'A New Member Joins Women's Volleyball' SOOP Supers Officially Launches! First Season Under Head Coach Kim Se-jin; Inaugural Match on the 11th Following Founding Ceremony

*This content was translated by AI.View Original

SOOP Supers, a new member of women's professional volleyball, held its founding ceremony and took its first official step. The inaugural season with Head Coach Kim Se-jin (52) is now set to begin in earnest.

On the 3rd, SOOP held the founding ceremony for the women's professional volleyball team 'SOOP Supers' at Gwangju SOOP Stadium.

Club officials, players, key local figures, and fans attended to share in the new beginning. The ceremony began with a home base agreement between SOOP Supers and Jeonnam Gwangju Integrated Special City, followed by the founding declaration and the handover of the club flag.

The catchphrase 'BUILD TOGETHER, WIN TOGETHER,' symbolizing the club's direction, was also unveiled. It carries the meaning that players, coaching staff, the club, the local community, and fans will build the team together and move forward toward victory. The mascots 'Gogo' and 'Gugu,' as well as the uniforms for the inaugural season, were shown to fans for the first time. Introductions of the coaching staff led by Head Coach Kim Se-jin and the player roster followed.

Lee Min-won, owner of SOOP Supers, stated, "We will be loved by fans, grow together with the region, and deliver more joy and emotion through volleyball." He added, "I hope players believe in each other even in difficult moments and firmly defend the court until the very end, and that fans create moments of joy and emotion alongside the players."

Min Hyeong-bae, Mayor of Jeonnam Gwangju Integrated Special City, said, "We were worried that professional volleyball might stop in our region, but we are grateful that SOOP has taken over and chosen Jeonnam Gwangju as its home base." He welcomed the team, noting, "The club's direction of connecting various strengths to move toward victory aligns with the spirit of the Jeonnam Gwangju integrated era."

Following this, Lee Byung-ho, General Manager of SOOP Supers, outlined the club's direction through a founding declaration, emphasizing a path shared by players, coaching staff, the club, the local community, and fans. General Manager Lee stated, "We will ensure that the club and players can prepare events with the community not only for sports activities but also for the development of the local region, other professional teams, and Gwangju."

SOOP Supers became a new member of the women's V-League after receiving approval to join the Korea Volleyball Federation (KOVO) in June. With SOOP acquiring AI Peppers, which was operated by Pepper Savings Bank, the seven-team structure of the women's division was maintained as is.

Head Coach Kim Se-jin was selected as the inaugural head coach to lead this new beginning. During her active career, Head Coach Kim played for Samsung Fire and the national team. After retiring, she served as the founding head coach of OK Savings Bank in the men's division, leading the team to the top within two years of its launch. She later served as a commentator and Director of KOVO's Match Operations Headquarters before returning to the field with the newly established SOOP Supers.

Following the appointment of Head Coach Kim, SOOP accelerated the formation of its player roster. The club signed foreign player Odriana Fitzmorris (29) and Asian quota player Iz Shue (29), while also bringing in Jeon Sa-yeon (30) and Song Eun-chae (20) to bolster both experience and youth simultaneously.

Head Coach Kim has emphasized a balance of experience and ambition during the process of forming the roster for the inaugural season. The club confirmed its home base as Jeonnam Gwangju Integrated Special City. After unveiling its official emblem, the club presented its uniforms and mascots at this founding ceremony, completing the image of the new team.

Now it is time to make their debut on the actual court. SOOP Supers will play its first official match after founding in the KOVO Cup held in Yeosu on the 11th. The team will then debut in the 2026~2027 V-League season with an away game against Heungkuk Life on November 1. The first home game will be held at SOOP Stadium on November 5, against Korea Expressway Corporation.

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

*This content was translated by AI.View Original