*This content was translated by AI.
Korea Expressway Corporation middle blocker Lee Ji-yoon (19) did not hide his greed for the Rookie of the Year award.
Lee Ji-yoon met with Star News at Gimcheon Indoor Gymnasium in Gimcheon-si, Gyeongsangbuk-do on the 3rd and said, "I don't think I was able to concentrate at the beginning even though my opponent had no foreign players. "In the second half, I was okay and I got three points, but I'm sorry I couldn't make the third set," he said.
In the fifth round of the women's regular league of the Jin Air 2025-2026 V-League, the Korea Expressway Corporation won the match with a set score of 3-1 (25-22, 25-22, 16-25, 25-21). It was a difficult game. As the starting members did not show a smooth attack flow, they gave up three sets to the articles of association. Fortunately, backup players such as Hwang Yeon-ju, Kim Se-in and Lee Ye-eun changed the atmosphere and were able to win before the fifth set.
Lee Ji-yoon also struggled quite a bit with the relentless attack of the opponent's outside heaters. However, it did not collapse and played its part with five points, including three blocking points. He, who has been playing a full-time season since his first year of his debut, said, "For sure, there are difficulties as the opponent analyzes me in the second half. We have difficulty in setting the timing of steps or blocking, so we are supplementing it as the coaches and coaches tell us," he said.
Kim Se-bin (21), who met in the youth national team in her third year of middle school and second year of high school and joined the Korea Expressway Corporation side by side as the top overall player, was a good sister and advisor. On this day, the two continued to talk in the third set, excluding a large number of key players. Lee Ji-yoon said, "I asked (Kim) Se-bin what her movements and timing were like when she made a mistake in the court. She was an older sister who gave me a lot of advice while running with me since a long time ago. "I'm learning a lot because she plays a lot more games than I do, but she's a seasoned older sister," he said with a smile.
Lee Ji-yoon, from Jungang Girls' High School, has been attracting attention as a promising volleyball player since childhood and joined the Korea Expressway Corporation as the No. 1 overall pick in the first round of the 2025-2026 V-League Rookie Draft. In recognition of his achievements in high school, he won the Star Award at the "2025 Futures Star Awards" hosted and organized by Star News in November last year. He is the first winner in the volleyball category.
Lee Ji-yoon, who was unable to attend the awards ceremony due to severe flu at the time, said, "My dad went and won the award instead, and I was very grateful to receive the star award. When I heard that I received it, I was really grateful to our Chung-Ang Girls' High School coaches and coaches. I also thanked my friends and fans for trusting the captain and following him well," he said in a belated statement.
Even after the nomination, he has been on a roll and is playing as the main middle blocker of the No. 1 team this season. He is ranked second in the mobile attack league, ninth in quick attack, 12th in blocking, and 13th in serve with 148 points in 95 sets in 25 regular league games, 39 percent in attack success rate, 0.484 on average, and 0.2 on serve. Naturally, he is also mentioned as a candidate for the Young Player Award (New In King). Lee Ji-yoon said, "I want to win the Rookie of the Year, but I think there are still more parts to be desired," but added, "I will try to make up for the shortcomings quickly in the remaining two rounds and secure the Rookie of the Year."
With this victory, the Korea Expressway Corporation, which has won 16 consecutive home games, including 13 games this season, won 20 wins and 6 losses (55 points) for the first time in both men and women, solidifying its lead in the women's division. It is the 16th consecutive home victory that began with a 3-2 victory over Pepper Savings Bank on February 23 last year.
Lee Ji-yoon said, "The team's atmosphere itself changes with the sound of our fans' cheering." Cheering helps a lot, especially when the game doesn't go well. I can hear a lot of fans' voices when the atmosphere is cluttered, and that's when something gets overwhelming and my concentration is displayed," he said. "There are still many games left, so I want to prepare harder and present the joy of going straight to the championship game to the fans," he said.
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*This content was translated by AI.
