CHIBA, Japan - Japanese volleyball star Ran Takahashi said Tuesday he will try to help his country reach the finals of the ongoing Nations League tournament while focusing on building up the team under new head coach Laurent Tillie. Some of Japan's key players, such as Takahashi and Italy-based ace attacker Yuki Ishikawa, will join the squad from the final leg of the preliminary phase beginning Wednesday in Chiba, near Tokyo. Japan is currently fourth in the 18-team standings with a 5-3 record. The top seven finishers of the preliminary phase will join host China in the elimination round starting July 30. "I look forward to playing matches under coach Tillie," Takahashi said at a press conference in Chiba, where Japan will face Germany, Argentina, Brazil and the United States through Sunday. "First of all, it's important to advance to the finals. While looking for results, I want to focus on building up the team." Japan finished runner-up to France at last year's Nations League before being eliminated by Italy in the quarterfinals at the Paris Olympics. Tillie, speaking alongside Takahashi, said Japan needs three more wins to reach the finals, which will be a tough task that the team will strive to fulfill in front of its home fans.