 | |
| Full name | Toyoda Gosei Wolfdogs Nagoya |
|---|---|
| Short name | WD Nagoya (WD名古屋) |
| Founded | 1961 (1961) |
| Ground |  ENTRIO（Inazawa, Aichi） |
| Head Coach |  Valerio Baldovin |
| Captain |  Kenta Ichikawa (2025–26) |
| League | SV.League |
| 2024–25 | 4th place |
| Website | wolfdogs.jp |
The Wolf Dogs Nagoya (Japanese: ウルフドッグスなごや) are a men's volleyball team based in Inazawa, Aichi, Japan. The club plays in SV.League, the highest volleyball league in Japan.
History
The Toyota Gosei Trefuerza volleyball team was founded in 1961 by enthusiasts as a 9-player team. In 1981, they transitioned to a 6-player team and began to strengthen themselves as an in-house club. They won all their games in the 29th Industrial League in 1999 and achieved their long-awaited promotion to the V League (then V.Premier League), renaming the team "Toyota Gosei Trefuerza." In 2013, their first foreign coach, Anders Kristiansson, from Sweden, was appointed, and he instilled a precise organizational volleyball style in the team. They placed third in the 2014/15 V.Premier League and won their first championship in the following 2015/16 season. Since then, they have grown into a powerhouse team, finishing as runners-up in the 2016/17 and 2017/18 seasons and reaching the finals for three consecutive years.[1]
From the 2019–20 season, the team changed its name to Wolfdogs Nagoya.[2]
Honours
- Japan Volleyball League/V.League/V.Premier League
- Winners (2): 2015–16, 2022—23
- Runners-up (3): 2016–17, 2017–18, 2021–22
- Kurowashiki All Japan Volleyball Championship
- Winners (1): 2023
- Runners-up (1): 2007
- Domestic Sports Festival
- Winners (1): 2012
Current roster
The following is the team roster of season 2025–26[3]
| No. | Name | Date of birth | Height | Position |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Shuzo Yamada (c) | (1992-11-27) November 27, 1992 | 1.93 m (6 ft 4 in) | Outside hitter |
| 2 | Akira Sawada | (2002-04-24) April 24, 2002 | 2.00 m (6 ft 7 in) | Middle blocker |
| 3 | Hideomi Fukatsu | (1990-06-01) June 1, 1990 | 1.80 m (5 ft 11 in) | Setter |
| 4 | Masahiro Yamazaki | (2002-09-17) September 17, 2002 | 1.80 m (5 ft 11 in) | Middle blocker |
| 5 | Shunsuke Watanabe | (1988-04-11) April 11, 1988 | 1.81 m (5 ft 11 in) | Libero |
| 6 |  Timothée Carle | (1995-11-30) November 30, 1995 | 1.95 m (6 ft 5 in) | Outside hitter |
| 7 | Shinnosuke Hayasaka | (2000-04-22) April 22, 2000 | 1.77 m (5 ft 10 in) | Setter |
| 9 |  Aymen Bouguerra | (2001-11-01) November 1, 2001 | 1.98 m (6 ft 6 in) | Outside hitter |
| 10 | Shunichiro Sato | (2000-05-17) May 17, 2000 | 2.05 m (6 ft 9 in) | Middle blocker |
| 11 | Ryota Denda | (1991-07-03) July 3, 1991 | 1.91 m (6 ft 3 in) | Middle blocker |
| 12 | Taito Mizumachi | (2001-09-07) September 7, 2001 | 1.82 m (6 ft 0 in) | Outside hitter |
| 15 | Kento Miyaura | (1999-02-22) February 22, 1999 | 1.90 m (6 ft 3 in) | Opposite |
| 17 | Kenta Ichikawa | (1999-04-06) April 6, 1999 | 1.75 m (5 ft 9 in) | Libero |
| 18 | Naozumi Kambayashi | (1998-10-04) October 4, 1998 | 1.84 m (6 ft 0 in) | Setter |
| 22 | Jo Toyoda | (2002-11-22) November 22, 2002 | 1.90 m (6 ft 3 in) | Opposite |
| 26 | Akito Yamazaki | (1997-10-16) October 16, 1997 | 1.90 m (6 ft 3 in) | Outside hitter |
| 99 |  Norbert Huber | (1998-08-14) August 14, 1998 | 2.07 m (6 ft 9 in) | Middle blocker |
| Head coach: Valerio Baldovin | ||||
Former roster
| Team roster – Season 2024/25 | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| No. | Name | Date of birth | Height | Position | |
| 1 | Shuzo Yamada | (1992-11-27) November 27, 1992 | 1.93 m (6 ft 4 in) | Outside hitter | |
| 3 | Hideomi Fukatsu | (1990-06-01) June 1, 1990 | 1.80 m (5 ft 11 in) | Setter | |
| 5 | Shunsuke Watanabe | (1988-04-11) April 11, 1988 | 1.81 m (5 ft 11 in) | Libero | |
| 6 | Hirotaka Kon | (1988-03-09) March 9, 1988 | 1.90 m (6 ft 3 in) | Middle blocker | |
| 7 | Tine Urnaut | (1988-09-03) September 3, 1988 | 2.00 m (6 ft 7 in) | Outside hitter | |
| 8 | Dongchen Wang | (2000-06-01) June 1, 2000 | 2.05 m (6 ft 9 in) | Middle blocker | |
| 9 | Kenta Takanashi | (1997-03-25) March 25, 1997 | 1.90 m (6 ft 3 in) | Outside hitter | |
| 10 | Rivan Nurmulki | (1995-07-16) July 16, 1995 | 1.98 m (6 ft 6 in) | Opposite spiker | |
| 11 | Ryota Denda | (1991-07-03) July 3, 1991 | 1.91 m (6 ft 3 in) | Middle blocker | |
| 11 | Taito Mizumachi | (2001-09-07) September 7, 2001 | 1.82 m (6 ft 0 in) | Outside hitter | |
| 13 | Takaki Koyama | (1997-11-23) November 23, 1997 | 1.90 m (6 ft 3 in) | Middle blocker | |
| 14 | Nimir Abdel-Aziz | (1992-02-05) February 5, 1992 | 2.01 m (6 ft 7 in) | Opposite spiker | |
| 17 | Kenta Ichikawa | (1999-04-06) April 6, 1999 | 1.75 m (5 ft 9 in) | Libero | |
| 17 | Naozumi Kanbayashi | (1998-10-04) October 4, 1998 | 1.84 m (6 ft 0 in) | Setter | |
| 19 | Ryo Takahashi | (1998-07-30) July 30, 1998 | 1.89 m (6 ft 2 in) | Outside hitter | |
| 26 | Akito Yamazaki | (1997-10-16) October 16, 1997 | 1.90 m (6 ft 3 in) | Outside hitter | |
| Head coach: Valerio Baldovin | |||||
| Team roster – Season 2023/24 | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| No. | Name | Date of birth | Height | Position | |
| 1 | Shuzo Yamada | (1992-11-27) November 27, 1992 | 1.93 m (6 ft 4 in) | Outside hitter | |
| 3 | Bartosz Kurek (c) | (1988-08-29) August 29, 1988 | 2.05 m (6 ft 9 in) | Opposite hitter | |
| 6 | Hirotaka Kon | (1988-03-09) March 9, 1988 | 1.90 m (6 ft 3 in) | Middle blocker | |
| 8 | Dongchen Wang | (2000-06-01) June 1, 2000 | 2.05 m (6 ft 9 in) | Middle blocker | |
| 9 | Kenta Takanashi | (1997-03-25) March 25, 1997 | 1.90 m (6 ft 3 in) | Outside hitter | |
| 11 | Ryota Denda | (1991-07-03) July 3, 1991 | 1.91 m (6 ft 3 in) | Middle blocker | |
| 13 | Takaki Koyama | (1997-11-23) November 23, 1997 | 1.90 m (6 ft 3 in) | Outside hitter | |
| 14 | Ryosuke Tsubakiyama | (1988-07-18) July 18, 1988 | 1.96 m (6 ft 5 in) | Opposite spiker | |
| 16 | Nakano Yamato | (1999-10-02) October 2, 1999 | 1.79 m (5 ft 10 in) | Setter | |
| 17 | Kenta Ichikawa | (1999-04-06) April 6, 1999 | 1.75 m (5 ft 9 in) | Libero | |
| 19 | Ryo Takahashi | (1998-07-30) July 30, 1998 | 1.89 m (6 ft 2 in) | Outside hitter | |
| 21 | Motoki Eiro | (1996-06-08) June 8, 1996 | 1.92 m (6 ft 4 in) | Setter | |
| 23 | Masato Katsuoka | (1996-07-03) July 3, 1996 | 1.82 m (6 ft 0 in) | Outside Hitter | |
| 24 | Tomohiro Ogawa | (1996-07-04) July 4, 1996 | 1.75 m (5 ft 9 in) | Libero | |
| 26 | Akito Yamazaki | (1997-10-16) October 16, 1997 | 1.90 m (6 ft 3 in) | Outside hitter | |
| Head coach: Valerio Baldovin | |||||
League results
Champion Runner-up
| League | Position | Teams | Matches | Won | Lost | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| V League | 1998–99 | 9th | 10 | 18 | 2 | 16 |
| 1999–2000 | 9th | 10 | 18 | 2 | 16 | |
| 2000–01 | Winners[a] | 8 | 14 | 14 | 0 | |
| 2001–02 | Winners[b] | 8 | 14 | 14 | 0 | |
| 2002–03 | 7th | 8 | 21 | 4 | 17 | |
| 2003–04 | 6th | 8 | 21 | 10 | 11 | |
| 2004–05 | 7th | 8 | 28 | 9 | 19 | |
| 2005–06 | 7th | 8 | 28 | 6 | 22 | |
| V・Premier League | 2006–07 | 4th | 8 | 28 | 16 | 12 |
| 2007–08 | 5th | 8 | 28 | 14 | 14 | |
| 2008–09 | 6th | 8 | 28 | 12 | 16 | |
| 2009–10 | 4th | 8 | 28 | 16 | 12 | |
| 2010–11 | 6th | 8 | 24 | 9 | 15 | |
| 2011–12 | 6th | 8 | 21 | 7 | 14 | |
| 2012–13 | 5th | 8 | 28 | 12 | 16 | |
| 2013–14 | 5th | 8 | 28 | 15 | 13 | |
| 2014–15 | 3rd | 8 | 21 | 13 | 8 | |
| 2015–16 | Winners | 8 | 21 | 15 | 6 | |
| 2016–17 | Runners-up | 8 | 21 | 15 | 6 | |
| 2017–18 | Runners-up | 8 | 21 | 15 | 6 | |
| V.League Division 1 | 2018–19 | 5th | 10 | 27 | 19 | 8 |
| 2019–20 | 7th | 10 | 27 | 10 | 17 | |
| 2020–21 | 3rd | 10 | 34 | 27 | 7 | |
| 2021–22 | Runners-up | 10 | 39 | 28 | 11 | |
| 2022–23 | Winners | 10 | 40 | 29 | 11 | |
| 2023–24 | 5th place | 10 | 38 | 25 | 13 | |
| SV.League | 2024–25 | 4th place | 10 | 49 | 38 | 11 |
| 2025–26 | Coming soon | |||||
Notable players
Tuomas Sammelvuo (FIN) (2005–2006)
Igor Omrčen (CRO) (2014–2019)- Bartosz Kurek (POL) (2021–2024)
Nimir Abdel-Aziz (NED) (2024–2025)- Kenta Takanashi (JPN) (2018–2025)
Notes
- Second tier, lost promotion play-offs
- Second tier, won promotion play-offs
References
- "チームの歴史". 一般社団法人日本バレーボールリーグ機構. Retrieved 2023-06-28.
- "ウルフドッグス名古屋 オフィシャルサイト | チーム紹介". www.wolfdogs.jp. Retrieved 2022-08-20.
- "PLAYERS". wolfdogs.jp (in Japanese). Wolfdogs Nagoya. Retrieved 1 July 2025.
External links
- Official website (in Japanese)