"Ali's absence is not that big" – Best 7: Worries about Our Card without OH, but Coach Park Cheol-woo had a different view [Interview]

*This content was translated by AI.

The biggest concern for Our Card Our WON Volleyball Team for the 2026–2027 season is how to fill the gap left by Best 7 outside hitter Ali Hagparast (22, registered name Ali).

Ali joined the V-League in the 2024–2025 season and played a key role in Our Card's offense over the past two seasons. Last season, in 34 matches and 128 sets, he scored 544 points (8th in the league), achieved an attack success rate of 52.41% (3rd), and averaged 0.359 service points per set (5th), leading Our Card to a dramatic spring volleyball campaign and earning a spot on the season's Best 7.

Our Card's biggest off-season goal was also to keep Ali. However, as Ali chose to join the Greek league, external concerns about Our Card grew. But Our Card's head coach Park Cheol-woo (41) had a slightly different perspective. In a recent meeting with StarNews at Songlim Gymnasium in Songlim, Incheon, Coach Park reflected on last season, saying, "I don't think Ali's absence was that big. Of course, there were good points when Ali was here, but there were also difficult aspects."

This does not mean Coach Park underestimated Ali's abilities. However, due to the nature of being a foreign player, there were times when they had to trust and rely on him even when his condition was not good during a match. Coach Park calmly stated, "There were difficulties in terms of game management. As a foreign player, there were times when it was hard to take him out during a match."

Volleyball without Ali was not entirely unfamiliar to Our Card. They also saw hope in domestic outside hitters through that experience. With the additional issue of a thin outside hitter player pool, Our Card, after much deliberation, decided to fill one Asia quota spot with a middle blocker.

Coach Park explained, "As acting head coach, I managed 18 regular-season games and 21 games including the playoffs, experiencing about half of them without Ali. Also, we have many good outside hitters on our team, which is another reason we chose a middle blocker. Unfortunately, there were far fewer outside hitters available within the $120,000 limit than expected. There was obviously no player to replace Ali, and similar players were too expensive. When asked whether a $120,000 Asia quota outside hitter would be significantly better than domestic players, I did not think so," he conveyed the cold reality.

The gap left by Lee Sang-hyun (27), who has grown into a national team middle blocker and joined the Army Sports Promotion Team (Military Police), could not be ignored either. Coach Park said firmly, "Now we are missing not only Ali but also Lee Sang-hyun. We thought we should secure one position firmly, and if we had to choose between the two, we believed we could bring in a middle blocker like Lee Sang-hyun for $120,000."

He continued, "The existing middle blocker lineup is not bad. We have Park Jun-hyuk, Park Jin-woo, and Jo Geun-ho, and among the rookies, Son Yu-min stands out. However, the players who usually take on that role have injuries and are getting older. So we needed a reliable pillar to carry us through the long league. This is not about which position is better, but when considering the current system and aiming to create a situation with the least loss of power, we thought a middle blocker was the best choice."

There was also a certain calculation. Coach Park explained, "If we assume Ali averaged about 16 points last season and Lee Sang-hyun contributed around 8–9 points, then if the new middle blocker adds 3 points to average 11–12 points, Kim Ji-han adds 2–3 points to also average 11–12 points, and the other existing outside hitters contribute an additional 2–3 points, we can fill Ali's vacancy."

Ultimately, the performances of domestic outside hitters such as Kim Ji-han (27), Han Sung-jeong (30), and Isimon (34) became crucial for Our Card without Ali. In particular, national team outside hitter Kim Ji-han is expected to bear even greater responsibility.

Coach Park said, "I don't think Ji-han is at an age where he can be described as 'growing' anymore. It is time for him to fully utilize his capabilities. I tell Ji-han that he needs to step up. He has made significant progress over the years. Especially in reception and defense, he has improved tremendously," he said with a smile.

However, he added, "The areas that need improvement are serving and attacking. Rather than suggesting overly big and flashy attacks, I try to advise him on directions that lead to scoring points. (When told that Kim Ji-han seems to overthink during attacks) I actually think he aims for too many open spots. But there are other ways to score. There are touch-outs, and there are times when you need to secure RBIs. There are times when you must take strong responsibility and deliver. This is a common requirement for all outside hitters, not just Kim Ji-han," he raised his voice.

Beyond Kim Ji-han, Our Card's outside hitter lineup, each with their own strengths, is both a source of concern and one of the reasons to look forward to the next season. Coach Park outlined his plan: "When facing teams with strong serves and our reception starts to waver, Isimon and Han Sung-jeong will come in. When the opposing outside hitters are shorter, we can leverage Araujo and the middle blockers in our plays. When height is needed, we have Kim Ji-han and Kim Hyung-geun, and when we want to play more aggressively, we have Kim Ji-han, Han Sung-jeong, and Kim Dong-min. It is important to train these players with different characteristics well over the remaining three months and deploy them appropriately according to the situation."

Is Our Card without Ali facing a crisis, or is it the starting point of a new strategy under Coach Park Cheol-woo? The KOVO Cup tournament in October is expected to be the first test.

<© STARNEWS. All rights reserved. No reproduction or redistribution allowed.>

*This content was translated by AI.