Megumi Kurihara

Megumi Kurihara
Personal information
Full name	Megumi Kurihara
Nickname	Meg, Kou Princess Meg
Born	July 31, 1984 (1984-07-31) (age 27) Etajima, Hiroshima, Japan
Height	1.87 m (6 ft 2 in)
Weight	68 kg (150 lb)
Spike	315cm
Block	295cm
Volleyball information
Position	Outside Hitter
National team
Japan

Medal record
Women's Volleyball
Competitor for  Japan
World Championship
Bronze	2010 Japan	National team

Megumi Kurihara (栗原恵 Kurihara Megumi, born July 31, 1984) is a Japanese volleyball player who played for Pioneer Red Wings.

Megumi Kurihara also plays for the All-Japan women's volleyball team and participated at the 2004 and 2008 Summer Olympics. Her nickname is Princess Meg (プリンセス・メグ).

Biography

Kurihara began playing volleyball as a fourth grader. She plays volleyball out of the feeling that valley wants to become good at in Otsu Junior High School of Himeji, Hyogo Prefecture and, in June, 1998 that was an eighth grader, study abroad. The senior high school enters Mitajiri girls' high school (existing Seiei High School) of Hōfu, Yamaguchi Prefecture and experiences three senior high school crowns of high valley championship in a first grader in an Inter-highschool/National Sports Festival of Japan/ spring volleyball match. She was chosen as a member of the Japan women's national volleyball team in the third year of high school.

In 2003, she joined NEC Red Rockets of the V league (Premier League). She won young eagle Prize in the black eagle flag meet in May of that year. At the World Cup in November 2003, she attracted attention with 19 years old combination with Kana Oyama. She participated in the 2004 Summer Olympics, the following year and achieved the fifth place winning prize.

In October 2004, she was dismissed from NEC red Rockets. The reason given was that "her style did not match valley-style of NEC". There was the rumor of the transfer to the Italian Volleyball League, but then she joined Pioneer Red Wings in November 2004.

The No.11 V league was not able to participate from a meeting rule that "the player who signed for a club after the start of a season cannot participate in the league match" for 2004-05 season. A pennant race plays a held black eagle flag meeting in May 2005 and contributes to team championship. After a meeting, she left the team during a little by opposition with the director Arie Selinger, but she came back to the team in the middle of August, and the No.12 V league participates from the opening game for 2005–06 years. She contributed to championship for the first time in two pioneer seasons greatly and acquired prize for best distinguished services player / serve / best 6.

In 2006, she was selected for an All-Japan women's volleyball team, but she was injured during a training camp and sent for the rehabilitation life in about a half year.

In June 2011, she retired from Red Wings.^[1]

Clubs

• MitajiriJoshi High School (2000–2003)
• NEC Red Rockets (2003–2004)
• Pioneer Red Wings (2004–2011)
• Dynamo Kazan (2011–)

Awards

Individuals

• 2006 - The 12th V.League MVP, Serve award, best 6
• 2007 - 2006-07 Premier League Serve award (New Record)
• 2008 FIVB World Grand Prix "Best Server"
• 2008 FIVB World Grand Prix "Best Scorer"
• 2009 - 2008-09 Premier League Serve award

Team

• 2006 - The 12th V.League - Champion, with Pioneer.
• 2008 - Empress's Cup - Runner-Up, with Pionner.

National team

• 2003: 5th place in the World Cup in Japan
• 2004: 5th place in the Olympic Games of Athens
• 2007: 7th place in the World Cup in Japan
• 2008: 5th place in the Olympic Games of Beijing
• 2010 World Championship - Bronze medal

References

1. ^ Pioneer Website

External links

• FIVB Biography
• Kurihara Megumi
• Going Megu's Way-fan site
• World Grand Prix 2007

Awards
Preceded by Taismary Agüero	World Grand Prix Best Scorer 2008	Succeeded by Incumbent

Persondata
Name	Kurihara, Megumi
Alternative names
Short description
Date of birth	July 31, 1984
Place of birth	Etajima, Hiroshima, Japan
Date of death
Place of death