A 176.8 cm rookie, OH, is set to debut as a middle blocker... Head coach Kim Young-rae's unconventional plan for first-round pick Yoo Da-eun: "We need one-legged attacks"

*This content was translated by AI.View Original

Kim Young-rae (45), who was promoted to head coach of Korea Expressway Corporation, revealed an unexpected plan to immediately utilize first-round rookie Yoo Da-eun (18, Geumyeong Girls' High School) as a middle blocker.

Korea Expressway Corporation selected Yoo Da-eun with the fourth 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. They then chose middle blocker Kim Hyeon-a (18) of Jungang Girls' High School with the fourth pick in the second round and libero Na Min-ji (19) of Sunmyung Girls' High School with the fourth pick in the third round.

Yoo Da-eun, who stands 176.8 cm tall, is a player capable of handling both outside hitter and opposite spiker positions, and she has also been named to the Under-18 (U-18) national youth team. However, it appears she will be utilized as a middle blocker rather than an attacker in her first professional season.

In a phone interview with StarNews on the 29th, Coach Kim said, "There were still tall attackers available at our pick number. But this year, we needed a player who could run quick attacks rapidly from the middle blocker position and execute one-legged attacks." He explained, "We are a team that excels in receiving. We needed a player with offensive power who could also hit quick attacks."

He added, "Yoo Da-eun's serve is also a strength. We plan to have three players—Moma, Kang So-hui, and Yoo—hit powerful serves, while the other three focus on serving without errors. I hope our plan works out well."

In fact, Korea Expressway Corporation's situation in the middle is not comfortable this season. Veteran Baek Yu-na (37), who guarded the middle until last season, transferred to Hyundai Construction. Additionally, Lee Ji-yoon (19), who won the Rookie of the Year award for the 2025-2026 season, has also been sidelined due to injury. The burden is inevitably concentrated on the existing middle blockers.

The absence of Lee Ji-yoon is particularly painful. Lee Ji-yoon, who joined as the first overall pick in last year's rookie draft, played a key role as a starter from her debut season, contributing to Korea Expressway Corporation's first-place finish in the regular league. Interestingly, Baek Yu-na's injury at the time presented an opportunity. When Baek Yu-na was sidelined with a shoulder dislocation in October of last year, Lee Ji-yoon filled the void. She subsequently grew by leveraging her slightly faster quick attacks, movement attacks, and blocking abilities, ultimately winning the Rookie of the Year award for the first time in her career.

However, the situation changed within just one season. Baek Yu-na left the team, and Lee Ji-yoon was also out due to injury. For Coach Kim, who must build the middle around players such as Kim Se-bin (21) and Kim Hyeon-ji (29), reinforcing with a rookie became not an option but an immediate task. Coach Kim explained, "If the existing player (Lee Ji-yoon) returns, she could move to opposite or outside hitter, but right now, it seems she needs to step in as a middle blocker."

Of course, transitioning from attacker to middle blocker is not easy. To respond to the fast attacks of the professional stage, one must newly learn the ability to read the opposing setter's plays, blocking timing, and hand shape. Coach Kim also emphasized, "There is a lot we need to teach. Center blocking in high school is different from that in a pro team. First, we have to make her able to hold one position in blocking." He added, "Our team currently lacks many one-legged attacks. We drafted her to slightly increase the proportion of one-legged attacks."

They are also considering a quick deployment into actual matches. Coach Kim said, "Yoo Da-eun can hit back attacks and is good at attacking. We had her train the day after the draft (the 29th), and she did well." He stated, "It might be a bit difficult for her to enter in the first match, but I think we should gradually deploy her from the next game onwards. Relying on just two centers for a long season also carries injury risks."

They also placed expectations on Kim Hyeon-a, selected in the second round. Standing 178.1 cm tall, she is on the shorter side for a middle blocker, but she is evaluated as having strengths in her movement after blocking and volleyball sense. Coach Kim assessed, "Her transition from blocking at the net to the next action was good. Her jump is not particularly high, but her movement and actions after blocking were excellent." He added, "Her arms are also very long. Her ability to connect the ball with underhand sets is not bad, so I think she will do well if we develop her properly."

Kim Hyeon-a also reacted as if she could not believe she was drafted. Kim Hyeon-a met with StarNews immediately after the draft and said with a smile, "Actually, I didn't even know I would be picked. I was so nervous that I don't even remember how I took photos on the stage. It only hit me that I had been drafted to a pro team after I sat down in my chair." She continued, "At the beginning of this year, I couldn't play many matches, so I worried that I wasn't showing my true self. In the second half, I was able to achieve results thanks to my teammates." She declared her resolve, saying, "My offensive side has developed a lot. I am confident in my competitive spirit. I want to become a standout player in the pros as well."

Coach Kim's plan for utilizing rookies is also significant in that it was disclosed immediately after his appointment as head coach. Korea Expressway Corporation announced the promotion of acting head coach Kim Young-rae to head coach on the 29th. They transitioned to a formal head coach system about seven months after parting ways with former head coach Kim Jong-min in April.

Coach Kim took over the team that finished first in the regular league last season, but suffered the pain of losing all three matches to GS Caltex in the championship finals. However, while preparing for this season, he reorganized the roster and recently achieved the result of advancing to the finals at the Yeosu KOVO Cup.

Korea Expressway Corporation defeated GS Caltex 3-1 and Hyundai Construction 3-0 in the group stage, and also beat IBK Industrial Bank of Korea 3-0 in the semifinals. Although they were upset by GS Caltex 2-3 in the finals, settling for second place, the club highly evaluated Coach Kim's ability to manage the roster.

This is now his first season as a formal head coach. The offensive lineup led by Letizia Moma Basoko (33, registered name Moma), Kang So-hui (29), and new Asian quota player Uchiseto Mami (35, registered name Mami) has proven its competitiveness. In addition, filling the void in the middle and building a depth of players capable of enduring a long season remained important tasks.

Korea Expressway Corporation will play GS Caltex in the opening match of the 2026-2027 V-League on the 31st. This is the first match under the formal head coach Kim Young-rae system, and a rematch against the opponent they lost to in last season's championship finals and the recent cup tournament finals. While stating, "We drafted them thinking we could utilize the rookies immediately," Coach Kim showed a cautious attitude, saying, "Ultimately, we have to see how they perform in training. We also need to watch how they hold their own and win among the senior players."

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

*This content was translated by AI.View Original