KEPCO players who didn’t get much of a chance last season are looking to make the jump to the main roster.
Recently, the men’s teams have been playing a lot of practice matches, and on June 6, KEPCO and Samsung Fire played a practice match at the KEPCO training center in Uiwang, Gyeonggi-do. In the four-set, 25-point match, the home team KEPCO won 3-1 over Samsung Fire.
Foreign player Luis Elian did not play in the match, and Asian quarter Yamato Nakano only played in sets 1-2. With Lim Sung-jin and veterans Shin Young-seok and Seo Jae-duk also rested due to national team training, it naturally meant that players who didn’t play much last season 안전한 파워볼사이트 took to the court.
There were a few players in particular who stood out, and one of them was Kim Dong-young. Kim, a left-handed outside hitter with one of the strongest serves in the league, played primarily as a one-point server until last season. He made his first appearance in the starting lineup on this day, and his participation in the receiving line caught the eye. In practice, Kim has been filling the role of Seo Jae-duk, who will be receiving in Apojit’s spot when the season starts.
It’s not his original role, so naturally, he wasn’t expected to be perfect, but for a baptism by fire, Kim looked good. His attack and serve, which have always been his strengths, were still intact. With a new weapon in his arsenal, Kim Dong-young’s performance has raised hopes that he could play a new role in the upcoming season.
Kim Dong-young wasn’t the only player to perform well. Koo Kyo-hyuk, who took over Elian’s role, stood out with a much heavier and sharper serve than last season. Koo had been playing mostly as a one-point server and had a good jump serve, but his full-powered serve to break down the reception was inconsistent. If he can continue to produce this kind of serve in the season, it will be a great addition to KEPCO’s power.
Lee Tae-ho’s performance was also good. He was a solid offensive force on the right side of the field, both forward and backward. Korea’s forward lineup is similar to last season’s, with Tais replaced by Elian. The retirement of Park Chul-woo, who was a game-changer in this situation, leaves a void that Lee Tae-ho is the most stable option to fill. His improved performance on the day showed that he has the potential to do just that.
Jung Sung-hwan, who started as the starting middle blocker alongside Jeon Jin-sun, and Kim Joo-young, who replaced Yamato, followed suit. With the departures of Park Chan-woong, Ha Seung-woo, and Kim Kwang-guk from the middle blocker and setter positions, respectively, there could be opportunities for Jung and Kim if they continue to perform well.
Although they haven’t played much so far, their off-season sweat will not betray them. The Korean Warriors will continue to sharpen their knives to showcase their leap forward in the upcoming cup and season.