Wolfdogs Nagoya
Men's volleyball team based in Inazawa, Japan
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The Wolfdogs 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.
ENTRIO（Inazawa, Aichi）
 | |
| Full name | Toyoda Gosei Wolfdogs Nagoya |
|---|---|
| Short name | WD Nagoya (WD名古屋) |
| Founded | 1961 |
| Ground | ENTRIO（Inazawa, Aichi） |
| Head Coach |  Valerio Baldovin |
| Captain |  Kenta Ichikawa |
| League | SV.League |
| 2025–26 | 4th place |
| Website | wolfdogs.jp |
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) | November 27, 1992 | 1.93 m (6 ft 4 in) | Outside hitter |
| 2 | Akira Sawada | April 24, 2002 | 2.00 m (6 ft 7 in) | Middle blocker |
| 3 | Hideomi Fukatsu | June 1, 1990 | 1.80 m (5 ft 11 in) | Setter |
| 4 | Masahiro Yamazaki | September 17, 2002 | 1.80 m (5 ft 11 in) | Middle blocker |
| 5 | Shunsuke Watanabe | April 11, 1988 | 1.81 m (5 ft 11 in) | Libero |
| 6 |  Timothée Carle | November 30, 1995 | 1.95 m (6 ft 5 in) | Outside hitter |
| 7 | Shinnosuke Hayasaka | April 22, 2000 | 1.77 m (5 ft 10 in) | Setter |
| 9 |  Aymen Bouguerra | November 1, 2001 | 1.98 m (6 ft 6 in) | Outside hitter |
| 10 | Shunichiro Sato | May 17, 2000 | 2.05 m (6 ft 9 in) | Middle blocker |
| 11 | Ryota Denda | July 3, 1991 | 1.91 m (6 ft 3 in) | Middle blocker |
| 12 | Taito Mizumachi | September 7, 2001 | 1.82 m (6 ft 0 in) | Outside hitter |
| 15 | Kento Miyaura | February 22, 1999 | 1.90 m (6 ft 3 in) | Opposite |
| 17 | Kenta Ichikawa | April 6, 1999 | 1.75 m (5 ft 9 in) | Libero |
| 18 | Naozumi Kambayashi | October 4, 1998 | 1.84 m (6 ft 0 in) | Setter |
| 22 | Jo Toyoda | November 22, 2002 | 1.90 m (6 ft 3 in) | Opposite |
| 26 | Akito Yamazaki | October 16, 1997 | 1.90 m (6 ft 3 in) | Outside hitter |
| 99 |  Norbert Huber | 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 | November 27, 1992 | 1.93 m (6 ft 4 in) | Outside hitter | |
| 3 | Hideomi Fukatsu | June 1, 1990 | 1.80 m (5 ft 11 in) | Setter | |
| 5 | Shunsuke Watanabe | April 11, 1988 | 1.81 m (5 ft 11 in) | Libero | |
| 6 | Hirotaka Kon | March 9, 1988 | 1.90 m (6 ft 3 in) | Middle blocker | |
| 7 | Tine Urnaut | September 3, 1988 | 2.00 m (6 ft 7 in) | Outside hitter | |
| 8 | Dongchen Wang | June 1, 2000 | 2.05 m (6 ft 9 in) | Middle blocker | |
| 9 | Kenta Takanashi | March 25, 1997 | 1.90 m (6 ft 3 in) | Outside hitter | |
| 10 | Rivan Nurmulki | July 16, 1995 | 1.98 m (6 ft 6 in) | Opposite spiker | |
| 11 | Ryota Denda | July 3, 1991 | 1.91 m (6 ft 3 in) | Middle blocker | |
| 11 | Taito Mizumachi | September 7, 2001 | 1.82 m (6 ft 0 in) | Outside hitter | |
| 13 | Takaki Koyama | November 23, 1997 | 1.90 m (6 ft 3 in) | Middle blocker | |
| 14 | Nimir Abdel-Aziz | February 5, 1992 | 2.01 m (6 ft 7 in) | Opposite spiker | |
| 17 | Kenta Ichikawa | April 6, 1999 | 1.75 m (5 ft 9 in) | Libero | |
| 17 | Naozumi Kanbayashi | October 4, 1998 | 1.84 m (6 ft 0 in) | Setter | |
| 19 | Ryo Takahashi | July 30, 1998 | 1.89 m (6 ft 2 in) | Outside hitter | |
| 26 | Akito Yamazaki | 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 | November 27, 1992 | 1.93 m (6 ft 4 in) | Outside hitter | |
| 3 | Bartosz Kurek (c) | August 29, 1988 | 2.05 m (6 ft 9 in) | Opposite hitter | |
| 6 | Hirotaka Kon | March 9, 1988 | 1.90 m (6 ft 3 in) | Middle blocker | |
| 8 | Dongchen Wang | June 1, 2000 | 2.05 m (6 ft 9 in) | Middle blocker | |
| 9 | Kenta Takanashi | March 25, 1997 | 1.90 m (6 ft 3 in) | Outside hitter | |
| 11 | Ryota Denda | July 3, 1991 | 1.91 m (6 ft 3 in) | Middle blocker | |
| 13 | Takaki Koyama | November 23, 1997 | 1.90 m (6 ft 3 in) | Outside hitter | |
| 14 | Ryosuke Tsubakiyama | July 18, 1988 | 1.96 m (6 ft 5 in) | Opposite spiker | |
| 16 | Nakano Yamato | October 2, 1999 | 1.79 m (5 ft 10 in) | Setter | |
| 17 | Kenta Ichikawa | April 6, 1999 | 1.75 m (5 ft 9 in) | Libero | |
| 19 | Ryo Takahashi | July 30, 1998 | 1.89 m (6 ft 2 in) | Outside hitter | |
| 21 | Motoki Eiro | June 8, 1996 | 1.92 m (6 ft 4 in) | Setter | |
| 23 | Masato Katsuoka | July 3, 1996 | 1.82 m (6 ft 0 in) | Outside Hitter | |
| 24 | Tomohiro Ogawa | July 4, 1996 | 1.75 m (5 ft 9 in) | Libero | |
| 26 | Akito Yamazaki | 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 | 4th place | 10 | 48 | 27 | 21 | |
Notable players
Tuomas Sammelvuo (FIN) (2005–2006)
Igor Omrčen (CRO) (2014–2019)
Bartosz Kurek (POL) (2021–2024)
Nimir Abdel-Aziz (NED) (2024–2025)
Tine Urnaut (SLO) (2024-25)
Kenta Takanashi (JPN) (2018–2025)
