VNL is back with a fresh start after a year of struggles. This time, the road will not be easy.
On April 22, the South Korean women’s volleyball team flew out of Incheon International Airport and headed to Turkuye. Week 1 (May 30-June 4) of the FIVB Volleyball Nations League (VNL) 2023 will be held in the city.
The women’s national team, led by head coach César Hernández González, has been training at the Jincheon Athletic Village since April 24 to prepare for the VNL. However, Cesar will be joining the team in Turkiye as his team, Turkiye Bakifbank SK, has not finished their league schedule. Therefore, the team’s training was centered around Coach Han Yumi and Advisor Kim Yeon-kyung via Zoom video chat.
With veterans like Kim Yeon-kyung, Yang Hyo-jin, and Kim Soo-ji retiring, the experimental Korean women’s volleyball team had to come to terms with a disappointing performance at last year’s VNL, where they went undefeated (three sets out of 12 matches). At the subsequent World Championships, they only managed one win against Croatia on the final day of five matches 토토사이트.
This time around, the team is not taking it easy. There is no longer a team on the international stage that is “worthy” of playing Korea.
In Week 1, South Korea was drawn with Turkiye, Thailand, Italy, Poland, USA, Serbia, and Canada. In Week 2, they are paired with Brazil, Croatia, USA, Japan, Germany, Thailand, and Serbia, and in Week 3, they will face USA, Poland, Germany, Bulgaria, Serbia, Dominican Republic, and China.
Thailand and Japan, with their similar physicality, are role models for Korea to follow. Japan is currently ranked sixth in the FIVB rankings (315.65 points) after a 3-1 victory over last year’s No. 3 Brazil. They are one place above the powerhouse Turkiye. Miyu Nagaoka, Hayashi Kotona, Nishida (Koga) Sarina, Ishikawa Mayu, Shimamura Haruyo, and Seki Nanami are the other players on the roster.
In addition, some players who did not make last year’s roster are new to the program. There are also some specialty positions that are exclusive to the international stage. Outside hitter Moon Jung-won (Korea Expressway Corporation), who has shown solid defensive skills in the league, was named to the roster as a libero. Kim Yeon-kyung, who had already retired, also donned the Korean flag and participated as an advisor, offering advice on the direction the team should take.
During his visit in February, Cesar said, “Our players’ performance and level were lacking on the international stage, and it’s important to have fast volleyball from the setter.” “Korea’s serve is one of the strongest in the world, and we need to focus on our offense to reach a high level,” he added.
The team accepted the disappointing report card, made plans to look a little different from the previous year, and faced the cold barriers of the international stage without an ace. This time around, there is a strong sense that the focus is on growth rather than performance. “We’re aiming for one win per week and three wins,” said Han Yumi, the team’s coach.
On June 1, the women’s volleyball team will kick off their VNL campaign at 2 a.m. KST. They will face a tough opponent in Week 1’s hosts, Turkiye.