Women's professional volleyball is having a mock test at the 2024 Tongyeong-Dodram Cup professional volleyball tournament ahead of the 2024-25 V-League. This year, there are many tall outside heaters and foreign players in middle blocker positions. The coaches of the teams are also demanding more elaborate plays.
First of all, Jeong is using 198-centimeter-tall Banya Bukirich (registered name Bukirich) as an outside heater for the Korea Expressway Corporation. They are paired with the existing "Apogit Megawatti Putty" (registered name Mega). Bukirich even participated in receiving, drawing keen attention. He is displaying stable receiving and powerful attack capability at the Cup championships. Jeong has strengthened his height and attack power.
The same applies to GS Caltex. It acquired 194-centimeter outside heater Stephanie Weiler (registered name: Weiler) in the Asian quarter. She is making aggressive moves alongside Apogit Giselle Silva (registered name: Silva). Notably, with veteran middle blockers Jeong Dae-young and Han Soo-ji retiring, GS Caltex has formed a new team of middle blockers, Choi Ga-eun and Oh Se-yeon. It is trying to overcome its weaknesses by blocking Weiler.
The Korea Expressway Corporation has also brought in 189-centimeter outside heater, Unieska Batista (registered name: Unies) as its new Asian quarter player. The Korean Expressway Corporation will be in charge of the attack along with new foreign player Merelin Nicolova (registered name: Nicolova), who is a left-handed apogit.
By recruiting foreign players as an outside hitter, he elevated his height and attack power, while also taking risks in receiving. Targeting serve and establishing stable receiving have become more important.
GS Caltex Wyler is also making efforts to secure receiving. "I had high expectations for Wyler's blocking ability when I first picked him," GS Caltex coach Lee Young-taek said. "He has improved a lot as well as today's Wyler. He has improved a lot through training in Korea. He comes first when he trains every day, too, so he carries out receiving drills separately. He seems to have learned some sense by receiving a lot. I received elaborate serves from the Japanese teams during the off-season training in Japan ahead of the Cup championship. I feel like I have gained confidence through this."
In addition, the height of the two middle blockers from China is considerable for the Asian quarter. There is also a 197-cm-long Jangwi who received the top nomination from Pepper Savings Bank and a 196-cm-tall Hwang Louis-Ray who wore a Heungkuk Life Insurance uniform.
"When I first came to Korea, my overall blocking was not that high. Now all the clubs have changed as they strengthened their blocking," said Marcello Avondaga, manager of Heungkuk Life Insurance.
Pepper Savings Bank aims to make full use of its strength, height. Coach Yoo Ji-yeon emphasized serve and blocking. Ahead of the match against GS Caltex on Tuesday, Jang said, "I like both Silva and Weiler. Our strength is blocking, as evidenced by records. We need to make use of that part to block our strength. We need to enable our opponents to perform high-ball attacks rather than set plays. As we face high-altitude teams, we certainly have that burden. On the other hand, as foreign players are participating in receiving games more, targeting on the serve will be more important than any other season."
Hyundai Engineering & Construction, the defending champion, will start the new season as the champion. It has no choice but to be wary of the heights of other teams. "GS has good Wyler and Kwon Min-ji heights. Pepper strengthened his height by using the majesty. If we receive well, we can have a fight. At the same time, we should be equally aggressive. It is (Jeong) Ji-yoon. We can win only by defending ourselves. Scoring is important, but we need to increase efficiency," Kang said, stressing Jung's role. 안전놀이터
Not only that. This year's women's professional volleyball tournament has been reinforced by active movement of players. "Women's volleyball is going to be really fun this season. Each team has been reinforced. I think there will be a game where we don't know who will win. I'm looking forward to it because it will be an interesting season," said Jeong Kwan-jang and Ko Hee-jin.
The unpredictable war of women's professional volleyball has begun amid a major change in 2024.