"Not going pro isn't failure; stopping is." As the women's volleyball landscape narrows, Gwangju Women's University coach Choi Sung-woo creates a 'second chance' [Interview]

*This content was translated by AI.

In Korean women's volleyball, the path from high school graduation to university and then to professional play remains unfamiliar.

A total of 58 participants joined the 2025–2026 Korea Volleyball Federation (KOVO) women's rookie draft. Of these, 56 were expected high school graduates, while only one was a university student and another a corporate team player. Among them, 21 players—including trainees—were selected by professional teams, resulting in a selection rate of just 36.2%.

There is also limited space for players who did not pass through the professional doors to continue growing at the senior level. In the 2026 KUSF (Korean University Sports Federation) University Volleyball U-League women's division, only six universities participated: Gwangju Women's University, Kyungil University, Dankook University, Mokpo Science and Technology University, Woosuk University, and Honam University. Even based on registration with the Korean University Volleyball Association, there are only seven schools including Dongseo University. Combined, this number does not even reach half of the 15th universities in the men's university league.

When coach Choi Sung-woo (34) first established the volleyball team at Gwangju Women's University in 2023, conditions were even worse than today. There was a perception that women's university volleyball served merely as a continuation for players who could not go to professional or corporate teams after high school. Some held the view of "what would you achieve by playing volleyball so hard?" and it was common for university teams to lose practice matches against high school teams.

However, Coach Choi thought differently. As the proportion of foreign players increased and competition among domestic players intensified, he believed that space must be created for players who were not selected by professional teams at age 18 to grow again. Recently, in an interview with StarNews at Gwangju Women's University, Coach Choi stated firmly, "Not making it to the pros does not mean failure. I believe that stopping itself is failure."

He continued, "I wondered where high school students who cannot go to professional teams would turn if they lost their direction, and I hope universities can be one alternative. Frankly speaking, if the first division is professional, then the second division should be corporate leagues, and the third division should be university leagues. But we must do this. Not making it to the pros in high school does not mean the end. Students must come to university to prove their value again and grow."

His argument may become an increasingly realistic issue. Starting from the 2027–2028 season, KOVO changed its regulations to allow women's teams to hold three foreign national players—one foreign player and two Asian quota players—and all three can play on the court simultaneously. This is why concerns are raised that competition among domestic players will become even more intense. Choi Sang-hyun (52), head coach of the Korean women's national volleyball team, also pointed out in May that Korea's world ranking had dropped to 40th place, highlighting the problem where domestic attackers do not gain enough experience in decisive moments because they are pushed aside by foreign players on their teams.

There is a need for an 'intermediate stage' where more players can train longer and gain more match experience. The most needed second division league has seen no progress for several years due to differing stances among KOVO clubs. It is a painful reality that corporate volleyball plays a similar role.

Gwangju Women's University is gradually showing the potential of university volleyball. Within one year of its founding, Gwangju Women's University won the U-League and quickly rose as a strong team in university volleyball. This year, they won the Korean Air Cup National University Volleyball Goseong Tournament without losing a single set from the preliminary rounds to the finals, and also secured runner-up at the Danyang Tournament.

The players themselves reflect Coach Choi's philosophy. Lee So-min (21), who once considered quitting volleyball, transferred to Gwangju Women's University and regained her dream of being a setter that she had set aside since middle school. Leveraging her experience as an attacker, she now alternates between setter and outside hitter roles to challenge the professional stage again.

Son Yoon-ah (21) was not selected in the draft upon high school graduation but grew into the university MVP. Lee Su-in (19), who enrolled this year, also came to university with regrets thinking, "If I had worked a little harder, maybe things would have been different." After dedicating herself to training during her first year, she even won the attack award at a national tournament, demonstrating new possibilities.

Success, according to Coach Choi, does not mean sending all these players to professional teams. Instead, he emphasizes that because it is university, preparation for life after volleyball must also be made. Gwangju Women's University students begin preparing from their first year to obtain qualifications such as certified sports instructors, taping certification, and exercise prescriptions that can be utilized in career planning. Depending on the season, they adjust the balance between training and academics. This is also why players participate in weekend volleyball lessons, officiating, volunteering, and talent donation activities. Especially, Coach Choi repeatedly stresses independence to the players.

Coach Choi stated, "I believe that by age 20, one should develop the strength to become independent. Parents cannot do everything for them forever. Whether challenging professional teams again, joining corporate leagues, or seeking employment, they must create their own path. Earning money through sports, teaching others, and confirming their value within society are all part of university education."

This philosophy stems from his own experience. Coach Choi also ended his playing career during his freshman year at Chosun University. After coldly assessing how competitive he would be in professional or corporate leagues, he chose military service and dreamed of becoming an investigator with the Prosecution Service. He also experienced various part-time jobs to earn tuition fees.

Looking back, those trials and errors of that time became the standard for guiding today's players. Coach Choi said, "Because I experienced pain, I hope our students do not walk the same path as me. When they are training, they should focus on sports, and when things don't work out, they must be prepared to move quickly in another direction." He added, "I want to be a coach who allows players to focus on their own goals and provides realistic guidance when they try to go down the wrong path."

Therefore, while he is stricter than anyone else during training sessions, after training ends, he converses with players like friends. He does not believe that coaches are simply people above others. He thanks players who have endured difficult training and sometimes says, "I'm sorry for making you work so hard."

Currently, at Gwangju Women's University, there are far more players from regions other than Gwangju. Coach Choi describes them as "players who are desperate, have experienced pain, or want to try again," adding, "Volleyball is something these children can excel at. I want to help them build their lives through it."

He tells players not to evaluate their entire volleyball careers based on a single failure. To achieve this, he strives to widen the narrow path of university volleyball, which is still unfamiliar in Korean women's volleyball. Currently, the only example is Lee Chae-eun (22) from Gwangju Women's University in 2023, who was selected by Pepper Savings Bank, becoming the first university student drafted into the V-League women's division. However, this year, Kim Min-chae (20), the ace of Gwangju Women's University, has confirmed her move to Suwon City Hall, and other players are knocking on the doors of both professional and corporate leagues in various ways.

Not every player is fully developed at age 18. Some grow at age 20, and others may reach their prime at age 21 after enduring major injuries. Coach Choi believes that university should be the place that allows this time. This is the 'second path' he wants to create for players at Gwangju Women's University.

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*This content was translated by AI.