University of Minnesota Athletics

PARIS, France — Former Gophers volleyball player Airi Miyabe (2019-21) is getting set to compete for Team Japan in the 2024 Olympic Games.

Japan will compete in Pool B with Poland, Brazil and Kenya. The top two teams from the pool will advance to the knockout round, which contains 16 teams. All matches will be available for streaming on Peacock.

Japan’s Schedule:

Sunday, July 28 vs. Poland, 6 a.m. CT on Peacock

Thursday, Aug. 1 vs. Brazil, 6 a.m. CT on Peacock

Saturday, Aug. 3 vs. Kenya, 6 a.m. CT on Peacock

The University of Minnesota volleyball team has had a significant presence in the Olympics during the past two decades. That will continue in the 2024 Paris Olympics, as former Gopher Airi Miyabe (2019-21) was named to Japan’s Olympic team. At the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo, Japan, Gophers alumnae Tori Dixon (’14), Hannah Tapp (’16) and Sarah Wilhite Parsons (’16) were named as alternates for the U.S. Olympic team. Minnesota volleyball has been represented at each Olympic Games since 2004.

Miyabe, a former outside hitter at Minnesota, plays middle blocker for Japan. She earned her first Olympic team appearance after a standout performance in the Volleyball Nations League. She came off the bench in the tournament’s semifinals, tallying 11 points on six kills, four blocks and one ace to help Japan to their first ever VNL final in a 3-2 win over No. 1 ranked Brazil.

As a Gopher, Miyabe was a three-time Academic All-Big Ten selection from 2019-21. During her time in Minneapolis, the Gophers made a Final Four, an Elite Eight and a Sweet 16. Her best season came in 2021, when she played in 27 matches, averaging 2.97 kills, 0.93 digs and 0.27 blocks per set. She hit .240 on the year and emerged into a starting role late in the season. In the 2021 Sweet 16 match against Baylor, Miyabe stepped up for a career-high 18-kill performance on .324 hitting. She was named to the NCAA Madison Regional All-Tournament Team in addition to being AVCA All-North Region Honorable Mention in 2021.