A former volleyball ace attacker on Japan's legendary women's national team known as the "Oriental Witches," which won gold at the 1964 Tokyo Olympics, has died.

The family of Terayama, formerly Miyamoto, Emiko said she died of septicemia at a hospital in Ibaraki Prefecture, north of Tokyo, on Thursday.

After graduating from a high school in Wakayama City, western Japan, she joined a corporate team, where she underwent rigorous training from coach Daimatsu Hirofumi.

Terayama, the 172-centimeter-tall lefty was her team's ace spiker at the Tokyo Games. Her strong performance greatly contributed to the team's gold.

After her retirement, Terayama moved to Hitachi City, Ibaraki Prefecture, and was actively involved in coaching the sport.