Japan was forced to rally from a nervy start and a one-set deficit against Venezuela but got its Olympic qualification campaign off to a positive start on Saturday with a 3-1 win as the battle for Rio 2016 men's volleyball places began in Tokyo.
The high-flying trio of Kunihiro Shimizu (21 points), Masahiro Yanagida (15) and Yuki Ishikawa (19) lived up to their star billing, providing the bulk of the Asian champions' scoring punch in the 26-28, 25-20, 25-19, 25-19 victory.
"In the second set we were having an uphill battle, we were trailing on many occasions but I really felt strongly we could overcome the headwinds. I think our resolve in the end led us to a win," said Yanagida, who was key in the team turning its fortunes.