Loud apology! Yuji Nishida, star player of Japan's national volleyball team, made a mistaken serve that hit a female sideline staff member. He quickly slid over to apologize, turning the moment viral during the special volleyball match "V.LEAGUE ALL STAR GAMES".
On 3 Feb 2026, the incident occurred during the special volleyball match "V.LEAGUE ALL STAR GAMES" held on 1 Feb 2026, during the skills showcase segment called "Serve Struck Out" (a game where players serve the ball to hit targets).
Yuji Nishida, 26-year-old star of Japan's men's national volleyball team from Osaka Bluteon, served the ball with full power as usual, but the ball flew directly and struck a female staff member sitting at the sideline. Known for his powerful spikes and serves exceeding 120 km/h, Nishida immediately realized the force of that serve. Rather than just walking over, he slid across the court floor until stopping in front of the staff member and sincerely bowed to apologize.Watch the clip here.
The commentator exclaimed, "That was a full slide and bow!" and joked, "I hope he doesn't scrape his head." The female staff member smiled and bowed back amid applause and laughter from the audience. The clip quickly went viral in Japan, with fans commenting their admiration.
"That was an apology full of sportsmanship and sincerity."
"His movement was so smooth it looked like art."
"This is exactly the charm of Nishida that makes everyone love him."