The influence of foreign players in the V-League is absolute. If you have foreign players with excellent skills, your grades will naturally improve. Gavin Schmidt of Samsung Fire & Marine Insurance, Gasparini who went through Hyundai Capital and Korean Air, and Simon OK Savings Bank (now OK Financial Group) still remain in the minds of volleyball fans. In the 2021-2022 season, Keita Noumori led KB Insurance to advance to the first championship match.
In case of sluggishness or prolonged injury, foreign players are replaced. But changing is not a good thing. In the regular league of the ‘Dodram 2022-2023 V-League’, 5 clubs (2 men’s divisions and 3 women’s divisions), more than last season (3), replaced foreign players. Excluding the women’s division Hyundai E&C, which has just recruited foreign players, the success rate so far can be evaluated at 50%.
The team that has most clearly been effective is the Korea Expressway Corporation in the women’s division. On the 4th of last month, he broke up with Katarina Jovic, who was repeating sluggishness, and recruited Catbell. After going through GS Caltex and Heungkuk Life Insurance, Catbell, who did not need a separate adaptation period, played an active part in 8 games and scored 175 points. Thanks to Catbell and setter Lee Yoon-jung, and even Park Jung-ah surviving, the Korea Expressway Corporation won 6 wins during this period and entered the 3rd place (15 wins, 11 losses, 44 points).
KB Insurance in the men’s division also rose after the replacement of foreign players. Andres Vijena, who was recruited on December 13 last year in place of Nicolas Mellagnac, who failed to adapt, scored 276 points in 10 games. KB Insurance, which had only 4 wins and 11 losses, recorded 6 wins and 4 losses after Viyena joined. Although they are still in 6th place (10 wins, 16 losses, 30 points), they are reviving their hopes of advancing to the postseason. 안전놀이터
On the other hand, the women’s IBK Industrial Bank and the men’s Woori Card are not working properly. IBK Industrial Bank replaced foreign players the fastest in the V-League on October 11 last year. Instead of Anastasia Gurbanova, Dali Santana, who was with us last season, was recruited, but they are still in 6th place (10 wins, 16 losses, 31 points). Santana is only scoring 209 points in 26 games, and the support shooting of domestic players is too poor. At this rate, it is difficult to play ‘Spring Volleyball’.
Riverman Agamez, who joined Woori Card in place of Leo Andrich, who suffered a long-term injury on November 18 last year, has many ups and downs. The 38-year-old has suffered from minor injuries and poor fitness. Woori Card is in an uneasy 3rd place (14 wins 12 losses, 39 points), 1 point ahead of 4th place KEPCO (12 wins, 14 losses, 38 points).
On the 6th, Hyundai E&C, the leader in the women’s division, recruited Yvone Montaño as a substitute for Yasmin Bedardt, who has been slow to recover from a back injury. They won 7 wins out of 11 games without Yasmin, but domestic players such as 37-year-old veteran Hwang Yeon-joo showed remarkable physical deterioration. The point to watch is how Montaño, who could not participate in the home game against Heungkuk Life Insurance on the 7th because the transfer procedure was not completed, will contribute to Hyundai Engineering & Construction’s championship challenge race at the end of the season.
