Daichi Sawamura
Daichi Sawamura
| Japanese | 澤村 大地 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rōmaji | Sawamura Daichi | ||||
| Character Info | |||||
| Gender | Male | ||||
| Date of Birth | December 31, 1994 | ||||
| Pre-timeskip | |||||
| Age | 17-18 (High School 3rd Year) – 2012 | ||||
| Height | 176.8 cm (5’9.6″) – Apr 2012 176.8 cm (5’9.6″) – Nov 2012 |
||||
| Weight | 70.1kg (154.5 lbs.) | ||||
| Occupation(s) | High School Student (3rd Year, Class 4) – 2012 | ||||
| Teams | Izumitate Junior High(Former) Karasuno High |
||||
| Number | 1 (Junior High School 3rd Year) 11 (High School 1st Year) 1 (High School 3rd Year) |
||||
| Position | Captain Outside Hitter(Junior High) Opposite Hitter |
||||
| Post-timeskip | |||||
| Age | 23 (2018) | ||||
| Occupation(s) | Miyagi Prefecture Police | ||||
| Background Information | |||||
| Family | Unnamed Mother Two Unnamed Younger Sisters Two Unnamed Younger Brothers[2] |
||||
| Goal | Go to nationals Raise the underclassmen Increase the number of new club applicants |
||||
| Likes | Shoyu ramen Volleyball |
||||
| Home town | Miyagi Prefecture | ||||
| Home country | Japan | ||||
| Debut Information | |||||
| Manga | Endings and Beginnings | ||||
| Anime | Endings and Beginnings | ||||
| Portrayal | |||||
| Japanese Voice | Satoshi Hino | ||||
| English Voice | Justin Doran | ||||
| “ | ” | |
|
— Daichi Sawamura
|
||
Appearance
Daichi’s appearance in Anime.
Daichi has short dark hair and dark brown eyes. Though not particularly tall among volleyball players, he has a muscular build that contributes to his physical presence on the court. Many players have remarked that Daichi seems “big” up close, often leading him to jokingly interpret it as being called fat. His appearance exudes a sense of reassurance, immediately giving off the impression of a responsible captain and a mature individual. Daichi is typically seen with a gentle smile, but when angry, his expression becomes intimidating, with his eyes taking on a sharp, glazed-over look.
Post-timeskip, Daichi has grown his hair out slightly and styles it upward, similar to Coach Ukai’s hairstyle.
Personality
Daichi getting irritated with Hinata and Kageyama.
Daichi is a caring and responsible captain who consistently puts the needs of his team first. He is patient and understanding but can become quite intimidating when angry, though this side of him only emerges when necessary. He is strict when his teammates are out of line, as demonstrated when he locked Kageyama and Hinata out of the gym for refusing to cooperate. Despite his stern demeanor, Daichi’s actions are always in the best interest of the team, and he is both respected and feared by his teammates for his leadership and command.
Outside of his role as captain, Daichi is notably mature and independent. Even during his first year at Karasuno, he naturally emerged as a leader among his peers, such as Asahi and Sugawara. He frequently suggested ways to improve the team and even recruited Kiyoko as the team’s manager during a time when Karasuno lacked a coach and strong leadership. Due to his composed and reliable personality, Daichi is often seen as more mature than a typical high school student.
Despite his mature demeanor, Daichi occasionally shows a more playful and childish side. One such moment occurred when he accidentally set off the emergency bell while playfully wrestling with the captain of the boys’ basketball team during a lunchtime rush.
Background
Daichi during his time at Izumitate Junior High.
Daichi attended Izumitate Junior High, where he played volleyball alongside Hayato Ikejiri and Yui Michimiya. As the captain of the volleyball team, Daichi led his team to a victory in their first match of the final tournament. However, their next match was against a powerhouse team, and most of Daichi’s teammates began to lose hope. Despite this, Daichi never gave up, continuing to motivate his teammates and chasing after the ball with all his might until the very end. Although they lost the match, Daichi was the most affected, believing they still had a slight chance to win.
In their final year of junior high, Daichi made a promise to Ikejiri that they would continue playing volleyball in high school and meet again on the court.
Daichi enrolled at Karasuno High and joined the Boys’ Volleyball Club. By this time, Coach Ikkei Ukai had already retired, leaving the team under the supervision of a teacher advisor. When Daichi introduced himself, he explained that he was inspired to join Karasuno after watching their performance at nationals. Though Karasuno’s reputation had waned, Daichi was determined to work hard to help the team regain its former strength.
During his time at Karasuno, Daichi formed close bonds with Sugawara and Asahi. The team faced challenges, including a lack of practice matches due to their declining reputation. Undeterred, Daichi and his fellow first-years stayed after practice to work on improving their skills. Along with Sugawara and Asahi, he began researching volleyball tactics and focused on enhancing his receive.
Despite their efforts, Karasuno lost their first Interhigh match. The outgoing captain acknowledged that the team had come together too late and tearfully noted that it might take many years for Karasuno to regain its former glory. However, he urged the first-years to seize any opportunity that came their way.
The following year, the team faced another setback when Asahi began losing confidence in his role as the ace, especially after a difficult match against Date Tech. Daichi had to cover for Asahi during the game, but in the end, they were blocked, and Karasuno lost. That night, Asahi and Nishinoya had a heated argument, leading to Asahi leaving the gym.
As Sugawara helped clean up, Daichi reassured him, explaining that Asahi was overburdened but noting that there were times when they had to rely on their ace. He acknowledged that the team was inexperienced and lacked a solid plan but believed that continuous practice was the only way forward.
Statistics
Daichi’s grea strength is not his attack but his reliable defense, particularly his solid receive. While not a defensive specialist like Nishinoya, Daichi is a versatile player who frequently handles difficult receives, such as Oikawa’s powerful serves, and often covers for his teammates’ mistakes. His game knowledge is a result of having to develop his own strategies during his freshman year due to the absence of a coach. Daichi is also known for organizing formation shifts to counter opposing teams’ attacks, further demonstrating his leadership and tactical awareness.
Post-Tokyo Expedition Arc, Daichi has made significant improvements to his defensive techniques, including his solid receive, flying fall receive, and soft block. He has stated that he can now read opposing spikers’ movements more clearly, using their form to anticipate the direction of their attacks. This heightened awareness has become one of his key assets on the court.
Height and Reach (as of mid-November)::
- Fingertip Height: 223 cm
- Jumping Reach: 310 cm (spike) / 298 cm (block)
Skills
Solid Receives
Daichi is one of the defensive pillars of Karasuno’s volleyball team, frequently entrusted with the most difficult receives. He is proficient in both underhand and overhand receives, enabling him to handle powerful spike serves and tricky jump floaters alike. His expertise in receiving stems from his ability to observe the spiker’s form and deduce the direction of the spike, making him a dependable asset in defense.
Back-Row Attack
Though Daichi is primarily known for his defense, he has also increased his offensive contribution through back-row attacks, particularly in synchronized plays. While not as proficient as Asahi or Tanaka in this role, Daichi has proven himself capable of executing back-row spikes when his team needs him most. This tactic is especially effective because opponents often underestimate Daichi’s potential to spike from the back row.
Feint
Although Daichi rarely employs feint shots, he has shown the ability to perform them successfully. Due to its infrequent use, this tactic often surprises opponents, making it an effective tool when needed.
Rebound
During Karasuno’s match against Shiratorizawa, Daichi demonstrated his ability to perform a rebound, a defensive maneuver in which the player deliberately directs a blocked spike back into play, giving his team another chance to attack.
Relationships
Karasuno High
Kōshi Sugawara
Daichi shares a close bond with Sugawara, having been friends since their first year at Karasuno. They know each other well and rely on one another as teammates and friends. Along with Asahi, they often hang out outside of the team, and they address each other by first names. Sugawara is one of the few people who can lecture Daichi and occasionally remain immune to his intimidating demeanor. Daichi admires Sugawara’s skills as a setter and supported his decision to step back as the official setter for the betterment of the team. Even after high school, they remain close friends.
Asahi Azumane
Daichi has a strong friendship with Karasuno’s ace spiker, Asahi, and often teases him about not appearing like a tough ace. Having known each other since their first year, Daichi is well aware of Asahi’s self-doubt but continually supports him and his abilities. Their relationship remained unchanged even during Asahi’s temporary absence from the team. After graduation, Daichi and Asahi continued their close friendship.
Kiyoko Shimizu
Daichi is close to Kiyoko, having recruited her into the volleyball club in their first year. They occasionally talk outside of team activities, and while Daichi finds her attractive, he doesn’t actively pursue her affections like Tanaka and Nishinoya. He respects the hard work she puts in as team manager and is protective of her, appreciating all she does for the team.
Ryūnosuke Tanaka and Yū Nishinoya
Daichi has great faith in the skills of Tanaka and Nishinoya, even considering Nishinoya the team’s “guardian deity.” However, he is often exasperated by their wild behavior and lack of responsibility, frequently needing to rein them in when they get carried away.
Tobio Kageyama
Initially, Daichi found Kageyama’s behavior troubling due to his inability to connect with teammates and his temper, which often led to conflicts, especially with Hinata or Tsukishima. As Kageyama matured and became more of a team player, Daichi was proud to witness his progress. While Daichi sometimes gets annoyed when Kageyama and Hinata argue, he fully supports their strong on-court partnership. Post-timeskip, Daichi continues to be impressed by Kageyama’s talent and growth.
Shōyō Hinata
Daichi admires Hinata’s energy and determination, though he is sometimes caught off guard by his impulsiveness. Recognizing Hinata’s nervousness before matches, Daichi makes sure to offer plenty of encouragement. He respects Hinata’s constant drive to improve, even if he doesn’t always agree with the methods Hinata chooses. After Hinata joined the V.League, Daichi continued to support him and was impressed by his development.
Kei Tsukishima
Daichi initially struggled with Tsukishima’s aloof attitude and unwillingness to connect with others. However, he recognizes Tsukishima’s abilities as a blocker and trusts him to rise to challenges. Daichi’s confidence in Tsukishima helped build their working relationship over time.
Chikara Ennoshita
Daichi is very supportive of Ennoshita, especially as the latter struggled with confidence in his abilities to lead the team in the future. After Karasuno defeated Wakutani Minami under Ennoshita’s leadership, Daichi helped Ennoshita realize his potential and trusted him to carry on the team’s legacy as captain.
Yui Michimiya
Daichi and Michimiya have been friends since junior high, and they frequently discuss their respective teams with one another. Daichi often helps Michimiya build her confidence, particularly in her role as the captain of the girls’ volleyball team. It is hinted that Michimiya holds feelings for Daichi, though it is unclear if he is aware of them.
Ittetsu Takeda
Daichi greatly admires Takeda for all the work he does as the team’s advisor, such as scheduling practice matches and reconnecting with rival schools. Although Takeda lacked volleyball knowledge, Daichi was always grateful for his efforts, especially when Takeda convinced Coach Ukai to return. After their loss in the Spring Tournament, Daichi expressed how he felt it was thanks to Takeda that Karasuno had come so far, considering him a great blessing to the team.
Tokonami High
Hayato Ikejiri
Daichi and Ikejiri were close friends and volleyball teammates in junior high. Daichi often inspired Ikejiri and their teammates during matches. After attending different high schools, the two remained good friends, and Ikejiri continued to support Daichi.
Nekoma High
Tetsurō Kuroo
Daichi and Kuroo share mutual respect as team captains, often watching out for their underclassmen. Most of their interactions took place during training camps, where their teams frequently faced each other. Kuroo once apologized to Daichi for upsetting Tsukishima, and the two captains often teased each other, with Kuroo commenting on Karasuno’s penalties. Despite Nekoma’s loss at nationals, Kuroo held no ill will toward Daichi and even hugged him, congratulating Karasuno for their hard-fought match against Kamomedai.