"Performance over reputation": The first principle Ramirez sets for KB... Trusting the players and declaring, "Our outside hitter competition is fierce"

*This content was translated by AI.

Head coach Isanaye Ramirez (43) immediately foreshadowed a fierce battle for starting positions upon taking the helm of the KB Insurance Stars.

Ahead of the 2026-2027 season kickoff ceremony held on the 5th at the Nambu Culture and Arts Center in Pyeongtaek, Gyeonggi Province, Coach Ramirez met with reporters and said, "I had extensive discussions with the coaching staff even on my way here today (the 5th), but I can say that our competitiveness at the outside hitter (OH) position is quite strong."

He continued, "We do not play based on reputation; rather, the player with the best performance at that moment will be on the court," emphasizing, "I would say that all players at the OH position are delivering performances of nearly the same level."

The OH position is also where the most intense competition is expected in KB Insurance's new season. Im Seong-jin (27), who served as a key player until last season, has entered military service, while Hwang Kyung-min (30) has returned after completing his military duty. In addition to Na Kyung-bok (32), Hong Sang-hyuk (28), and Yoon Seo-jin (21), Tarusha Chamees (24, registered name: Tarusha), the first Sri Lankan player in V-League history, has also joined the team.

Each player has clear reasons for aiming to secure a starting spot. Na Kyung-bok was unable to fully demonstrate his expected performance last season due to the aftermath of a knee injury. He reduced his weight during the offseason and prepared for a turnaround by continuing individual night workouts and running at the training camp in Japan.

Hong Sang-hyuk completely transformed his physique. Drafted as the second overall pick in the 2019-2020 rookie draft, he set a career high with 306 points and a 49.91% attack success rate in 35 matches during the 2023-2024 season. However, after returning from military service last season, his appearances were limited to 8 matches and 13 sets.

Hong Sang-hyuk, who had been preparing diligently, lost 8 kg during this offseason. It was a choice made to improve his speed, which he himself identified as a weakness. At the training camp in Japan, he was also evaluated as one of the players whose form improved the most among the team's outside hitters.

Yoon Seo-jin is no slouch either. Drafted as the fifth overall pick in the 2023-2024 rookie draft, she joined the senior national team for the first time this summer, creating a turning point in her growth. After returning from the national team, she received evaluations from those around her that "her skills have improved," and even her mother, a former volleyball player, told her, "It seems like you finally understand how to play volleyball."

Newcomer Tarusha is also one of the candidates for a starting role. A 195 cm tall Sri Lankan national team starter with strong power, she received the Best Wing Spiker award at the Central Asian Volleyball Association (CAVA) Champions Cup in July last month. Since arriving in Korea, she has been evaluated as improving her jumping ability and physical condition while experiencing systematic weight training for the first time.

Given that each player possesses different strengths, the head coach has no intention of locking in one or two players as starters immediately. He aims to look at potential rather than current limitations. The plan is to prepare all players so they can be utilized throughout the long season and to deploy the player showing the best performance at any given time.

Coach Ramirez emphasized, "In fact, since I have not been with KB for long after coming from the national team, it will be difficult to mention specific players (at this point). Just as new players were called up in the national team and grew to show good performance when returning to their clubs, I want to show the same thing at KB Insurance."

The standard of competition required by the new head coach is not merely a simple attack success rate. How well a player can execute the style of volleyball he wants to build is expected to be another criterion for the starting position battle. He does not simply desire fast-paced volleyball. He places importance on how stably attacks can be generated in situations where the reception is shaky and the setter has to handle balls that drop from the net.

Coach Ramirez stated, "KB Insurance has various players who can play quickly," while adding, "What I particularly want to develop right now is play when the ball drops from the net."

He continued, "In modern volleyball, about 40% of plays occur outside the system," explaining, "Of course, I also want to develop fast play, but I want to focus on making KB Insurance a better team in counter-attack situations and high-ball situations. I want to build a system that adds strong serves to this."

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*This content was translated by AI.