University of Minnesota Athletics
Players Mentioned
Outside/Opposite
/ Volleyball
Photo by: Brad Rempel
Gopher Spotlight: Airi Miyabe
11/13/2021 1:00:00 PM | Volleyball
The redshirt senior from Osaka, Japan is having a career year in Minnesota
Airi Miyabe is a redshirt senior outside from Osaka, Japan. She's tallied 289 kills (2.13 k/s) over her three year Gophers career since transferring from College of Southern Idaho. Miyabe is having a career year at Minnesota, posting 2.85 kills per set in 18 matches. She's majoring in asian & middle eastern studies.
GS: What sports did you play growing up?
AM: Before I played volleyball I played tennis just for fun. But then one day a local team needed another player to play in a tournament so I joined the team. I wanted to quit right after, but then they wouldn't be able to compete. My other friend also joined the team, so there was no quitting after that.
GS: Why did you think you wanted to quit?
AM: I was never big into sports or competing as a little kid. I usually liked to be inside and I read a lot of books. Volleyball was just something I wasn't very familiar with.
GS: When did you decide you really enjoyed it and wanted to keep playing?
AM: It was after I got my friend to play with me and I got close with my other teammates. I kept going to practice to hang out with them, and volleyball was really second on my mind. I just liked being around my friends. Our team was really bad at first, but we got a new coach and started competing much harder. I had a lot of fun and it got more serious after that.
GS: When did you start to think about playing volleyball in college?
AM: After elementary school, I went to middle school and then high school, and the schools were like volleyball schools. I got selected to the women's national team in Japan and started playing against teams from China, Italy and everywhere else. It really opened my eyes to the fact that there was good volleyball players all over the world. I then thought about leaving Japan to play.
GS: What made you end up at College of Southern Idaho?
AM: One of the national team coaches had a connection with the coaches at CSI. I emailed them and sent my film to the coaches and that's how the conversation started.
GS: What was it like having to learn English along with playing volleyball and taking college classes?
AM: It was tough. I knew a little bit of English but not too much. I really had to teach myself so I can apply it to my daily life. It was a lot.
GS: What was your experience like at College of Southern Idaho, winning a national championship?
AM: My first year, we finished in second place (at the NJCAA National Championships). But after the season, our coach Heidi [Cartisser] passed away. It was really sad and hard to handle. But our team really came together and played for her. Our team had a really strong will and goal to achieve a championship that next year, and we did it.
GS: What was it like adjusting to playing at Minnesota?
AM: Every one of my teammates is a stud. When I first got here, I was like 'what did I get myself into?' My teammates are just so good. I'm so grateful having them as my teammates. One thing I worked on these past few years is being a good teammate. I wasn't playing much last spring, but I just wanted to do whatever it takes to win, both on and off the court. At the beginning of this year, I didn't play much, but I just wanted to be there to support my teammates no matter what.
GS: Do you ever get any anxiety or feel pressure playing on such a good team?
AM: I think that people who come to see us play [at Maturi Pavilion] want to see us play well and win. The expectation is to win, so there is a little pressure there. But at the same time, it's great to have fans there that cheer for us and support us no matter what. It's exciting to have that here.
GS: What parts of your game have improved the most at Minnesota?
AM: I came here as an outside, but in my first year I played right side. Then last year I played as a middle before adjusting to being an outside again this year. I'm capable of playing whatever position I'm needed to play. So that's helped my confidence being able to play in many different spots.
GS: How do you feel like the team is playing right now heading towards the end of the season?
AM: I think we're in a really good spot. We've lost a couple games, but we've beat some really good teams in the Big Ten lately. We're gaining confidence and keep learning about what we need to do to win each game.
GS: How does your family feel about watching you play in college?
AM: They love it. They usually watch every game online and support me. Because of COVID, they weren't able to come see me play in Minnesota, but I know they're watching.
GS: What comes next for you after college volleyball ends?
AM: I don't know. It depends how we end the season, but I'm hoping to play volleyball somewhere after this season. We'll see!
GS: What sports did you play growing up?
AM: Before I played volleyball I played tennis just for fun. But then one day a local team needed another player to play in a tournament so I joined the team. I wanted to quit right after, but then they wouldn't be able to compete. My other friend also joined the team, so there was no quitting after that.
GS: Why did you think you wanted to quit?
AM: I was never big into sports or competing as a little kid. I usually liked to be inside and I read a lot of books. Volleyball was just something I wasn't very familiar with.
GS: When did you decide you really enjoyed it and wanted to keep playing?
AM: It was after I got my friend to play with me and I got close with my other teammates. I kept going to practice to hang out with them, and volleyball was really second on my mind. I just liked being around my friends. Our team was really bad at first, but we got a new coach and started competing much harder. I had a lot of fun and it got more serious after that.
GS: When did you start to think about playing volleyball in college?
AM: After elementary school, I went to middle school and then high school, and the schools were like volleyball schools. I got selected to the women's national team in Japan and started playing against teams from China, Italy and everywhere else. It really opened my eyes to the fact that there was good volleyball players all over the world. I then thought about leaving Japan to play.
GS: What made you end up at College of Southern Idaho?
AM: One of the national team coaches had a connection with the coaches at CSI. I emailed them and sent my film to the coaches and that's how the conversation started.
GS: What was it like having to learn English along with playing volleyball and taking college classes?
AM: It was tough. I knew a little bit of English but not too much. I really had to teach myself so I can apply it to my daily life. It was a lot.
GS: What was your experience like at College of Southern Idaho, winning a national championship?
AM: My first year, we finished in second place (at the NJCAA National Championships). But after the season, our coach Heidi [Cartisser] passed away. It was really sad and hard to handle. But our team really came together and played for her. Our team had a really strong will and goal to achieve a championship that next year, and we did it.
GS: What was it like adjusting to playing at Minnesota?
AM: Every one of my teammates is a stud. When I first got here, I was like 'what did I get myself into?' My teammates are just so good. I'm so grateful having them as my teammates. One thing I worked on these past few years is being a good teammate. I wasn't playing much last spring, but I just wanted to do whatever it takes to win, both on and off the court. At the beginning of this year, I didn't play much, but I just wanted to be there to support my teammates no matter what.
GS: Do you ever get any anxiety or feel pressure playing on such a good team?
AM: I think that people who come to see us play [at Maturi Pavilion] want to see us play well and win. The expectation is to win, so there is a little pressure there. But at the same time, it's great to have fans there that cheer for us and support us no matter what. It's exciting to have that here.
GS: What parts of your game have improved the most at Minnesota?
AM: I came here as an outside, but in my first year I played right side. Then last year I played as a middle before adjusting to being an outside again this year. I'm capable of playing whatever position I'm needed to play. So that's helped my confidence being able to play in many different spots.
GS: How do you feel like the team is playing right now heading towards the end of the season?
AM: I think we're in a really good spot. We've lost a couple games, but we've beat some really good teams in the Big Ten lately. We're gaining confidence and keep learning about what we need to do to win each game.
GS: How does your family feel about watching you play in college?
AM: They love it. They usually watch every game online and support me. Because of COVID, they weren't able to come see me play in Minnesota, but I know they're watching.
GS: What comes next for you after college volleyball ends?
AM: I don't know. It depends how we end the season, but I'm hoping to play volleyball somewhere after this season. We'll see!
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