# Yoshino Sato (佐藤淑乃) (volleyball)
**Yoshino Sato** (佐藤淑乃, Sato Yoshino; born 2001) is a Japanese volleyball outside hitter who starred for NEC Red Rockets Kawasaki in the [SV.League](https://www.edgepedia.org/sv-league) and for the Japan women's national team, and who signed with the Italian club Vero Volley Milano for the 2026–27 season[1](https://www.getsuvolley.com/japan_women/2026_/profile_sato_yoshino) • [2](https://volleyballking.jp/article/77033/). She scored 34 points in Japan's third-place match at the 2025 World Championship and won a silver medal with [Japan at the 2026 Asian Games](https://www.edgepedia.org/japan-at-the-2026-asian-games)[3](https://en.volleyballworld.com/volleyball/competitions/women-world-championship/news/brazil-beat-japan-for-third-place-in-five-set-battle) • [4](https://www.joc.or.jp/games/asia/2026/sports/volleyball/team/satoyoshino.html).
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Position | Outside hitter, 178 cm tall, spike reach 305 cm[1](https://www.getsuvolley.com/japan_women/2026_/profile_sato_yoshino) |
| Education | Keiai Gakuen High School, then the University of Tsukuba[1](https://www.getsuvolley.com/japan_women/2026_/profile_sato_yoshino) |
| Clubs | NEC Red Rockets Kawasaki (from 2023); Vero Volley Milano (from 2026–27)[5](https://corp.mizuno.com/jp/news-release/2026/20260218) • [2](https://volleyballking.jp/article/77033/) |
| League honors | 2024–25 SV.League Best Newcomer and Best Outside Hitter[5](https://corp.mizuno.com/jp/news-release/2026/20260218) |
| Club international | MVP of the 2024 Asian Club Championship[5](https://corp.mizuno.com/jp/news-release/2026/20260218) |
| National team | First selected in 2022; World Championships of 2022 and 2025; 2026 Asian Games silver[5](https://corp.mizuno.com/jp/news-release/2026/20260218) • [1](https://www.getsuvolley.com/japan_women/2026_/profile_sato_yoshino) • [4](https://www.joc.or.jp/games/asia/2026/sports/volleyball/team/satoyoshino.html) |
## Early life and university career
Sato was born in 2001[5](https://corp.mizuno.com/jp/news-release/2026/20260218). Sources differ on where she comes from: the volleyball magazine *Gekkan Volleyball* lists her birthplace as [Fukuoka Prefecture](https://www.edgepedia.org/fukuoka-prefecture)[1](https://www.getsuvolley.com/japan_women/2026_/profile_sato_yoshino), while her sponsor Mizuno describes her as being from [Chiba Prefecture](https://www.edgepedia.org/chiba-prefecture)[5](https://corp.mizuno.com/jp/news-release/2026/20260218). She went from Matsugaoka Junior High School to Keiai Gakuen High School and then to the University of Tsukuba[1](https://www.getsuvolley.com/japan_women/2026_/profile_sato_yoshino).
At Tsukuba she won the autumn Kanto university league in her second year, 2021[5](https://corp.mizuno.com/jp/news-release/2026/20260218). In her fourth year, 2023, the team won the spring and autumn Kanto leagues and the All-Japan Intercollegiate Championships[5](https://corp.mizuno.com/jp/news-release/2026/20260218). She was first picked for the national team in 2022, while still a student[5](https://corp.mizuno.com/jp/news-release/2026/20260218).
## NEC Red Rockets Kawasaki
Sato joined NEC Red Rockets Kawasaki as a pre-signed player in the 2023–24 season and made her league debut that year[5](https://corp.mizuno.com/jp/news-release/2026/20260218). In 2024 she was named MVP of the Asian Club Championship[5](https://corp.mizuno.com/jp/news-release/2026/20260218).
**First SV.League season.** The 2024–25 season was the first of the reorganized SV.League, and Sato scored more points than any other Japanese player in it[6](https://en.volleyballworld.com/volleyball/competitions/svleague-women/2024-2025/news/osaka-marvelous-triumph-as-first-ever-sv-league-champions) • [2](https://volleyballking.jp/article/77033/). She took the league's Best Newcomer and Best Outside Hitter awards[5](https://corp.mizuno.com/jp/news-release/2026/20260218). NEC, the defending champions, reached the best-of-three final against Osaka Marvelous and lost the second game 3–0 on 3 May 2025; Sato was the match's top scorer with 15 points[6](https://en.volleyballworld.com/volleyball/competitions/svleague-women/2024-2025/news/osaka-marvelous-triumph-as-first-ever-sv-league-champions).
**2025–26.** Sato was on the team sheet for all 40 regular-season matches and had scored 633 points by late March 2026, as NEC finished first in the regular season[2](https://volleyballking.jp/article/77033/). On 30 March 2026, Milano of the Italian Serie A announced that she would join for 2026–27, and NEC announced her departure the same day[2](https://volleyballking.jp/article/77033/). She described playing in Europe as one of the goals of her career[2](https://volleyballking.jp/article/77033/).
## Japan national team
Sato played at the World Championships of 2022 and 2025[1](https://www.getsuvolley.com/japan_women/2026_/profile_sato_yoshino). At the 2025 tournament in Thailand she partnered captain Mayu Ishikawa on the outside, scoring 13 points, all from attacks, in the 3–2 quarterfinal win over the Netherlands in Bangkok[7](https://en.volleyballworld.com/volleyball/competitions/women-world-championship/news/japan-survive-tough-five-setter-to-snatch-first-semifinal-spot). In the third-place match on 7 September 2025 at the Huamark Indoor Stadium, Japan lost to Brazil 3–2 (25–12, 25–17, 19–25, 27–29, 18–16), and Sato scored 34 points from 29 kills, three aces, and two blocks[3](https://en.volleyballworld.com/volleyball/competitions/women-world-championship/news/brazil-beat-japan-for-third-place-in-five-set-battle).
At the 2026 [Asian Games](https://www.edgepedia.org/asian-games) in Aichi and Nagoya, Japan's team, with Sato listed as a Vero Volley Milano player, finished second and took the silver medal[4](https://www.joc.or.jp/games/asia/2026/sports/volleyball/team/satoyoshino.html).
## Sponsorship and media
In February 2026 Sato signed a brand ambassador contract with Mizuno, which covers wearing its Wave Momentum Elite volleyball shoes, advising on product development, and promotional work[5](https://corp.mizuno.com/jp/news-release/2026/20260218). She also signed an exclusive management contract with [Pony Canyon](https://www.edgepedia.org/pony-canyon) in October 2025[2](https://volleyballking.jp/article/77033/).
## References
1. [佐藤淑乃 profile, Gekkan Volleyball (getsuvolley.com)](https://www.getsuvolley.com/japan_women/2026_/profile_sato_yoshino)
2. [佐藤淑乃 joins Milano for 2026–27, Volleyball King](https://volleyballking.jp/article/77033/)
3. [Brazil beat Japan for third place in five-set battle, Volleyball World](https://en.volleyballworld.com/volleyball/competitions/women-world-championship/news/brazil-beat-japan-for-third-place-in-five-set-battle)
4. [佐藤淑乃, Aichi-Nagoya 2026 Asian Games team profile, Japanese Olympic Committee](https://www.joc.or.jp/games/asia/2026/sports/volleyball/team/satoyoshino.html)
5. [Brand ambassador contract with 佐藤淑乃, Mizuno Corporation news release (18 February 2026)](https://corp.mizuno.com/jp/news-release/2026/20260218)
6. [Osaka Marvelous triumph as first ever SV.League champions, Volleyball World](https://en.volleyballworld.com/volleyball/competitions/svleague-women/2024-2025/news/osaka-marvelous-triumph-as-first-ever-sv-league-champions)
7. [Japan survive tough five-setter to snatch first semifinal spot, Volleyball World](https://en.volleyballworld.com/volleyball/competitions/women-world-championship/news/japan-survive-tough-five-setter-to-snatch-first-semifinal-spot)
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*Topic: Encyclopedia › Sports, games, and recreation › Other team and ball sports › Basketball and court team sports › Indoor volleyball › Clubs, leagues, and college volleyball*
*Initially written Sep 17, 2026 · Reviewed: Sep 18, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Edited: Sep 18, 2026; Oct 11, 2026; Oct 12, 2026; Oct 15, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Last review: Oct 25, 2026*
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