Leaving Heungkuk Life Insurance and signing a free agent contract with IBK Industrial Bank of Korea
Even under the guidance of director Kim Ho-cheol of ‘Tiger’, “I’m mentally strong, so it’s okay”
Lee Ju-ah (24), wearing the IBK Industrial Bank of Korea women’s volleyball uniform, expressed her desire to win.
Lee Ju-ah said, “I have to win. I’m preparing with the mindset that if we don’t win, a bomb will explode,” ahead of the spring training practice match against the Japanese V-League team Toyota Autobody Queens in Nagoya, Japan on the 30th, expressing her determination for a new start.
National team middle blocker Lee Ju-ah left Heungkuk Life Insurance, where she had been playing, in April and signed a free agent (FA) contract with IBK Industrial Bank of Korea.
The persuasion of IBK Industrial Bank manager Kim Ho-cheol (69) played a decisive role. Lee Ju-ah said, “The manager told me that I was a player they needed and that I was the last piece of the puzzle. The moment I heard those words, I made up my mind. He told me to move and attack as I pleased, so I thought I wanted to take on a new challenge with this team.”
Coach Kim expressed his expectations for Lee Joo-ah, who recently joined the team, saying, “I think she hasn’t fully demonstrated her abilities yet. There is still room for her potential to blossom further in the upcoming season.”
Just like Coach Kim’s wish, Lee Ju-ah has been consistently active in the pre-season training practice matches. In the pre-season training practice match against the Japanese V-League team Denso Airybiz held in Nagoya, Japan on the 29th, she contributed to the team’s offense by scoring 10 points, including 3 blocks.
Coach Kim is known in the volleyball world as the ‘Tiger Teacher’. He is famous for raising strong players.
Lee Joo-ah laughed about Coach Kim’s coaching style, saying, “I’m mentally strong, so it’s okay.” She added, “I got scolded a lot in my previous team, so my mentality is definitely strong. I don’t think I’ll have a mental breakdown or anything because the coach strongly points out my mistakes.”
Lee Joo-ah is trying to make Director Kim’s guidance completely her own. She emphasized, “When I receive criticism from the director, I think I should first reflect on my own problems. It is important to accept what the director says and quickly find out what I did wrong.” She added, “If I did something wrong, I can fix it. And then I can do it again. That way, I can learn faster.”
Lee Ju-ah, who has been good at moving attacks since her rookie days and is also called ‘Lee Dong-ju-ah’, talks a lot with the setters in particular.
“I think setters and middle blockers should trust each other and get along well. That’s why I shout ‘trust’ to the setters,” said Lee Ju-ah. She even asked Tian Xintong (China), who joined as an Asian quota player, in Chinese how to say ‘trust.’ She explained, “Xintong told me to say ‘Shang Xin.’ That’s why I shout ‘Shang Xin’ on the court. I also tell (Kim) Ha-kyung and (Kim) Yun-woo to trust and come up.”
Lee Ju-ah is aiming for her second individual championship at IBK Industrial Bank. “There is nothing more valuable than winning. When you win, all the hardships you have experienced are forgotten,” she said. “In order to win, the manager, coaching staff, and players all need to be of the same mind. I want to communicate with each other, encourage each other when we make mistakes, and move forward together toward the goal of winning.”
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2024-09-01 13:38:41