Masayoshi Manabe, who managed the Japan women's volleyball team to an Olympic bronze medal, will step down and likely be replaced by Kumi Nakada, a source said Wednesday.

The 51-year-old Nakada, a former setter for the national team, is currently in charge of the Hisamitsu Springs team in the women's Premier League and will be the first woman to oversee the women's national team.

In recent days, the Japan Volleyball Association's women's development committee settled on Nakada as the primary candidate to replace the outgoing 53-year-old Manabe. A formal decision is expected to be made by the board of directors on Oct. 25.

Nakada, a longtime standout on the national team, won a bronze medal at the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics. She has managed Hisamitsu since 2012, and has won three league titles and four Japan championships.