Men’s volleyball may be dominated by taller players, but that doesn’t mean short guys are completely left out.
In fact, six of the shortest men’s volleyball players have had an outsized influence on the sport. And today, we’ll be taking a closer look at each of their accomplishments.
The 6 Shortest Men’s Volleyball Players
Here they are, from shortest to tallest…
Farhad Zarif
Height: 5 feet 5 inches
Weight: 132 pounds
Spike: 114 inches
Iranian-born Farhad Zarif is the shortest professional men’s volleyball player to have achieved wide success in the sport. And at under 5 and a half feet tall, he’s as much as a full foot shorter than many of his competitors!
His height gave him a special advantage as his team’s libero, or back row defense. Sadly, his career was cut short by family difficulties, ending in 2014.
Taichirō Koga
Height: 5 feet 7 inches
Weight: 154 pounds
Spike: 115 inches
Playing the role of libero for Japan’s men’s national volleyball team, Taichirō Koga has been instrumental in leading his country to victory in three different national championships.
With over 150 matches under his belt in 29 different tournaments, this young but seasoned player has a long and promising career ahead of him.
Matías Sánchez
Height: 5 feet 8 inches
Weight: 141 pounds
Spike: 120 inches
Futbol might be the national sport of Venezuela, but Matías Sánchez chose to take his athletic talents to the volleyball court as an expert setter. He’s achieved such skill in this position, in fact, that he’s won the “best setter” award eight times over.
Right now, he’s pulling double duty as part of both the Argentine men’s national volleyball team and the French club Tourcoing LM.
Masahiro Sekita
Height: 5 feet 9 inches
Weight: 159 pounds
Spike: 122 inches
Tokyo-based Masahiro Sekita is a setter who plays for both the Japan men’s national volleyball team and the Osaka Sakai Blazers.
With a career that only started in 2016, he hasn’t had much time to compete in tournaments outside of his home country. Look for more great work from Sekita as his skills grow and mature.
Francisco Ruiz
Height: 5 feet 10 inches
Weight: 165 pounds
Spike: 135 inches
Born and raised in Madrid, Spain, Francisco Ruiz plays as an outside spiker for Spain’s men’s national volleyball team. His nimble footwork and impressive vertical have made him quite the asset for his team, but a lack of experience means he is yet to appear in a national tournament.
Lucas Provenzano João de Deus
Height: 5 feet 10 inches
Weight: 148 pounds
Spike: 119 inches
The only Brazilian to make this list, Lucas Provenzano João de Deus is an olympic-caliber libero who plays for Sada Cruzeiro Vôlei. When he’s not playing volleyball, you’ll find him having fun with Brazil’s national sport — futbol.
Closing Thoughts: Average Height of Men’s Volleyball Players
Did you know that the average height of a men’s volleyball player is a little over 6’1”? That really puts into perspective how great the accomplishments of these shorter volleyball players are.
Even with the odds stacked against them, their athletic prowess and strategic thinking have allowed them to succeed in their chosen sport. And really, that’s more impressive than winning the genetic lottery, isn’t it?
That’s very impressive. They beat the odds and worked very hard to get where they are. It’s too bad schools restrict sports teams to taller people. It would be great if they let shorter people form their own teams.