Haikyuu!!: 10 Main Characters and Their Positions In Volleyball, Explained (2023)

The anime Haikyuu!!manages to encapsulate the beautiful bonds of teamwork, friendship, and competition. Karasuno high school's boy volleyball club was a hit back in the day. It boasted legendary achievements from its players, which inspired youngShōyō Hinata to attend this school in the hopes of joining its volleyball team.

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When a fledging Hinata meets a high-handed Kageyama, all bets are off. If they can't work together, then neither are allowed to join the team, regardless of how much they might need new talent. Without this ultimatum, we may never have seen Karasuno soar once again. As the team got their act together, strengths, weaknesses, and positions were sorted.

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10 Coach: Keishin Ukai

Haikyuu!!: 10 Main Characters and Their Positions In Volleyball, Explained (1)

Keishin Ukai is the coach for Karasuno's volleyball team. He's introduced to the show as a laid back and lazy guy that does the bare minimum. He later shows his hard-working nature, especially when it comes to volleyball. As a former alum, and his dad as the previous coach, Ukai has skills that greatly benefit this rag-tag team and help shape them for future challenges.In fact, Ukai's strengths shine best when he puts his analysis skills to the test, assessing areas of improvement for our beloved volleyball team.

9 Captain: Daichi Sawamura

Haikyuu!!: 10 Main Characters and Their Positions In Volleyball, Explained (2)
(Video) Characters and Their Positions │Haikyuu

Daichi is the current captain of Kurasano's volleyball team, and former stand-in coach before Ukai came along. His mature and caring nature earns him respect among his teammates, and he's dedicated to putting his team first.His encouragement and support lend the team the turnaround they need during crucial moments in their matches against powerhouse schools.

As a captain, Daichi doles out discipline to the two potential new members of the team. The saying goes, "you need teamwork to make the dream work." Daichi's core values surround this sentiment, especially when he banishes Kageyama and Hinata from the team until they get along. This captain knows that without the basis of trust and support in one's team, that strategic plays can quickly fall apart during a match.

8 Vice-Captian: Kōshi Sugawara

Haikyuu!!: 10 Main Characters and Their Positions In Volleyball, Explained (3)

Not only is Sugawara the vice-captain, but he's also a substitute setter, which has saved the game for Kurasono a time or two. His gentle and calm nature earns him the rights as a pillar of support for the team. When on the court, he shines as the setter but understands that if they wish to soar higher than before, that it'll take Kageyama's raw power. Knowing this, he finally breaks Kageyama out of his lonely king cage.

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Sugawara's intellect is another strategic tool in their arsenal. Overnight, he creates signals and commands that allow his teammates to switch up tactics mid-play. He's never overwhelmed in the heat of the moment, and even teaches Kageyama the importance of looking in from the sidelines to gain a new perspective on a match.

7 Wing Spiker: Ryūnosuke Tanaka

Haikyuu!!: 10 Main Characters and Their Positions In Volleyball, Explained (4)
(Video) VOLLEYBALL BASIC POSITIONS & THEIR ROLES || Feat Haikyuu Karasuno Players

Ryūnosuke has a rough and tough exterior, but really it's all for show. He gets overly sentimental when newbie members Kageyama and Hinata call him senpai. His mental fortitude when it comes down to the wire is formidable. Tanaka hypes up all the more when the team is backed into a corner.

His spikes pack a punch and require an insane amount of precision to push past the blockers on the other side of the net. The straight spike is a difficult technique since it hits so close to the boundary line, but if anyone can achieve it, Tanaka can. You know he's a star player when even his teammates say he has the potential to be an ace.

6 Pinch Server: Tadashi Yamaguchi

Haikyuu!!: 10 Main Characters and Their Positions In Volleyball, Explained (5)

Yamaguchi is total mob character status. He's often seen beside Tsukishima, tagging along wherever he goes, so much so that it appears that he's joined volleyball only to stay by his side. Even so, that's not the case. In the volleyball club, Yamaguchi is a hard worker but lacks confidence. This is a fatal combination if you're a pinch server.

Pinch servers come into a game when it's down to the wire and the next point could make or break the game. It's a position that requires smart maneuvering and tricky serving techniques. After months upon months of hard work and dedication, Yamaguchi finally finds the nerve to step into the battlefield of the court and show off the fruits of his labor. One might even say that this pinch server is their overpowered teammate, next to Hinata.

5 Middle Blocker: Kei Tsukishima

Haikyuu!!: 10 Main Characters and Their Positions In Volleyball, Explained (6)

Tsukishima, otherwise known as Tsukki, is a blunt, antagonistic, hardworking, smug,insecure middle-blocker who loves to play it cool, act arrogant, and rile up others. He's a mess of contradictions, but genuinely enjoys the competitive sport of volleyball. His intellect serves him well during the matches, and when he gets serious, his ability to read the plays on the other side of the net comes close to reading the future.

(Video) Characters and Their Positions 2 │Haikyuu

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As a middle blocker, it's his duty to block the opponent's strikes. He loves to get inside his opponent's head by mocking or insulting them, which can lead to a mistake on his opponent's side. The more competitive Tsukki's spirit is, the better and more powerful he becomes during a match.

4 Wing Spiker: Asahi Azumane

Haikyuu!!: 10 Main Characters and Their Positions In Volleyball, Explained (7)

Asahi is one of the more gentle and weak-willed characters despite his status as the team's ace. His self-confidence suffers, which translates over into his gameplay. This causes him to believe that he doesn't deserve the title of ace. Of course, the team won't let those negative feelings last for long.

Karasuno's volleyball team is not going to let Asahi's defeats get the better of him. They rally together to encourage him to turn his failures into learning experiences as they pave a way for him to score. With techniques such as back row attack, where a fake spiker is placed in front of the blockers, and delayed spike, where Asahi extends his time in the air and waits to strike until the blockers fall, it's difficult not to think of this multi-strategy guy as the ace.

3 Libero: Yū Nishinoya

Haikyuu!!: 10 Main Characters and Their Positions In Volleyball, Explained (8)

Karasuno's guardian deity, Nishinoya serves as the team's libero. He's shorter than Hinata, which is quite the feat. His energetic and boisterous attitude allows us to overlook his strange quirks of making up techniques with weird names, such as with his "rolling thunder."

(Video) Haikyuu characters time skip (future jobs)

As a libero, Nishinoya plays the court. He's the ultimate defense and has free reign to position himself to keep the ball in play. He even goes so far as to perfect his skills by making himself useful to the offense, wherehe tosses, or sets, the ball up for a spike. He looks to perfect his techniques to keep up with the rest of the team as they continue to build upon their volleyball skills and strategies.

2 Setter: Tobio Kageyama

Haikyuu!!: 10 Main Characters and Their Positions In Volleyball, Explained (9)

Kageyama starts off on the wrong foot as a self-centered dictator of the volleyball court. He'sa knownprodigy, but that doesn't excuse his behavior. As part of Kurasano's volleyball team, he discovers fulfillment from the game as he learns to communicate with others when working as a team.

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Kageyama has a slew of techniques that go along with his prodigy status. His most praised skill is his ability to pinpoint an accurate volleyball trajectory. As he practices together with the team, Kageyama determines other strategies he can use to make full use of his teammates while scoring points.

1 Middle Blocker: Shōyō Hinata

Haikyuu!!: 10 Main Characters and Their Positions In Volleyball, Explained (10)

Hinata may be small in stature, but he makes up for it in personality. Always energetic and boisterous, Hinata gives volleyball his all as he puts his speed and agility to good use. He's greedy to climb and soar higher in the ranks of volleyball, which fuels his motivation to practice and learn new skills to defeat powerhouse schools.

(Video) Haikyuu VS Real Life | Best Volleyball Actions (HD)

Despite his height, Hinata is a middle blocker like Tsukki and makes the most of this position with his incredible vertical jumping. Like Kageyama, he has a multitude of tricks and techniques to use on the court. He and Kageyama make a formidable team as they bring out the best in each other.

NEXT:Haikyuu!!: 10 Most Underrated Characters

FAQs

What are the positions in volleyball Haikyuu? ›

There are 4 main positions when it comes to volleyball (one is broken down into two different spots): setter, wing spiker (two left sides and one right side is the standard), middle blocker, and libero. Each of these positions plays a specific, key role in a volleyball match.

Who is player 10 in Haikyuu? ›

Shoyo Hinata (日向 翔陽, Hinata Shōyō) is a first-year student at Karasuno High School and is the protagonist. He was initially a wing spiker in Junior High but is currently a middle spiker. His jersey number is #10, which the Little Giant, the former Karasuno ace and Shoyo's idol, also wore.

What position does Daichi play in volleyball? ›

Daichi Sawamura

His position is wing spiker. He is also the captain of the volleyball team.

What is Kageyama's position? ›

Tobio Kageyama (Japanese: 影山 かげやま 飛雄 とびお , Kageyama Tobio) is the deuteragonist of the Haikyū!! series. For the majority of the series, he is a first-year student at Karasuno High School and plays as the starting setter for the boys' volleyball club.

Can a libero be a captain? ›

In volleyball, Rule 5 was revised to allow the libero to be either the team or game captain. The Commission reasoned that, although the libero frequently enters and leaves the court, same as a team captain in many cases, there is no reason to not allow the libero to be captain.

Why can't a libero be a captain? ›

One reason could be that, since the libero is continually rotating on and off the court, it would be a hassle to designate a floor captain each time the libero leaves the court.

Who is the No 1 volleyball player in Haikyuu? ›

1 Tobio Kageyama Is The King Of The Court

Kageyama, the "King of the Court," is one of the setters at Karasuno and one of those selected to attend the All-Japan youth training camp. He is often referred to as a "genius" setter.

Does Hinata become the ace? ›

This means that poor Hinata not only apparently never became the ace of the team, in his final year he was given a lower number than someone who hadn't been on the team as long.

Who is the #1 volleyball player in Haikyuu? ›

Wakatoshi Ushijima

The Ace and captain of Shiratorizawa, Ushiwaka is the best volleyball player from Haikyuu!!

What is Tanaka's position? ›

He is part of the Boys' Volleyball Club and plays as a starting wing spiker.

What is Tsukishima's position? ›

Kei Tsukishima (Japanese: 月島 つきしま 蛍 けい , Tsukishima Kei) is a first year at Karasuno High. He plays as one of the starting middle blockers on the Boys' Volleyball Team.

What does Nishinoya play in volleyball? ›

Yū Nishinoya (Japanese: 西谷 にしのや 夕 ゆう , Nishinoya Yū) was a second-year student at Karasuno High. He was the libero for the Boys' Volleyball Team and was referred to as "Karasuno's Guardian Deity" by his teammates, for his remarkable skills.

What position does Kenma? ›

After finding out Kenma's position as a setter, Hinata reveals that he is a middle blocker and wonders if it's weird since it's a position for tall guys.

What is Sakusa's position? ›

Sakusa is the ace and wing-spiker for Itachiyama Institute.

Why does libero wear different color? ›

The reason they have to wear a different colour to their team-mates is to help the referee identify them clearly and make it easier for them to enforce the rules of the libero position. Liberos have only been allowed to be the team captain since earlier this year, after the rules were changed.

Can libero spike the ball? ›

The Libero may replace any player, of either gender, in a back row position. The Libero may serve, but cannot block or attempt to block. The Libero may not spike a ball from anywhere if at the moment of contact the ball is entirely higher than the top of the net.

Who replaces libero? ›

The libero is allowed to replace any player in a back-row position only. Replacements involving the libero are not counted as regular substitutions. These replacements are unlimited, but there must be a rally (which can include a playover) between two libero replacements.

Why is it called libero? ›

The volleyball libero position was first introduced In Italy in the late 80's early 90s. The word "libero" means "free" in Italian. The Italian concept of the "libero" meant that a particular designated player was "free" to roam in and out of the court in the back row positions to play defense.

Why is the libero always short? ›

A libero (LEE'-beh-ro) in indoor volleyball is a back-row defensive specialist. Since they only play in the back row, those players are often shorter than the front-row blockers and hitters but have impeccable ball-control skills.

Can you have 2 liberos in volleyball? ›

Teams may designate the following: TWO Liberos for the MATCH or the team may designate ONE Libero for the SET (teams can also choose not to designate any Liberos for the match). The Libero(s) must wear a different colored uniform than the rest of the team and may play along the backrow only.

Who is Nekoma best player? ›

Nekoma focuses on team play rather than standout individuals, but their best player is undeniably the team captain Kuroo. He may not be as good at getting kill blocks as Aone or Tendo, but Kuroo is arguably the best defensive player in the series.

Who did Hinata shoyo married? ›

It is unknown what year she married Keishin Ukai, but it is known that she is 36, looking to be much younger than her appearance. When she married Keishin she took on his name becoming Yuna Ukai (Japanese: 烏養 友奈 Ukai Yūna).

Who gets married in Haikyuu? ›

10 BEST: Tanaka And Kiyoko Get Married

In fact, Kiyoko does care for him, as shown when she mentions Tanaka is always at the top of his game and often lets him walk with her. However, it is still a pleasant surprise to see that these two end up getting married.

Will Hinata grow taller? ›

Post-timeskip, Hinata has undergone intensive training in Brazil. As a result of playing on the beach and following a strict diet and health regimen, Hinata has grown to 172 cm and developed a lean but muscular body.

Who is number 9 in haikyuu? ›

Members
NameNumberPosition
Kazuhito Narita#8Middle Blocker
Tobio Kageyama#9Setter
Shōyō Hinata#10Middle Blocker / Decoy
Kei Tsukishima#11Middle Blocker
8 more rows

Who is the libero Haikyuu? ›

Yū Nishinoya is Karasuno High's shortest volleyball player, however, this is something he uses to his advantage as the team's libero.

Who is the ace of Karasuno after Tanaka? ›

Kageyama and Hinata approach Karasuno's ace, Asahi Azumane.

What is Oikawa's position? ›

Oikawa is the captain of Aoba Johsai's volleyball team and is widely regarded as the ace setter.

What position is Akagi? ›

Regarded as the #1 center in the Kanagawa prefecture, Akagi plays as a fairly typical center, using his height and power to score close to the basket. The best known is his "Gorilla Dunk" which came from his nickname, "Gori", given by Sakuragi.

Who is Tsukishima's boyfriend? ›

YAMAGUCHI AND TSUKKI ARE DATING (part 1) | Tsukkiyama, Haikyuu anime, Haikyuu.

What is Hinata's position in MSBY? ›

Members
NameNumberPosition
Atsumu Miya#13Setter
?#14?
Kiyoomi Sakusa#15Wing Spiker / Outside Hitter
Shōyō Hinata#21Wing Spiker / Opposite Hitter
6 more rows

Who is Tsukishima's lover? ›

Despite the rumors and the derogatory names other villagers called Tsukishima, Chiyo would only call him by his first name, Hajime, an act which Tsukishima deeply valued. Chiyo and Tsukishima were planning to leave the island and get married after Tsukishima returned from the First Sino-Japanese War.

Is there a female volleyball team in Haikyuu? ›

2:Shiratorizawa Girls' Volleyball Club (Japanese: 白鳥沢 しらとりざは 女子バレーボールチーム, Shiratorizawa joshi barēbōru chīmu) is the female volleyball team of Shiratorizawa Academy, a school located in Miyagi Prefecture.

Why did Noya quit volleyball? ›

Noya quit playing volleyball because it didn't feel right to be on a team that was succeeding without Asahi. That isn't the type of person who has a Hinata-like thirst for volleyball. It's a guy who was gifted at it & loved it, but primarily because of what it meant to be a team.

What volleyball team is Oikawa on Haikyuu? ›

And the thing that got fans screaming in joy was when the series' end revealed that Oikawa had become a point guard for the professional Argentinian volleyball team Club Athletico San Juan.

Who is number 8 Haikyuu? ›

Shiratorizawa | Goshiki Tsutomu | Number 8 | Wing Spiker | Prospering Ace.

What is Bokuto's position in Haikyuu? ›

Kōtarō Bokuto (Japanese: 木兎 ぼくと 光太郎 こうたろう , Bokuto Kōtarō) was a third-year student at Fukurōdani Academy. He played on the volleyball team as the ace and captain. He was acknowledged as one of the top five aces in the country, barely missing the top three.

Who is number 14 in haikyuu? ›

Shiratorizawa | Yamagata Hayato | Number 14 | Libero | Protective of his Kouhais | ハイキューマンガ, 瀬見英太, アニメ

Who is Kageyama's best friend? ›

Shouyou Hinata and Tobio Kageyama

Soon, their unique partnership pays off in their professional and personal lives.

Who is Karasuno number 6? ›

Chikara Ennoshita (Japanese: 縁下 (えんのした) 力 (ちから) , Ennoshita Chikara) was a second-year student at Karasuno High. He played as a substitute wing spiker for the Boys' Volleyball Team.

What is Ushijima's position? ›

Wakatoshi Ushijima (Japanese: 牛島 うしじま 若利 わかとし , Ushijima Wakatoshi) is a third-year student at Shiratorizawa Academy. He is the captain of the Boys' Volleyball Team. He plays as a wing spiker and is the team's ace.

Who is Nekoma ace? ›

As the true ace of Nekoma, a top school in Tokyo, Yamamoto is undoubtedly a powerful player. He's the top server and spiker in Nekoma, and like every other player on Nekoma, possesses consistent defensive abilities. This makes him a successful all-around player, something that most aces lack.

Who are the top 5 setters in Haikyuu in order? ›

Haikyuu: The 10 Most Skilled Setters, Ranked
  1. 1 Kageyama Tobio Is A Nearly Unmatchable Genius.
  2. 2 Oikawa Toru Is A Powerhouse Capable Of Bringing Out The Best In His Team. ...
  3. 3 Miya Atsumu Blends Imposing Power & Versatility. ...
  4. 4 Akaashi Keiji Combines Impressive Technical & Strategic Abilities. ...
Mar 28, 2022

Can a libero spike? ›

The Libero may serve, but cannot block or attempt to block. The Libero may not spike a ball from anywhere if at the moment of contact the ball is entirely higher than the top of the net.

Who is the No 1 setter in Haikyuu? ›

1) Tobio Kageyama

Tobio Kageyama is Karasuno's starting setter and the only first-year on this list. Kageyama is a natural-born genius who is also a hard worker, with unparalleled control of the ball and pinpoint precision.

Who is the ace of Nekoma? ›

As the true ace of Nekoma, a top school in Tokyo, Yamamoto is undoubtedly a powerful player. He's the top server and spiker in Nekoma, and like every other player on Nekoma, possesses consistent defensive abilities.

Who is the top 4 ace in Haikyuu? ›

Top 5 Aces
  • Kiyoomi Sakusa.
  • Wakatoshi Ushijima.
  • Wakatsu Kiryū

What is the strongest ace? ›

The Ace of Spades (also known as the Spadille and Death Card) is traditionally the highest and most valued card in the deck of playing cards in English-speaking countries.

Who is number 9 Karasuno? ›

Members
NameNumberPosition
Tobio Kageyama#9Setter
Shōyō Hinata#10Middle Blocker / Decoy
Kei Tsukishima#11Middle Blocker
Tadashi Yamaguchi#12Middle Blocker / Pinch Server
8 more rows

What happens if a libero attacks? ›

The referee will use the illegal attack signal for any attack faults associated with the libero. Replacement of players: The libero is allowed to replace any player in a back-row position only.

Is there a height limit for libero? ›

Height: 5'0" - 5'8"

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