Fragolad Kagoshima has secured an Asian import for its maiden SV.League Division 1 campaign, and the player filling that slot is Ateneo’s Brian Castro, who will suit up for the Japanese side in the 2026-27 season. The signing was made public on Friday through the middle blocker’s representation, VP Global Management.
The deal came together quickly, according to FIVB-licensed agent Alessandro Castro, who handled the negotiations. The Kagoshima club had one remaining roster spot reserved for an Asian recruit and identified the Filipino as the right candidate. “Brian seemed to be very motivated and smart. The team of Kagoshima was looking for an Asian player. They still had one spot left for the Asian player, and basically everything went quite big, and maybe a month after the first contact, we were able to close a contract,” the agent said. “I hope there will be more signings to come.”
Kagoshima booked its place in the top division after clinching promotion, and the club will begin its Division 1 stint with the young Blue Eagle in tow. Castro spent two UAAP seasons with Ateneo and helped the team advance to the Final Four during Season 88, his most recent year of collegiate play.
Speaking at an online press conference, Castro described the move as a career milestone. “I’d like to say I’m very excited. This is one of the biggest experiences I’ll ever do in my volleyball career. I’m very excited. I’d like to say thank you to the whole team that’s helped me get to this point,” he said.
He is currently in the United States, where he has been spending time with family while keeping up his conditioning. “I’m in the US. I’m just enjoying seeing my family and friends for now. But I’m also playing volleyball, getting ready mentally and physically. I actually just played volleyball right now, but once I come back to the Philippines in two weeks, I’ll be playing volleyball even more consistently,” Castro said.
His arrival adds to a growing contingent of Filipino talent in the Japanese league. On the men’s side, he follows Bryan Bagunas and Marck Espejo, both of whom broke into Division 1 ahead of him. Castro credited the two as long-standing influences. “They’ve always inspired me ever since I’ve watched them back in the UAAP days. I’ve actually played against Kuya Marck back in last year in our training camp in Osaka when he was with his Japanese team and it was such a great experience,” he said. “And it was super inspiring to see that Kuya Marck and even Kuya Bryan that we all can play in overseas volleyball. I’m very excited to always represent them and represent the Filipino community.”
The signing places Castro among a lineup of Filipino imports already competing in the SV.League, a group that includes Jaja Santiago, Alyssa Solomon, Jia De Guzman, Maddie Madayag, and Dindin Santiago-Manabat. The agent noted that the pipeline is unlikely to stop there, pointing to the rising caliber of Filipino athletes as a reason to expect additional players heading to Japan in the future.
