Japan ace Sarina Koga ends her volleyball career with a win in the Olympics.
One of the great careers in women’s volleyball has come to an end.
With Japan’s final game in the Olympic Games Paris 2024, ace hitter and team captain Sarina Koga-Nishida will be retiring from the sport.
And while the Japanese squad suffer an second-straight early elimination from the Olympics, Sarina ends her career with a victory after Japan swept Kenya, 25-17, 25-22, 25-12, on Saturday (Philippine time).
Japan finished third in Pool B with a 1-2 record, but the VNL 2024 silver medalists missed out on the quarterfinals after the Dominican Republic beat the Netherlands earlier in the game day in four sets. Only two third-place teams will move on, with Team USA joining the Dominicans to the next round.
In her final game, Sarina fired a team-high 16 points coming from 14 attacks, a block, and an ace. Earlier in the tournament, Nishida scored 26 points in a key opening loss to Poland.
(Photo: Volleyball World)
Prior to the Olympics, Sarina announced her intention to retire from volleyball.
[Related: Japan ace Sarina Koga to retire from volleyball after Paris 2024]
Unless she has a change of heart, Sarina Koga Nishida will retire as a two-time Olympian and a VNL silver medalist. In her domestic V.League, Sarina is a four-time V1 champion, including winning the last two seasons.