Koyomi Iwasaki, opposite Ai Kurogo, and outside hitter Fuyumi Hawi Okumu Oba. The Blue Cats` roster is built around setter Tamaki Matsui, outside hitter Yuki Nishikawa, and Cuban-born opposite Melissa Valdés.
Queenseis Kariya and Gunma Green Wings are scheduled to be the final teams to open their season, facing each other for the first time on Sunday at 14:05 (5:05 GMT), followed by a second match on Monday, an hour earlier. Both clubs made significant international acquisitions to assemble their rosters. The Queenseis notably added legendary Thai setter Nootsara Tomkom, American opposite Danielle Cuttino, Russian outside hitter Sofya Kuznetsova, and German middle blocker Marie Schölzel. Meanwhile, the Green Wings secured Polish outside hitter Olivia Różański, Bulgarian middle blocker Nasya Dimitrova, and Vietnamese outside hitter Trần Thị Thanh Thúy.
Oliver Wrenwick