"Forget about 6th place": OK Savings Bank conducts full-strength pre-season training camp in Japan, including Russell: "We could see the improvement with our own eyes"

*This content was translated by AI.

The OK Savings Bank Eummen men's professional volleyball team successfully completed a pre-season training camp that was markedly different from last year's. It was encouraging that the team effectively fielded its "full-strength" lineup in live matches, featuring Kyle Russell (33), the No. 1 overall pick in the foreign player draft, Mehran Peyjehmamdoost (25, registered name: Peys), the Asian quota selection, and new setter Kim Dae-hwan (21).

OK Savings Bank conducted its pre-season training camp in Hiroshima, Japan, from the 28th of last month to the 4th of this month. The team played a total of four practice matches against Hiroshima Thunder of Japan's SV League on the 29th and 30th of last month, and the 2nd and 3rd of this month, before returning home via Incheon International Airport on the 4th.

Although the team trained at the same location for the second consecutive year, the content of the training was different. Last year, OK Savings Bank completed its Japanese pre-season camp without a foreign player while in the process of building a new team. This year, most of the key players who will compete in the regular league participated, including Russell and Peys. The team was able to evaluate the chemistry between the newly formed setter corps and attackers, various player combinations, blocking, and defensive positioning in an environment close to actual match conditions.

The regrets from last season have made preparations for the new season even more intense. In the 2025-2026 season, his first as head coach of OK Savings Bank, Shin Young-cheol (62) led the team to a record of 17 wins and 19 losses with 50 points, finishing in 6th place and failing to advance to the spring playoffs. However, in its first year after relocating its home base to Busan, the team recorded a 13-5 home record, demonstrating its potential.

Changes have also occurred in the team's roster ahead of the new season. The club selected Russell with the No. 1 overall pick in the foreign player draft and signed Peys as its Asian quota player. Setter Kim Dae-hwan also joined the team anew. How quickly the existing players and new faces could unite into a single team was the core challenge of the season preparations.

Therefore, Head Coach Shin placed significance on allowing his players to directly experience Japan's fast-paced volleyball and precise ball control. "Although it was a short period, it was important for our players to directly experience the ball control and game management of Japanese players so they could feel what areas we need to prepare further," Shin said. "The newly joined players and existing players were able to play live matches together, learn each other's characteristics, and build chemistry. Based on what we confirmed during this pre-season camp, we will continue to improve our level of completion through the KOVO Cup and the regular league."

In particular, the team focused on evaluating the chemistry between new setter Kim Dae-hwan and the attackers. Previously, Head Coach Shin had highlighted Kim's integration as one of the key points of this pre-season camp, emphasizing that he needed to constantly communicate with attackers such as Russell and understand each other's characteristics.

The biggest change felt by team captain Jeon Gwang-in (35) was also "communication." Last year, Jeon was in the position of adapting to the team after newly donning the OK Savings Bank uniform. This year, he visited Hiroshima wearing the captain's armband. "There has been more conversation among the players compared to last year, and we could see improvements as we spoke freely with one another," Jeon said. "Right now, our priority is to execute the plays we have prepared better than our opponents do. We will continue building on what we practiced during the pre-season camp and prepare well for the KOVO Cup and the regular league."

It was also a special time for Russell, who joined OK Savings Bank with the No. 1 overall pick in the foreign player draft after being replaced by Korean Air ahead of the championship finals. Preparing his fifth season in Korea with his fourth V-League team, following KEPCO, Samsung Fire & Marine Insurance, and Korean Air, Russell completed his first overseas pre-season training camp as a member of OK Savings Bank.

"The team traveled and lived together, allowing us to build camaraderie even off the court, and it was good to experience a new style of volleyball by playing against teams from another country," Russell said. "The team chemistry is good, and all the players are getting along well. I will prepare to perform at my best for the team during the remaining period."

The tasks identified by OK Savings Bank in Hiroshima were clear. By competing against Japanese players, the team reconfirmed the importance of basic ball control, first and second contacts, and decision-making ability according to game situations. Set plays such as blocking and defensive positioning were also repeatedly refined through four live matches.

OK Savings Bank, which finished in 6th place last season, is now entering its final assembly phase domestically. In Japan, new faces and existing players clashed together to complete the first live evaluation of their "full-strength" lineup. The next test will be the KOVO Cup. It is time for the changes that began to become visible in Hiroshima to translate into actual on-court performance.

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*This content was translated by AI.