Manami Kojima Returns for 2025 AU Pro Volleyball Championship
Hitters beware: Manami Kojima will be back on the court for the 2025 Athletes Unlimited Pro Volleyball Championship, and she’s here to make your jobs a whole lot harder. The Japanese libero, renowned for her defensive prowess, is set to return to AU after a stellar 2024 season that saw her rank among the competition’s top defenders.
She finished with 196 digs, landing her sixth on the single-season leaderboard for digs in AU Pro Volleyball history. She was one of only 10 players to record 20 or more digs in a single match, hitting that milestone against Team Member-Meneh. Her 1,780 win points for the season placed her in a tie for ninth in AU history, joining the ranks of Jordan Larson and Emma Willis.
Kojima’s consistency was key to her success. Over the course of 15 matches, she played all 45 sets and averaged double-digit digs in 12 of those showings, with five performances over 15 digs. She also contributed 47 assists throughout the season. She earned MVP 2 honors in one of her standout matches—a 20-dig, 6-assist performance against Team Member-Meneh, that earned her 300 leaderboard points.
Kojima was an AU Pro Volleyball All-Position Team selection and capped off her debut season in seventh place with 2,962 leaderboard points.
Beyond AU, Kojima has an impressive professional and international career. From 2016 to 2024, she played for NEC Red Rockets in Japan, where she was a vital part of three league championship teams. Her standout performances in Japan earned her Best Libero honors at the 2023 Asian Championships and 2024 Volleyball Nations League. She made her Olympic debut at the 2024 Paris Games and helped guide the Japanese team to a Silver medal in the 2024 volleyball Nations League and a Bronze in the 2023 Asian Championships.
She was most recently named to the 2025 Japanese Volleyball Nations League roster after a standout season for LOVB Salt Lake in which she was named LOVB Libero of the Year and earned a Second Team spot on the LOVB Icons list.
Kojima’s career is a testament to her relentless work ethic and passion for the game, and she’s ready to continue making an impact in the 2025 AU Pro Volleyball Championship.
The 2025 AU Pro Volleyball Championship will feature 44 of the world’s top volleyball players in an exclusive, high-stakes tournament to determine the ultimate champion of the sport. These elite athletes, handpicked from the best domestic and international pro leagues, will face off in the nation’s premier volleyball hubs in Omaha, Nebraska, at the Liberty First Credit Union Arena (October 1-15) and in Madison, Wisconsin, at the Alliant Energy Center (October 22 – November 3). Series ticket deposits for both locations are now available here.
Siera Jones is the digital media reporter at Athletes Unlimited. You can follow her on Instagram and X @sieraajones.
