Osaka Bluteon

Osaka Bluteon
Founded1951
GroundPanasonic Arena
(Capacity: 2,500)
Head CoachFrance Laurent Tillie
CaptainJapan Akihiro Yamauchi
LeagueV.League Division 1
2021–223rd place
WebsiteClub home page

Osaka Bluteon (大阪ブルテオン, Ōsaka Buruteon) is a men's volleyball team based in Hirakata City, Osaka, Japan. It plays in V.League Division 1. The club was founded in 1951.[1] It is owned by the Panasonic Corporation.

History

Osaka Bluteon was established as a volleyball club for Matsushita Electric Industrial (now Panasonic) in 1951 and from 1992 to 2024 was known as the Panasonic Panthers.[2]

The club would become one of the participating teams of the inaugural 2024–25 season of the SV.League. It adopted its current name and branding in June 2024 ahead of their participation in the new league.[3]

Names

  • Panasonic Panthers (1992–2024)
  • Osaka Bluteon (2024–)

Team

Current roster

Team roster – season 2023/2024
No. Player name Date of birth Position
1 Japan Kunihiro Shimizu (1986-08-11) August 11, 1986 (age 38) Opposite
2 Japan Hideomi Fukatsu (1990-06-01) June 1, 1990 (age 34) Setter
3 Japan Shunsuke Nakamura (1999-03-07) March 7, 1999 (age 25) Setter
6 United States Thomas Jaeschke (1993-09-04) September 4, 1993 (age 31) Outside Hitter
7 Japan Yuga Tarumi (2000-11-02) November 2, 2000 (age 24) Outside Hitter
8 Japan Kenyu Nakamoto (1997-11-21) November 21, 1997 (age 27) Outside Hitter
10 Japan Akihiro Yamauchi(c) (1993-11-30) November 30, 1993 (age 31) Middle Blocker
11 Japan Yuji Nishida (2000-01-30) January 30, 2000 (age 25) Opposite
12 Japan Tomotake Ito (1999-11-11) November 11, 1999 (age 25) Libero
13 Japan Tomohiro Yamamoto (1994-11-05) November 5, 1994 (age 30) Libero
15 JapanTatsunori Otsuka (2000-11-05) November 5, 2000 (age 24) Outside Hitter
17 Japan Takeshi Nagano (1985-07-11) July 11, 1985 (age 39) Libero
18 Japan Hiroto Nishiyama (2003-03-04) March 4, 2003 (age 21) Outside Hitter
19 Japan Keitaro Nishikawa (2000-04-14) April 14, 2000 (age 24) Middle Blocker
20 Japan Takahiro Shin [ja] (1991-08-10) August 10, 1991 (age 33) Setter
21 Japan Yasunari Kodama (1994-07-24) July 24, 1994 (age 30) Middle Blocker
22 Japan Yuichiro Komiya (1992-11-16) November 16, 1992 (age 32) Middle Blocker
23 Japan Larry Evbade-Dan (2000-08-18) August 18, 2000 (age 24) Middle Blocker
Head coach: France Laurent Tillie

Honours

Japan Volleyball League/V.League/V.Premier League
  • Champions (×6): 1971–72, 2007–08, 2009–10, 2011–12, 2013–14, 2018–19
  • Runners-up (×7): 1967–68, 1968–69, 1969–70, 1970–71, 1972–73, 2012–13, 2019–20, 2020–21, 2023–24
  • Third place (×1) :2022-23
Kurowashiki All Japan Volleyball Tournament
  • Champions (×9): 1964, 1966, 1968, 1969, 1973, 1981, 1998, 2009, 2014
  • Runners-up (×1): 2024[4]
Emperor's Cup
  • Champions (×3): 2011, 2012, 2023[5]
  • Runner-up (×1): 2008
Asian Men's Club Volleyball Championship
  • Runner-up (×1): 2019
  • Third place (×1) : 2010

Notable players

 Japan

 Brazil

 Poland

 Cuba

 United States

League results

  Champion    Runner-up

League Position Teams Matches Win Lose
V.League 1st (1994–95) 7th 8 21 10 11
2nd (1995–96) 6th 8 21 10 11
3rd (1996–97) 5th 8 21 10 11
4th (1997–98) 3rd 8 21 14 7
5th (1998–99) 4th 10 18 17 1
6th (1999-00) 6th 10 18 9 9
7th (2000–01) 6th 10 18 9 9
8th (2001–02) 6th 10 18 9 9
9th (2002–03) 3rd 8 21 13 8
10th (2003–04) 3rd 8 21 12 9
11th (2004–05) 4th 8 28 15 13
12th (2005–06) 5th 8 28 16 12
V・Premier 2006–07 3rd 8 28 17 11
2007–08 Champion 8 28 19 9
2008–09 3rd 8 28 15 13
2009–10 Champion 8 28 20 4
2010–11 4th 8 24 14 10
2011–12 Champion 8 21 17 4
2012–13 Runner-Up 8 28 20 8
2013–14 Champion 8 28 21 7
2014–15 6th 8 21 13 8
2015–16 Runner-up 8 30 16 14
2016–17 5th 8 26 15 11
2017–18 Champion 8 28 23 5
V.League Division 1
2018–19 Champion 10 34 28 6
2019–20 Runner-up 10 28 24 4
2020–21 Runner-up 10 41 33 8
2021–22 3rd 10 36 25 11
2022–23 3rd 10 39 25 14

References

  1. ^ "パナソニック パンサーズについて". パナソニックのバレーボールチーム、パナソニック パンサーズ (in Japanese). Retrieved 2022-10-24.
  2. ^ "パナソニック パンサーズは リブランディングの実施を決定 「チーム名称」「エンブレム」の刷新のお知らせ" [Panasonic Panthers decides to undergo a rebranding. Notice of changing team name and emblem] (in Japanese). Panasonic Panthers. 13 February 2024. Retrieved 10 September 2024.
  3. ^ "「新クラブ名称」「新エンブレム」発表のお知らせ" [Announcement of "New Club Name" and "New Emblem"] (in Japanese). Osaka Bluteon. 11 June 2024. Retrieved 10 September 2024.
  4. ^ "第７２回 黒鷲旗全日本男女選抜バレーボール大会決勝トーナメント戦　結果" (PDF). jva.or.jp (in Japanese). Retrieved 3 July 2024.
  5. ^ "【バレー】西田有志が古賀紗理那と夫婦でMVP「家族で達成うれしい」パナソニック天皇杯Ｖ導く" (in Japanese). 17 December 2023. Retrieved 3 July 2024.