Rikuto Goto is piling up blocks at the Asian Games — and led Japanese outside hitters!
Rikuto Goto has been catching the eye with repeated blocks at the Asian Games.
Does the 187 cm Tokyo Great Bears outside hitter also stop opponents in Japan’s top domestic league?
Compare the 2025–26 regular-season records of Japanese outside hitters on 2026–27 top-league rosters, limited to players who appeared in at least 100 sets last season.
Leading Japanese outside hitters in total blocks and blocks per set
Goto recorded 47 blocks in 152 regular-season sets, averaging 0.309 per set. Among Japanese outside hitters who played at least 100 sets, he led both total blocks and blocks per set.
Here are the leading Japanese outside hitters:
Rikuto Goto (187 cm) | 152 sets / 47 blocks / 0.309 per set Kenya Fujinaka (188 cm) | 166 sets / 45 blocks / 0.271 per set Shoma Tomita (190 cm) | 154 sets / 38 blocks / 0.247 per set Tobias Shigeto (191 cm) | 130 sets / 30 blocks / 0.231 per set Yushi Kudo (190 cm) | 146 sets / 33 blocks / 0.226 per set Kenta Takanashi (190 cm) | 147 sets / 33 blocks / 0.224 per set
Comparison: outside hitters on 2026–27 rosters who played at least 100 sets in the 2025–26 regular season, ordered by blocks per set. The comparison including overseas players uses the same conditions.
Goto leads both in the raw total and after accounting for sets played. He is the shortest of these six players, yet has the highest blocking figures.
Fourth even with overseas outside hitters included
Among outside hitters who played at least 100 sets, Goto also ranks near the top when overseas players are included.
Egor Kliuka | 65 blocks / 131 sets / 0.496 per set Torey DeFalco | 51 blocks / 127 sets / 0.402 per set Luciano Vicentin | 49 blocks / 142 sets / 0.345 per set Rikuto Goto | 47 blocks / 152 sets / 0.309 per set Tommaso Rinaldi | 44 blocks / 147 sets / 0.299 per set
First among Japanese outside hitters. Fourth with overseas players included. At 187 cm, Goto is making his presence felt at the net.
Blocks per set rose by about 22%
2024–25 | 174 sets / 44 blocks / 0.253 per set 2025–26 | 152 sets / 47 blocks / 0.309 per set
Both figures cover the regular season.
Goto played 22 fewer sets but added three blocks. His blocks per set increased by approximately 22%.
Three or more blocks in five matches
He recorded four blocks against Toray Shizuoka on October 25, 2025, and another four against VC Nagano on December 28.
He also recorded three against Wolfdogs Nagoya on January 10, 2026, Toray Shizuoka on March 21 and Nippon Steel Sakai Blazers on March 28. That makes five matches with at least three blocks last season.
Goto’s blocking has drawn attention at the Asian Games.
His league record already placed him at the top of Japanese outside hitters under this comparison. Alongside his attack, watch how he builds on those 47 blocks in 2026–27.