Women’s Volleyball Overall No. 1 Pick Kim Da-eun “I Will Seize the Opportunity to Play and Aim for Rookie of the Year”

by times news cr

“I didn’t expect him to be drafted first… He will be a player who will help the team.”
Director Kim Jong-min: “Kim Da-eun, if she gains experience, she can compete for a starting position”

ⓒNewsis

Kim Da-eun (Mokpo Girls’ Commercial High School), who was selected first overall in the new season’s female rookie draft and wore the Korea Expressway Corporation uniform, expressed her expectations for the Rookie of the Year award.

Kim Da-eun was selected first overall by Korea Expressway Corporation coach Kim Jong-min at the ‘2024-2025 Korea Volleyball Federation (KOVO) Women’s Rookie Player Draft’ held at the Mayfield Ballroom of the Mayfield Hotel in Gangseo-gu, Seoul on the 3rd.

Kim Da-eun, who was active in the U-20 national youth team and was drawing attention as a tall setter with a height of 178.2 cm, was the first to be called by the Korea Expressway Corporation, which won the first pick that day.

Kim Da-eun said, “I am grateful to the team manager and staff who nominated me,” and added, “I will join the team, learn a lot from my teammates, improve my skills, and work hard to become a player who can help the team.”

Regarding being nominated as the overall first pick, he said, “I didn’t expect it at all,” and “I was so nervous that I went in rather calmly.”

However, when asked about his desire to win Rookie of the Year, he said, “I gained confidence toward the Rookie of the Year award after being nominated first overall in the first round,” and “If I get to play, I want to show everything I can do, including my strengths.”

Kim Da-eun pledged, “First of all, I will try to get a chance to compete by showing a better side of myself than my older sisters with confidence.”

Kim Jong-min, the Korea Expressway Corporation coach who chose Kim Da-eun, said, “Kim Da-eun has many strengths, such as game management, movement, and blocking height,” and “In the beginning, we will use Kim Da-eun to reinforce her height, but as she gains experience, she will be able to compete for a starting position.”

Following Kim Da-eun, Choi Yu-rim (Jeonju Geunyeong Girls’ High School) and Lee Ju-ah (Mokpo Girls’ Commercial High School), who were selected by GS Caltex in the second and third rounds, also expressed their anticipation for becoming professional players and their determination for a new start.

Choi Yu-rim said, “I will show a good performance by making up for my shortcomings as I have been trusted and selected by you,” and “As a teammate with Lee Joo-ah, I would like to have a friendly competition for the Rookie of the Year award.”

Lee Ju-ah also said, “I was very nervous and tense leading up to today, but I feel great to have been selected first,” and “I want to train and improve my defense, such as receiving, to do well.”

GS Caltex coach Lee Hyung-taek, who selected them, also smiled and said, “I am 100% satisfied with the results of this draft.”

The coach explained, “Choi Yu-rim’s greatest strength is her height of 190 cm, and I believe she will become a good middle blocker if she grows well enough. Lee Ju-ah is currently the high school player with the best offensive ability, and I will train her to improve her defense and help her grow into a good player.”

[서울=뉴시스]

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2024-09-04 04:52:46

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