Who will fill the void left by Yang Hyo-jin's retirement? Hyundai Construction secures 3rd pick despite 4% odds... Why did they select 18-year-old Jung Ga-young, a 179cm outside hitter?

*This content was translated by AI.View Original

Hyundai Construction Hillstate, which urgently needed to reinforce its middle block after the retirement of "national treasure" middle blocker Yang Hyo-jin (37), secured the third overall pick despite having only a 4% chance at the first overall pick in the lottery. However, they chose Jung Ga-young (18), an outside hitter from Ilsin Girls' High School.

Hyundai Construction selected Jung Ga-young with the third overall pick in the first round at the 2026-2027 Korea Volleyball Federation (KOVO) Women's Rookie Draft held on the 28th at the Mayfield Hotel in Gangseo-gu, Seoul.

Initially, Hyundai Construction's probability of winning the first overall pick in the lottery was only 4%. This was lower than Jeonggwanjang (35%), SOOP (30%), IBK Industrial Bank of Korea (20%), and Heungkuk Life (8%). However, they were fortunate to secure the third pick in the actual draw, following IBK Industrial Bank of Korea and SOOP. After the two preceding teams selected setter Audrey Park (24, UCLA) and Kim Mi-ju (18, Jungang Girls' High School), respectively, Hyundai Construction called out Jung Ga-young's name.

It was an unexpected choice. With Yang Hyo-jin retiring at the end of last season, Hyundai Construction lost the center of its power. Yang Hyo-jin, who played exclusively for Hyundai Construction for 19 seasons starting from the 2007-2008 season, is a legend in women's volleyball, leaving behind remarkable career records of 8,406 points and 1,748 blocks.

To address the central void, Hyundai Construction even executed a trade in April last year, sending setter Lee Su-yeon (21) to Korea Expressway Corporation and bringing in veteran middle blocker Bae Yu-na (37). According to Coach Kang, there were no players who met their standards for the center position, which still required reinforcement.

Ultimately, they decided to choose a player with clear strengths rather than being bound by position. Speaking to StarNews immediately after the draft event, Coach Kang explained, "Even though Jung Ga-young is a bit short, she has the best fundamentals among this year's rookie outside hitters. In particular, her spike serve is a strength."

He added, "It may be difficult for her to enter matches as an attacker immediately, but her serve is good enough that she could be utilized as a one-point server right away this season." He further noted, "Looking at recent players, I don't think their height is particularly bad. She is a player with very high potential for future development."

Jung Ga-young, who stands 179cm tall, is an attacker capable of playing both outside hitter and opposite spiker, and her potential as an outside hitter was recognized in this draft. She herself also cited outside hitter as the position she feels most confident in.

Jung Ga-young emphasized, "I am most confident in my abilities as an outside hitter and believe it is a position where I can perform well." She added, "First of all, I am most confident in my serve. I also feel that I can do well in defense and defensive aspects."

Interestingly, her role model is Kim Yeon-geun (32), the libero on the same team. Jung Ga-young said, "Player Kim Yeon-geun has excellent overall sense and seems to have a very good eye for the ball. She does defense and catching really well, so I want to learn a lot from her."

Jung Ga-young's growth is crucial because Hyundai Construction is undergoing significant changes this season. In addition to Yang Hyo-jin, Asia quota player Justice Yauci (registered name: Justice) also left the team. The club signed new foreign outside hitter Jordan Wilson (registered name: Jordan) and Asia quota player Megawati Pertiwi (registered name: Mega). They also announced a shift in the center of gravity of their attack from the middle to the sides.

Starting setter Kim Da-in (28) stated at the media day on the 7th, "Previously, we mainly played volleyball utilizing middle blockers, but this season we will play aggressive volleyball by actively utilizing our outside attackers."

However, difficulties in rebuilding the squad were revealed in the recent cup tournament. Hyundai Construction suffered sweep losses to Korea Expressway Corporation and GS Caltex at the recent Yeosu NH Nonghyup Cup. They conceded many points to opposing attackers and failed to win a single set, resulting in elimination from the group stage.

The head coach was also concerned not only about the chemistry of new players but also about the growth of domestic players. A representative example is Na Hyeon-su (27). Na Hyeon-su, who can play both opposite spiker and middle blocker, recently competed as an opposite spiker at the 2026 Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games. Coach Kang gave a cold assessment: "Na Hyeon-su has developed a lot and performed well for the national team, but there are still areas where she is lacking."

He continued, "The opposite spiker position is occupied by foreign players, so domestic players do not have much time to develop during the season." He expressed regret about the reality that they cannot give many opportunities to young players, stating, "If a player does not play matches, it is difficult for them to develop. They need playing time even during the season to grow."

Jung Ga-young is also a rookie who must compete and grow in the professional arena. Even if it is difficult for her to act as a starting attacker immediately, the strong serve recognized by Coach Kang is a weapon that can earn her playing opportunities. In the second round, Hyundai Construction also selected Gwak Do-yeon (18), a 181cm middle blocker from Seongmyeong Girls' High School. By securing an attacker with clear strengths while supplementing height in the center, they prepared for the future.

Jung Ga-young stated her resolve, saying, "I think Hyundai Construction is a good team that has been ranked in the top tier every season." She added, "At first, I didn't fully realize that I had been drafted, but I am gradually coming to terms with it. I will show you good performance from now on."

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*This content was translated by AI.View Original