Ai Hirota

Ai Hirota
Personal information
Nationality	Japanese
Born	August 23, 2003 (age 23); Chiba Prefecture, Japan
Height	175 cm (5 ft 9 in)
Volleyball information
Position	Outside hitter
Current club	NEC Red Rockets Kawasaki
Career
Years	Team
2022–	NEC Red Rockets Kawasaki
National team
Years	Team
2019	Japan U18
2023	Japan U21
2025–	Japan
Honours
Women's volleyball
Representing Japan
Asian Games

Ai Hirota (Japanese: 廣田あい, born 23 August 2003) is a Japanese volleyball player who plays as an outside hitter for NEC Red Rockets Kawasaki in the Japanese professional volleyball league and the Japan women's national volleyball team. She represented Japan at the 2023 FIVB Volleyball Women's U21 World Championship and was selected for the senior national team in 2025. Hirota won a silver medal with Japan at the 2026 Asian Games.

Early life

Hirota was born in Chiba Prefecture, Japan. She began playing volleyball as a young child, influenced by her older brother and sister, who also played the sport. She joined the Tokyo-based youth club Higashikanamachi Beavers and later attended Bunkyo Gakuin University Girls' Junior and Senior High School in Tokyo. During her junior career, she won national competitions and represented Tokyo in the JOC Cup.

Career

Club career

After graduating from Bunkyo Gakuin University Girls' High School, Hirota joined NEC Red Rockets in April 2022. She plays primarily as an outside hitter and is also capable of playing as an opposite hitter. Her attacking game includes powerful spikes and back-row attacks.

Hirota continued with NEC Red Rockets Kawasaki following the introduction of the SV.League in 2024. She was named vice-captain of the team for the 2026–27 season.

Junior international career

Hirota represented Japan at the 2019 FIVB Volleyball Women's U18 World Championship in Egypt. In 2023, she was selected for Japan's squad at the 2023 FIVB Volleyball Women's U21 World Championship in Mexico, where Japan finished fourth.

Senior international career

In July 2025, Hirota was added to the Japan women's senior national-team roster. She subsequently represented Japan in an invitational series against South Korea in August 2025. Her selection followed a period in which injuries had limited her appearances for NEC during the latter part of the preceding club season.

Hirota was included in Japan's roster for the 2026 international season, including the 2026 FIVB Volleyball Women's Nations League. She was also selected for the women's volleyball tournament at the 2026 Asian Games.

At the 2026 Asian Games in Aichi and Nagoya, Japan, Hirota was part of the Japanese women's team that won the silver medal. Japan defeated South Korea in the semifinal to reach the final, where it faced China. Japan finished as runner-up after losing the final, with China taking the gold medal and Thailand winning bronze.

References

1 2 3 4 "廣田あい" [Ai Hirota] (in Japanese). NEC Red Rockets Kawasaki. Retrieved 9 October 2026.
↑ "廣田あい" [Ai Hirota] (in Japanese). Japanese Olympic Committee. Retrieved 9 October 2026.
1 2 "新人選手インタビュー廣田あい『バレーボールを通じて感謝の気持ちを伝えたい』" [Rookie player interview: Ai Hirota wants to express gratitude through volleyball] (in Japanese). NEC Red Rockets Kawasaki. 14 June 2022. Retrieved 9 October 2026.
↑ "第22回世界U21女子選手権大会" [22nd Women's U21 World Championship] (in Japanese). Japan Volleyball Association. Retrieved 9 October 2026.
↑ "社員アスリート・廣田あい、日本代表へ。NECが支える挑戦" [Employee-athlete Ai Hirota joins the national team] (in Japanese). NEC Solution Innovators. 9 October 2025. Retrieved 9 October 2026.
↑ "2026年度女子日本代表" [2026 Japan women's national team] (in Japanese). Japan Volleyball Association. Retrieved 9 October 2026.
↑ "第20回アジア競技大会（2026／愛知・名古屋）" [20th Asian Games, Aichi–Nagoya 2026] (in Japanese). Japan Volleyball Association. Retrieved 9 October 2026.
↑ "廣田あい" [Ai Hirota – Asian Games results] (in Japanese). Japanese Olympic Committee. Retrieved 9 October 2026.
↑ "Thailand pick up Asian Games women's bronze with Empowerment". Fédération Internationale de Volleyball. 23 September 2026. Retrieved 9 October 2026.

External links

Profile at NEC Red Rockets Kawasaki
Profile at the Japanese Olympic Committee
Profile at Volleyball World
Profile at the SV.League

[NEC-1] 1 2 3 4 "廣田あい" [Ai Hirota] (in Japanese). NEC Red Rockets Kawasaki. Retrieved 9 October 2026.

[JOC-2] "廣田あい" [Ai Hirota] (in Japanese). Japanese Olympic Committee. Retrieved 9 October 2026.

[NECInterview-3] 1 2 "新人選手インタビュー廣田あい『バレーボールを通じて感謝の気持ちを伝えたい』" [Rookie player interview: Ai Hirota wants to express gratitude through volleyball] (in Japanese). NEC Red Rockets Kawasaki. 14 June 2022. Retrieved 9 October 2026.

[JVAU21-4] "第22回世界U21女子選手権大会" [22nd Women's U21 World Championship] (in Japanese). Japan Volleyball Association. Retrieved 9 October 2026.

[NECCorporate-5] "社員アスリート・廣田あい、日本代表へ。NECが支える挑戦" [Employee-athlete Ai Hirota joins the national team] (in Japanese). NEC Solution Innovators. 9 October 2025. Retrieved 9 October 2026.

[JVA2026-6] "2026年度女子日本代表" [2026 Japan women's national team] (in Japanese). Japan Volleyball Association. Retrieved 9 October 2026.

[JVAAsian-7] "第20回アジア競技大会（2026／愛知・名古屋）" [20th Asian Games, Aichi–Nagoya 2026] (in Japanese). Japan Volleyball Association. Retrieved 9 October 2026.

[JOCAsian-8] "廣田あい" [Ai Hirota – Asian Games results] (in Japanese). Japanese Olympic Committee. Retrieved 9 October 2026.

[FIVBAsian-9] "Thailand pick up Asian Games women's bronze with Empowerment". Fédération Internationale de Volleyball. 23 September 2026. Retrieved 9 October 2026.