"I never used to toss like that," other coaches were surprised by the 174cm winning setter! Central Girls' High School's Kim Mi-ju: "What did we do for two months..." [Interview]

*This content was translated by AI.

After two runner-up finishes, Central Girls' High School briefly disappeared from national tournaments. Then they returned to the stage and stood at the top. At the center of it all was setter Kim Mi-ju (18), who designed Central Girls' changed volleyball style.

Kim led Central Girls' High School to victory and received the setter award at the 2026 IBK Industrial Bank of Korea National Middle and High School Volleyball Tournament, which concluded on the 6th at the Jecheon Indoor Gymnasium in Chungcheongbuk-do.

The championship held special meaning for Central Girls' High School. The school reached the finals consecutively in March's spring league tournament and May's national category championships but lost both to Seonmyeong Girls' High School. For the following two months, they chose training over actual competition, and in their third final showdown, defeated Seonmyeong 3-1 in sets, finally clearing away their regrets.

Kim Mi-ju told StarNews at Central Girls' High School recently: "After the May category tournament ended, we tried to talk more with each other during training. I think that made us play better together in matches." She added, "We practiced a lot to toss lower while maintaining speed."

The sweat shed during training appeared on the court in this final match. In the first set, Central Girls' plays struggled to flow due to nervousness, but from the second set onward, Kim Mi-ju's fingertips came alive. Utilizing diverse attacking resources such as Kim Hyun-a (18, 180cm), Gimhae Yeon (18, 179cm), Jung Da-un (17, 180cm), and Park Kang-bin (17, 175cm), they dispersed the opponent's blocking. Even their main attacker Oh Se-in (18, 181cm), who had struggled in the first set, was finally brought back into play.

Kim recalled: "In the first set, we were too nervous entering the match. From the second set, we tried to have fun, and things went well. The coach even told us to play as we wanted."

This is also where her deep fascination with the setter position lies. Kim began playing volleyball after being scouted at the end of fourth grade. She wasn't particularly interested in volleyball from the start and took on the setter role only due to her coach's recommendation at the time. However, as she handled more balls, she fell for the unique charm of setting. Kim smiled: "When attackers hit the ball I set well, that satisfaction comes to me too. I want to be a setter who helps attackers hit well."

Her mentor, Jang Yun-hee (56), Central Girls' High School's head coach, paid close attention to this change in her student. Especially important was the two-month period when they gave up tournament participation to focus on training. Coach Jang evaluated that Kim previously lacked sufficient shooting power to impart force to the ball at the last moment of the toss. While she wasn't lacking in strength overall, there were times when the ball's end dropped, slowing down the attacking tempo.

Coach Jang explained: "After the May tournament ended, we changed our training a bit. We practiced for about two months by tossing lower and working on combinations." He added, "Other teams continued to compete in tournaments, but we stayed hidden for two months before appearing at this IBK tournament."

The change was visible even to other coaches. Coach Jang noted: "Other team coaches also told me about (Kim) Mi-ju, saying 'She wasn't a player who used to toss like that, but she's improved a lot.' Her evaluation in this tournament was quite good."

Of course, there were growing pains even in the final. In the first set, the team's overall serve receive wavered, leading to more situations where Kim Mi-ju had to run around the court. Naturally, her tosses lost their ease. Coach Jang assessed: "If the receive fails, (Kim) Mi-ju gets busy running around too. Then, because of the thought 'I need to give it quickly,' she can't complete the toss and becomes anxious. However, from the middle of the final onward, she found her composure and improved."

The player herself clearly knows her next challenge. Kim Mi-ju emphasized: "I need to add more speed to my tosses and practice shooting power even more. When I go pro, I'll have to play various plays, so I must develop further than I am now."

Kim Mi-ju's ideal setter image is well reflected in her role model: Japanese men's national team setter Masahiro Sekita (33, JTEKT Stings). At 175cm, Sekita is considered short on the international stage, but he is an outstanding setter with the ability to adjust the speed and intensity of his tosses based on quick and accurate judgment to match attackers' timing. This aligns with what Kim Mi-ju desires: "a fast toss that makes attackers comfortable." Domestically, she also frequently watches the play of Kim Da-in (28, Hyundai E&C).

Kim explained: "Sekita plays exactly the kind of toss I pursue. He is very speedy and adjusts well to attackers; I want to emulate those parts. I watch a lot how he waits with the ball and then gives it when the attacker is ready."

Even during breaks, she searches for VNL (Volleyball Nations League) on YouTube to follow the plays of world-class setters. This stems from her desire to make attackers as comfortable as possible. While there is a global trend toward taller and stronger setters, Sekita has shown a path to compete with the world in a different way. Kim Mi-ju also spent two months focusing solely on changing the height and speed of her tosses, tasting that small but significant potential.

Kim stated her bold ambition: "I want to set balls that attackers can hit best. To do that, my goal is to become a setter with even more speed."

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*This content was translated by AI.