By Bev Oden

The FloVolleyball Olympics Rankings will count down to the start of the indoor volleyball competition in Rio by highlighting one team per gender each day. Today, five days before the first serve, we profile the No. 5-ranked Italy men and Japan women.

COUNTRY: Japan

TOP PLAYERS

Yukiko Ebata, Outside Hitter
Japan's best scorer and best spiker at World Grand Prix

Haruyo Shimamura, Middle Blocker
Japan's third-best scorer and second-best server at World Grand Prix

Riho Ōtake, Middle Blocker
Japan's best blocker and best receiver at World Grand Prix

RISING STAR TO WATCH

Sarina Koga | 20 | Outside Hitter
Second-best scorer at World Grand Prix

SYNOPSIS

Japan has participated in almost every Olympic Games with the exception of 1980 and 2000. Rio will be its 12th appearance, and along the way, the team has earned six medals: the inaugural gold in 1964 and another in 1976, silver in 1968 and 1972, and bronze in Seoul in 1988. A victory over Korea in the 2012 bronze-medal match marked Japan's first Olympic podium appearance in 24 years.

The Japan women claimed their place in Rio as the top-ranked Asian team at the World Olympic Qualifier. They finished third at that tournament with a 5-2 record behind Italy and the Netherlands. But Japan's World Grand Prix results have been less than stellar in recent years. It finished sixth in the 2015 World Grand Prix by making it to the final round, but losing every match against the top teams. This year, it went 3-6 in the preliminary round, and did not make the final.

Only one player on the Japanese team is over six feet tall, and the bulk of the team is under 5-10, so it doesn't match up well with the top teams. Japan remains competitive by controlling the ball and going for good touches on the block. Its hitters excel at seeing the block, hitting around it and strategically placing their attacks.

PREDICTION

Japan will beat Cameroon, but that is its only sure win in the pool. Korea bested Japan in the Olympic qualifier, so it should be motivated to avenge that loss. The Korea match will be the telltale sign of whether Japan is on its game in Rio. If it is and it can beat Argentina, it will head to the quarterfinals in good shape. But a loss to Argentina means a draw in the quarterfinals that Japan will not be able to handle. This team will most likely exit the competition in the quarterfinals.

FloVolleyball Women's 2016 Olympics Rankings

12. Cameroon

11. Puerto Rico

10. Argentina

9. Korea

8. The Netherlands

7. Italy

6. Serbia

5. Japan