Miguel Angel Lopez Scores 39 Points in Two Osaka Bluteon Wins Over Hiroshima Thunders

April 21, 2026

Cuban outside hitter Miguel Angel Lopez Castro, who plays for Osaka Bluteon in Japan's SV.League, put in a stellar double performance on the weekend of April 19-20, 2026, scoring 39 points across two consecutive victories over the Hiroshima Thunders (3-2 in both matches). In the first encounter, the Cienfuegos native was the game's top scorer with 23 points, while in the second he added 16 more, finishing as runner-up to Japanese star Yuji Nishida.

With these results, Osaka Bluteon remains in second place in the league standings with 38 wins and 109 points, trailing only the Sunbirds, who hold 40 wins and 117 points. Lopez ranks 14th among the tournament's top scorers with 596 points total (538 in attack) and holds the top spot in offensive efficiency among all players in the competition.

The Cienfuegos native, nicknamed El Cubano Volador (The Flying Cuban) or El Corcho (The Cork), owes his fame to his ability to reach 3.72 meters in height when attacking — a remarkable feat for a player who stands just 1.89 meters and weighs 90 kilograms. Now in his second consecutive season with Osaka Bluteon, Lopez has become one of the most impactful foreign players in the 10-team competition, sharing attacking responsibilities with Nishida, widely regarded as one of the best opposites in the world.