"Her beauty and leadership are perfect." No wonder the "Akita Beauty," one of Japan's top three beauties! Sasaki, wearing the captain's armband for the second consecutive year with Victoriina, receives enthusiastic cheers from fans.

*This content was translated by AI.

Sasaki Chihiro (28) of Victoriina Himeji in Japan's SV League was once again appointed captain for the current season following last year, drawing strong support from fans.

Japan's "The Answer" reported on the 5th that "Victoriina Himeji announced on the 4th that Sasaki will serve as captain for the 2026–27 season."

According to the report, the club stated, "Centered on Captain Sasaki, who embodies our team slogan '100%,' we aim to create a season where the team unites and races forward with full strength," while also releasing a photo of Sasaki in her uniform.

In response, fans expressed enthusiastic support with comments such as "Please take good care of us this season too," "The Akita Beauty is perfect not only for her looks but also for her volleyball skills and leadership," and "As expected, Captain Chihiro suits the role perfectly."

Notably, the term "Akita Beauty" mentioned by fans refers to a beautiful woman from Akita Prefecture, one of Japan's top three beauty regions alongside Kyoto and Hakata. Akita Prefecture is famous for its low sunlight exposure and high humidity, which result in many people having fair and translucent skin. Sasaki, who hails from Akita Prefecture, was praised by comparing her outstanding appearance to this iconic Japanese beauty title.

A native of Daisen City in Akita Prefecture, Sasaki stands at 175 cm and plays as a middle blocker (MB). After graduating from Tokyo University of Sport, she joined Victoriina Himeji in December 2019 and made her professional debut. In 2022, she was selected for the Japanese national team, participated in the Asian Volleyball Confederation (AVC) Cup, and led the team to its first-ever championship, earning recognition for her skills.

Under Sasaki's leadership, Victoriina Himeji will face South Korea's IBK Industrial Bank of Korea AlToss in a pre-season match at Yamato Kogyo Arena Himeji at 4:05 p.m. on the 22nd before the regular season begins. Following that, they will open the league season on October 17 with an away game against NEC Red Rockets Kawasaki.

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*This content was translated by AI.