Nichika Yamada (山田二千華; born February 24, 2000) is a Japanese volleyball player from Toyota, Aichi, who plays as a middle blocker. Standing 184 cm, she has spent her entire senior club career with NEC Red Rockets, now NEC Red Rockets Kawasaki, after joining directly from Toyohashi Chuo High School in 2018. She has represented Japan across two Olympic Games and remains part of the senior national-team program in 2026.
Yamada’s early international career included an unusual double in 2019: she helped Japan win its first Women’s U20 World Championship and then won the senior Asian Championship weeks later, earning Best Middle Blocker at the continental tournament. She later represented Japan at Tokyo 2020 and Paris 2024, won silver at the 2024 Volleyball Nations League and reached the 2025 World Championship semifinals.
With NEC, Yamada has been part of consecutive league-and-cup doubles, Asian club titles and the transition from the V.League era into the SV.League. She captained NEC during the 2025–26 season and finished that campaign by helping the club win the 2026 AVC Women’s Champions League, where she was again named Best Middle Blocker.
Player Information
| Field | Details |
|---|---|
| Full Name | Nichika Yamada (山田 二千華) |
| Date of Birth | February 24, 2000 |
| Place of Birth | Toyota, Aichi, Japan |
| Nationality | Japanese |
| Position | Middle Blocker |
| Height | 184 cm |
| Weight | 73 kg |
| Spike Reach | 310 cm |
| Block Reach | 288 cm |
| Dominant Hand | Right |
| Standing Reach | 233 cm |
| High School | Toyohashi Chuo High School |
| Previous Club Name | NEC Red Rockets |
| Current Club | NEC Red Rockets Kawasaki |
| Club Number | 1 |
| National Team | Japan Women’s National Volleyball Team |
| National-Team Number | 11 during the 2026 international season |
| Court Names | Hana, Nichika |
| @0224_nichika |
Yamada’s current NEC profile lists her at 184 cm with a 310 cm maximum reach. Her 2026 national-team profile adds a 288 cm block reach, while player-database records list her as right-handed and around 73 kg.
Her Instagram account can be traced through public athlete material from both Toyohashi City and Kanagawa Prefecture, which identify @0224_nichika as her official account.
Early Life & Volleyball Beginnings
Yamada was born in Toyota, Aichi Prefecture, and attended Miyama Elementary School before moving to Aizuma Junior High School and Toyohashi Chuo High School. Unlike many elite Japanese players who begin in elementary-school volleyball programs, she says she started playing at age 13.
Her parents were the reason she entered the sport. On NEC’s current player questionnaire, Yamada identifies them directly when asked what prompted her to begin volleyball. Height quickly pushed her toward middle blocker, a position she describes with characteristic simplicity as one that involves “constantly jumping.”
Toyohashi Chuo became the setting for her development into a national-level prospect. She played middle blocker from her first year of high school and helped the school return to the national Spring High stage. Her youth international career developed in parallel, including gold at the 2017 Asian Girls’ U18 Championship.
By her final high-school season, NEC had already decided to bring her into its senior structure. A January 2018 signing report recorded NEC’s decision to recruit Yamada from Toyohashi Chuo, highlighting her height, attacking potential and existing youth international experience. Her official league registration became effective during 2018, and she has remained with the same organization ever since.
That continuity would eventually become one of the defining features of her club career: Yamada entered NEC as a teenager and developed from a youth international into an Olympian, club captain and Asian club champion without changing teams.
Club Career
Learning the Senior Game at NEC
Yamada joined NEC Red Rockets in 2018 while still transitioning out of high-school volleyball. The first seasons were developmental. She had the physical tools to compete as a middle blocker but was entering a squad with experienced senior players and a much higher tactical demand in blocking, transition and first-tempo timing.
Her own memory of the beginning is understated. NEC’s current questionnaire lists her Red Rockets debut as probably October 19, 2019. Whatever the exact emotional details of that first appearance—Yamada jokes that she does not remember them—the period marked her shift from national youth prospect into senior professional competition.
The club environment soon overlapped with increasingly important international duties. By 2019, Yamada was already playing major tournaments for Japan, first at U20 level and then at the Asian Championship. From that point forward, much of her development took place through the combination of NEC’s domestic season and Japan’s international calendar.
The 2022–23 Double and a Five-Set Championship
NEC’s 2022–23 season became Yamada’s first major domestic championship chapter. In December 2022, the club won the Empress’s Cup for the first time, beating Toray Arrows 3–1 in the final.
The league campaign required a more difficult route. NEC finished only fourth in the regular round but advanced through the Final Four and reached the championship match against Toray. The 2023 V.League final went five sets, with NEC surviving a comeback after winning the first two sets and eventually taking the tie-break 16–14.
That match remains particularly important to Yamada personally. When asked by former Japan captain Erika Araki about the happiest match of her career, Yamada chose the 2023 V.League final.
The victory completed NEC’s first league-and-Empress’s Cup double. For Yamada, it also marked a shift from being a player developing inside NEC’s established structure to being part of a championship core.
Back-to-Back Double in 2023–24
The following season proved that the 2022–23 success was not a one-off. NEC won the Empress’s Cup again, then reached another V.League final after an 18–4 regular round.
Facing an unbeaten JT Marvelous team in the championship match, NEC won 3–1. The club’s 2023–24 title report recorded a second consecutive league championship and a second consecutive domestic double.
NEC described the achievement as the first back-to-back double in club history. Yamada had now been part of consecutive championship seasons while also carrying an expanding workload with Japan.
This period mattered because the club’s success no longer depended on one short competitive window. Yamada was contributing within a group able to sustain elite results across multiple seasons, and the experience of repeated finals helped shape the calmness she later identified as one of her strengths under pressure.
Asian Club Champion in 2024
After the domestic double, NEC moved into continental competition. In September 2024, the club went unbeaten at the Asian Women’s Club Championship in Thailand and won the tournament.
NEC’s Asian Club Championship report confirmed the title and qualification for the Club World Championship. The tournament also extended a period in which NEC’s domestic success was translating into international club competition.
Yamada’s place within this squad came after a demanding international summer that had included the VNL and Paris Olympics. Returning from national-team duty and then immediately entering a championship club cycle required another transition in setter connection, blocking responsibilities and team rhythm.
The First SV.League Season
The 2024–25 season introduced Japan’s new SV.League format and a substantially longer schedule. Yamada played 48 matches and 180 sets across the full season, producing 386 points.
Her official league record shows 264 attack points, 82 blocks and 40 service aces. She converted attacks at 43.1% and averaged 0.46 block points per set.
The serve numbers were particularly notable. Forty aces from a middle blocker reflected an area of Yamada’s game that had developed significantly over time rather than a skill she had always considered natural.
NEC reached the inaugural SV.League final but finished runner-up. The result ended the club’s run of consecutive league championships, yet Yamada’s individual workload showed that she remained central to NEC through the transition into the new competition format.
Captaincy in 2025–26
A major role change arrived before the 2025–26 season. NEC named Yamada its new captain, giving her formal responsibility for leading a roster trying to respond to the disappointment of the previous year’s final.
The captaincy added another layer to a club relationship that had already lasted nearly eight years. Yamada was no longer simply one of NEC’s internationally experienced players; she was responsible for helping shape the direction of the group through a long SV.League season.
NEC performed strongly in the regular season, finishing first with a 36–8 record. Yamada played 42 matches and 150 sets across all championship stages, scoring 330 points: 233 in attack, 75 from blocks and 22 from serve.
Her 75 blocks equated to 0.50 per set, while her attack efficiency finished at 42.8%. The numbers reinforced the two areas most closely associated with her current profile—blocking and serving—without reducing her to a specialist in either.
The postseason brought frustration. NEC advanced through the quarterfinals but lost to Osaka Marvelous in the semifinals and finished third overall. The club had also lost the Empress’s Cup final earlier in the season, leaving a team that had dominated much of the regular calendar without the domestic title it wanted.
That difficult finish became more meaningful because NEC’s season did not end there.
2026 Asian Champions League: Captain to Continental Champion
NEC entered the 2026 AVC Women’s Champions League in Thailand shortly after the SV.League playoffs. The competition offered both a trophy and qualification for the Club World Championship.
Yamada produced one of the strongest short-tournament attacking runs of her club career. Volleyball World’s Champions League player statistics record 24 points in three matches, including 20 attacks at 62.5% efficiency, two blocks and two aces.
She scored 10 attack points against Zhetysu in the semifinal and then contributed 11 points in the final against Nakhon Ratchasima, including seven attacks, two blocks and two aces.
NEC won the tournament, and Yamada was selected as Best Middle Blocker. The FIVB championship report placed her in the tournament Dream Team alongside NEC teammates Yoshino Sato, Sylvia Nwakalor and Tsukasa Nakagawa.
For Yamada, the title completed an unusual captaincy season. NEC had missed the domestic championship despite winning the regular season, but the team recovered quickly enough to finish the campaign as Asian champion.
Club Career Timeline
| Seasons | Team | Country |
|---|---|---|
| 2018–present | NEC Red Rockets / NEC Red Rockets Kawasaki | Japan |
The single-club timeline looks simple, but the competitive context changed considerably across Yamada’s tenure: V.League prospect, national-team regular, domestic double winner, SV.League captain and Asian club champion.
National Team Career
Youth Success and the 2019 U20 World Title
Yamada’s international career began before her senior national-team years. She won the Asian U18 Championship with Japan in 2017 and continued into the U20 generation that would produce several future senior internationals.
The defining youth result came in Mexico in 2019. Japan reached the Women’s U20 World Championship final against Italy and lost the opening two sets.
Japan then completed a five-set comeback, winning 3–2 to claim the country’s first title in the competition. Volleyball World’s final report credited Yamada with 12 points in the championship match.
The importance of that tournament extended beyond the trophy. Mayu Ishikawa, Tsukasa Nakagawa, Nichika Yamada, Ayaka Araki and several other members of the squad later moved into senior international volleyball. The U20 title became an early marker for a generation that would help reshape Japan’s women’s team through the following Olympic cycles.
Asian Champion and Best Middle Blocker in 2019
Only weeks later, Yamada was part of a young Japan team at the senior Asian Championship in Seoul.
Japan reached the final against Thailand and won 3–1. The Japan Volleyball Association’s championship report specifically noted Yamada’s contribution to Japan’s third-set comeback, when her attacking helped reverse a trailing position.
She finished the tournament as Best Middle Blocker.
The sequence was exceptional: within roughly a month, a 19-year-old Yamada had won a world title at U20 level, moved into senior continental competition, won another gold medal and collected an individual positional award.
Japan’s later annual national-team records list 2020 as the beginning of her regular senior-team registration, but 2019 had already demonstrated that she could contribute in a senior international tournament.
Tokyo 2020: First Olympic Games
Yamada remained in Japan’s plans through the postponed Tokyo Olympic cycle. She earned a place on the final 12-player Olympic roster in 2021.
Before the Games, Yamada described her high contact point as an attacking strength while identifying blocking judgment and the speed of her connection with the setter as development priorities.
Her Olympic selection came at age 21, making her one of the younger players on Japan’s roster. The team ultimately finished tenth.
Tokyo was important less because of the final placing than because it established Yamada as an Olympic-level middle at the beginning of her twenties. The experience became the starting point for a much larger national-team role over the next cycle.
World Championship and the Paris Cycle
Yamada remained part of Japan’s senior program after Tokyo and competed at the 2022 World Championship. Japan reached the quarterfinal stage, giving her another major-event experience outside the Olympic environment.
The Paris qualification cycle then increased the pressure on Japan’s middle-blocker group. Yamada competed through the 2023 Olympic qualification tournament and remained in the core for 2024.
Her development during this period was not limited to blocking and first-tempo attack. Serving became a more deliberate weapon, while she continued refining the speed and width of her broad attack.
Historic 2024 VNL Silver
Japan’s 2024 Volleyball Nations League run produced its first medal in the women’s VNL era.
Yamada appeared in six matches and scored 35 points: 26 from attack, five from blocks and four from serve. Her attack efficiency was listed at 44.07%.
Japan advanced all the way to the final before losing to Italy and taking silver. The result gave Yamada her first senior global medal and provided momentum immediately before the Paris Olympic Games.
The tournament also reflected how Japan used its middle blockers selectively. Yamada did not need a huge scoring volume in every match; her value came from creating credible first-tempo pressure, serving aggressively and giving Japan another blocking option against physically larger opponents.
Paris 2024: A Second Olympics
Yamada was selected for Paris 2024, becoming a two-time Olympian at age 24.
She appeared in all three of Japan’s matches and scored 17 points, including 10 attack points, five blocks and two aces. Volleyball World’s Olympic player record shows six points against Kenya and regular use across Japan’s preliminary-round campaign.
Japan finished ninth and did not reach the knockout stage. Yamada later identified the Brazil match in Paris as one of the most frustrating games of her career.
That disappointment became part of the context for the next cycle rather than an end point. Yamada remained with the national team in 2025 and 2026.
2025 World Championship Final Four
Japan reached another significant international stage at the 2025 World Championship in Thailand.
Yamada was part of the squad as Japan advanced through the knockout phase and reached the semifinals. Türkiye ended Japan’s run in the semifinal, and Brazil won the five-set bronze-medal match, leaving Japan fourth.
The result was Japan’s best World Championship finish in years and extended Yamada’s major-event résumé beyond the two Olympic appearances.
By this stage, she was no longer one of the young players simply trying to establish herself. She had become an experienced middle within a national-team group undergoing another generational transition.
2026 VNL: Serving and Blocking Responsibility
Yamada remained No. 11 for Japan during the 2026 Volleyball Nations League and played a substantial role across the campaign.
Her official VNL statistics list 59 points: 44 attacks, eight blocks and seven service aces.
The seven aces are particularly relevant to her development. Serving had become an area she deliberately worked to turn from a weakness into a source of pressure, and by 2026 it was contributing direct points at international level.
She scored nine points against Brazil in the Finals, including six attacks, two blocks and an ace. Japan’s campaign ended before the medal matches, but Yamada’s role remained broader than simply running quick attacks.
Asian Championship Bronze and a Different Rotation Role
Japan continued from the VNL into the 2026 Asian Championship in Tianjin.
Yamada was again on the roster as No. 11, but her workload was more rotational than in the VNL. Volleyball World lists 13 tournament points: 12 from attack and one ace.
Japan lost to Thailand in the semifinal before defeating Iran 3–0 in the bronze-medal match.
The tournament illustrates an important distinction in Yamada’s national-team progression. Being a veteran international did not guarantee the same workload at every competition; Japan continued rotating middle blockers depending on matchup, form and tactical priorities.
2026 Asian Games Silver
Yamada closed the major 2026 international calendar at the Asian Games in Aichi-Nagoya, competing close to her home region in Aichi Prefecture.
Japan advanced through the tournament and defeated South Korea 3–0 in the semifinal. In the final, China won 3–0, leaving Japan with silver.
The Japanese Olympic Committee records Yamada as an Asian Games silver medalist.
By the end of 2026, Yamada’s international résumé included two Olympics, a U20 world title, Asian Championship gold, VNL silver, World Championship final-four experience and an Asian Games silver medal.
Playing Style & Strengths
Yamada’s game is built around a wider skill set than first-tempo attacking alone. On NEC’s current profile, she describes her own strength as being able to contribute in a balanced way across different phases of play. The club highlights blocking, serving and her ability to read opposing movement as central parts of her current identity.
Her attack is most distinctive when she uses width. In a Number interview with Erika Araki, Yamada identified the longest version of the one-leg broad attack—running toward the antenna—as her preferred attacking pattern.
That movement matters tactically because it forces the opposing middle blocker to cover a larger section of the net. Yamada is not restricted to a quick directly in front of the setter; when the passing structure allows it, she can stretch the middle-blocking assignment horizontally and help open space for other attackers.
Her physical profile supports that attacking range. At 184 cm with a 310 cm spike reach, she has enough contact height to compete internationally without being exceptionally tall for the position.
Yamada herself emphasized contact point before the Tokyo Olympics. She said her high attacking point had held up during the VNL but wanted to add more speed and improve the precision of her connection with Japan’s setters. That combination—height plus tempo—has remained important throughout her senior career.
Blocking has developed into another defining strength. NEC describes Yamada as a middle who reads opposing movement and can change momentum with blocks in important situations.
The statistics support that description. She recorded 82 blocks across the 2024–25 SV.League season and another 75 in 2025–26. During the 2026 VNL she added eight international block points.
Yamada has also continued to treat blocking as a skill still under development rather than a finished part of her game. On NEC’s current questionnaire, she names blocking as the area she most wants to improve.
Serving may be the clearest example of technical growth. Yamada told Number that serving was not originally one of her strengths. Over time she changed her serving process, including moving from a one-handed toss to a two-handed toss, and began approaching the skill with a more positive mentality.
The effect became visible statistically. She produced 40 aces across the 2024–25 SV.League season, 22 more in 2025–26 and seven during the 2026 VNL.
That gives Yamada an unusual secondary scoring route for a middle blocker. Her serve is not merely a rotation to survive before returning to the front row; it can directly score or disrupt first contact.
Teammate Kasumi Nojima offered another useful perspective in a 2025 SV.League feature. Nojima described Yamada as one of NEC’s strongest blockers and emphasized her ability to remain calm when combinations are not working smoothly. She also highlighted Yamada’s capacity to produce a block or serve when NEC needs one point to change momentum.
That composure fits Yamada’s own match focus. She says she tries to keep thinking about what should happen next rather than remaining fixed on the previous play.
The overall profile is therefore broader than a textbook middle-blocker description. Yamada’s best evidence points to four connected strengths: a long broad attack, improved read blocking, a serve that has developed into a real scoring tool and enough emotional stability to keep those skills available in pressure moments.
Major Achievements
Selected National Team Honors
| Year | Competition | Result |
|---|---|---|
| 2017 | Asian Girls’ U18 Championship | Gold medal |
| 2019 | FIVB Women’s U20 World Championship | Gold medal |
| 2019 | Asian Women’s Championship | Gold medal |
| 2021 | Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games | 10th place |
| 2024 | Volleyball Nations League | Silver medal |
| 2024 | Paris Olympic Games | 9th place |
| 2025 | FIVB Women’s World Championship | 4th place |
| 2026 | Asian Women’s Championship | Bronze medal |
| 2026 | Asian Games | Silver medal |
The 2019 season remains one of the most distinctive parts of Yamada’s international record. Japan won both the U20 World Championship and the Asian Championship, with Yamada contributing 12 points in the U20 world final and later earning Best Middle Blocker at senior continental level.
Selected Club Honors
| Season / Year | Competition | Result |
|---|---|---|
| 2022 | Empress’s Cup | Champion |
| 2022–23 | V.League Division 1 Women | Champion |
| 2023 | Empress’s Cup | Champion |
| 2023–24 | V.League Division 1 Women | Champion |
| 2024 | Asian Women’s Club Championship | Champion |
| 2024–25 | SV.League Women | Runner-up |
| 2025–26 | SV.League Women Regular Season | 1st place |
| 2026 | AVC Women’s Champions League | Champion |
NEC’s club history records consecutive domestic doubles in 2022–23 and 2023–24, followed by the move into the SV.League era and another continental championship in 2026.
Selected Individual Awards
| Year | Competition | Award |
|---|---|---|
| 2019 | Asian Women’s Championship | Best Middle Blocker |
| 2026 | AVC Women’s Champions League | Best Middle Blocker |
Yamada’s two major international positional awards came seven years apart. The first arrived as a 19-year-old at the Asian Championship; the second came as NEC’s captain during the 2026 Asian Champions League.
Personal Life & Background
Yamada’s first connection to volleyball came through her parents. NEC’s current player questionnaire says she began the sport at age 13 because of them, making her relatively late to organized volleyball compared with many Japanese national-team players.
Her full given name, Nichika, also has a specific family meaning. In her Number interview, Yamada explained that because she was born in 2000, her family used the characters meaning “two thousand” in her name and added the character for “flower” or “splendor” with the hope that she would have a bright life.
Her path also retains a strong connection to Aichi. She was born in Toyota, attended Aizuma Junior High School and then moved to Toyohashi Chuo High School. Toyohashi City continues to recognize her as an athlete connected to the city through her school years.
Yamada is commonly called Hana or Nichika within volleyball. NEC currently lists both as court names.
Her own comments reveal a player who does not describe herself as naturally fearless. In club material, Yamada says she can be negative and nervous before matches. Rather than pretending those feelings do not exist, her routines are built around managing them: she focuses on not becoming isolated when nervous and tries to keep thinking about the next action.
She also identifies Brazilian middle blocker Carol Gattaz as a player she admires. The choice fits Yamada’s own development priorities, particularly blocking, movement and the ability to influence matches without relying only on attack volume.
Where Is Nichika Yamada Playing Now?
Yamada remains with NEC Red Rockets Kawasaki for the 2026–27 SV.League season and wears No. 1.
The current roster marks another leadership transition. Yamada captained NEC during 2025–26, but Tsukasa Nakagawa holds the captaincy for 2026–27, with Ai Hirota and Sylvia Nwakalor listed as vice captains.
That change does not reduce Yamada’s seniority within the group. She is now in her ninth season with NEC and is one of the roster’s most internationally experienced players, with two Olympics, multiple World Championships and a long national-team career.
Her most recent completed club campaign ended with the 2026 Asian Champions League title and Best Middle Blocker award. After that, she moved directly into Japan’s international schedule, playing the VNL, Asian Championship and Asian Games.
She remains part of Japan’s active senior program after the Asian Games silver medal and continues to wear No. 11 internationally.
Recent Performance Snapshot
| Competition / Period | Team | Performance |
|---|---|---|
| 2024–25 SV.League — All Stages | NEC Red Rockets Kawasaki | 48 matches, 180 sets, 386 points, 264 attacks, 82 blocks, 40 aces |
| 2025–26 SV.League — All Stages | NEC Red Rockets Kawasaki | 42 matches, 150 sets, 330 points, 233 attacks, 75 blocks, 22 aces |
| 2026 AVC Champions League | NEC Red Rockets Kawasaki | Champion; Best Middle Blocker; 24 points in 3 matches; 62.5% attack efficiency |
| 2026 Volleyball Nations League | Japan | 59 points: 44 attacks, 8 blocks, 7 aces |
| 2026 Asian Championship | Japan | Bronze medal; 13 points |
| 2026 Asian Games | Japan | Silver medal |
The completed 2025–26 club season shows how large Yamada’s workload remained even while captaining NEC. She appeared in 150 sets and produced 75 blocks, maintaining a substantial front-row role throughout a long domestic calendar.
Her Champions League performance provided a sharper short-tournament peak. She attacked at 62.5% and reached double figures in both the semifinal and final before receiving Best Middle Blocker.
The 2026 VNL then supplied a different indicator of her versatility: seven aces alongside eight blocks and 44 attack points. That distribution reflects the more rounded profile NEC has emphasized in recent seasons.
Her role changed during the Asian Championship, where Japan rotated its middle blockers more heavily, before she returned to the Asian Games squad that won silver on home soil in Aichi.
Frequently Asked Questions
How old is Nichika Yamada?
Nichika Yamada was born on February 24, 2000. She is 26 during the 2026–27 season.
Where is Nichika Yamada from?
Yamada is from Toyota, Aichi Prefecture, Japan. She attended Aizuma Junior High School and Toyohashi Chuo High School.
How tall is Nichika Yamada?
Yamada is 184 cm tall. Her listed spike reach is 310 cm and her block reach is 288 cm.
What position does Nichika Yamada play?
Yamada is a middle blocker. Her game combines broad first-tempo attacking, blocking and increasingly effective serving.
Which club does Nichika Yamada play for?
Yamada plays for NEC Red Rockets Kawasaki in Japan’s SV.League. She has been with the organization since joining from Toyohashi Chuo High School in 2018.
What number does Nichika Yamada wear?
She wears No. 1 for NEC Red Rockets Kawasaki and wore No. 11 for Japan throughout the 2026 international season.
Was Nichika Yamada an NEC captain?
Yes. NEC appointed Yamada captain for the 2025–26 season. Tsukasa Nakagawa became captain for 2026–27.
Has Nichika Yamada played at the Olympics?
Yes. Yamada represented Japan at both the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games, held in 2021, and the Paris 2024 Olympic Games.
Did Nichika Yamada win the U20 World Championship?
Yes. Yamada helped Japan win the 2019 FIVB Women’s U20 World Championship. She scored 12 points in the five-set final victory over Italy.
What is Nichika Yamada’s Instagram?
Her official Instagram account is @0224_nichika.
References
- NEC Red Rockets Kawasaki — Nichika Yamada official player profile
- NEC Red Rockets Kawasaki — 2025–26 captaincy announcement
- NEC Red Rockets Kawasaki — Current players and staff
- NEC Red Rockets Kawasaki — Club history
- NEC Red Rockets Kawasaki — 2023–24 V.League championship report
- NEC Red Rockets Kawasaki — 2024 Asian Women’s Club Championship title
- NEC Red Rockets Kawasaki — 2026 AVC Women’s Champions League title and awards
- FIVB — NEC Red Rockets Kawasaki crowned 2026 Asian women’s club champions
- SV.League — Nichika Yamada official player statistics
- Japan Volleyball Association — 2026 Japan Women’s National Team
- Japan Volleyball Association — 2026 Volleyball Nations League roster
- Volleyball World — Nichika Yamada 2026 VNL statistics
- Volleyball World — Nichika Yamada 2026 Asian Championship statistics
- Japan Volleyball Association — 2026 Asian Games results
- Japanese Olympic Committee — Nichika Yamada athlete profile
- Japanese Olympic Committee — Nichika Yamada at the 2026 Asian Games
- Japan Volleyball Association — Women’s Olympic roster archive
- Volleyball World — Nichika Yamada Paris 2024 Olympic statistics
- Volleyball World — Nichika Yamada 2024 VNL statistics
- Japan Volleyball Association — 2025 Women’s World Championship results
- Volleyball World — Japan wins the 2019 Women’s U20 World Championship
- Japan Volleyball Association — 2019 Women’s U20 World Championship roster
- Japan Volleyball Association — Japan wins the 2019 Asian Women’s Championship
- Monthly Volleyball — Nichika Yamada 2026 Japan national-team profile
- Toyohashi City — Nichika Yamada athlete profile and social accounts
- Number Web — Nichika Yamada interview with Erika Araki
- Volleyball Magazine — NEC announces Nichika Yamada’s signing
