Top 10 Best Opposite Hitters in the World 2026 (Nishida Isn't Number One)

Who are the best opposite hitters in men's volleyball in 2026? This ranking counts down the top 10 right-side attackers in the world right now, built on one idea: who's actually winning the biggest awards and doing the most damage this cycle, not just who has the flashiest highlights. And by number one, some of the biggest names in the sport land lower than you'd expect. We break down the current elite at opposite hitter, from legendary resumes to the young stars having breakout seasons. Bartosz Kurek, Matt Anderson, Kento Miyaura, Theo Faure, Jean Patry, Nimir Abdel-Aziz, Yuji Nishida, Ferre Reggers, Kewin Sasak, and Yuri Romano all make the cut. We cover Nations League form, World Championship results, Olympic medals, and best opposite trophies to explain exactly where each player ranks and why. Expect some controversial placements. An Olympic Best Opposite outside the top three. A global superstar at number four. And a reigning world champion claiming the top spot. Volleyball fans, this one's built for debate. Who did we rank too high? Who's way too low? Drop your own top 10 in the comments. Chapters 0:00 Intro and how this list works 1:05 Number 10: Bartosz Kurek (Poland) 2:00 Number 9: Matt Anderson (United States) 2:55 Number 8: Kento Miyaura (Japan) 3:50 Number 7: Theo Faure (France) 4:50 Number 6: Jean Patry (France) 5:45 Number 5: Nimir Abdel-Aziz (Netherlands) 6:40 Number 4: Yuji Nishida (Japan) 7:55 Number 3: Ferre Reggers (Belgium) 9:05 Number 2: Kewin Sasak (Poland) 10:05 Number 1: Yuri Romano (Italy) 10:55 Final thoughts and your rankings #volleyball #oppositehitter #mensvolleyball