Posts by suminj

IBK updated the condition of Heejin and Suji on their YouTube channel

Suji recovered from an abdominal muscle tear from an old injury, started training this week

Fully intends to (and is able to) join for Olympics if she's selected - but needs to compete with other centers in the running (she's not guaranteed be chosen after all)

Heejin is still in rehab after surgery but started weight training, since Right position uses different muscles compared to Center (which she played for v-league).
But her return for Olympics is uncertain, she said it'll depend on the result/progress of her rehab post-surgery.

Quote from futurefound

Han Song Yi gots to go. I'm sorry. Nothing against her or her age but I can clearly see she's not trying hard. She's just there. She doesn't have the Olympics package. The team should rather focus on the younger, faster players (despite less experience). That's the future.

I'd beg to differ with regards to the "not trying hard" attitude part, cause from watching v-league, Song Yi is actually one of the most fired up/competitive on the KGC team.

Constantly trying to get her teammates to do better and try harder, giving them instructions even when she's benched, trying to revive the atmosphere when they're losing when her teammates are worse at "not trying".

But, she's not so agile and good at digs/attack covers, so I'm guessing that may be what gives off the impression as her "not trying hard" or not going for/saving the ball.

I agree that it would have been more worthwhile if Korea used this VNL to train their younger/newer players for the 2024 Olympics instead and re-group.

Sending younger players instead of Songyi or Pyo Seungju, but Korea is aiming for 2021 Tokyo Olympics, not 2024 haha

This is Kim's last Olympics after all, and Korea even hired a foreign coach like Lavarini to bring Korea as far as they can.

(irregardless of their missing main line-up due to injuries and suspension)

So Songyi (#1 in blocking & tall height) and Seungju (no growth potential, but still better/more experienced) would be better choices for their 2021 Olympic run - not that I think they actually stand a chance with this line-up.

The most focused I ever seen the Korean team play this VNL against Belgium.

But can't help but think of VNL 2019 when Korea won 3-0 (25-15, 25-17, 25-22) against Belgium

The starting lineup wasn't full either with Heejin, Dayeong, Sohwi, Seungju, Eunjin and Juah (liberos: Jiyoung/ Yeon Gyeon)

Is Belgium inconsistent? Or are they sitting out players haha

5 set matches against Russia, Dom, Poland and even Korea now

Quote from LDvolley

Serbia played their B team in world cup 2019 and is playing their B team in this VNL as well. They are the world champions...

Also, in olympics there is 12 teams total, so you advance from the pool to top 8, not to top 16.

ah yes my bad, Top 8 not 16

Been seeing comments about 16강 in Korean and kept thinking Top 16 instead for some reason

Lol yea Serbia was in the 2016 Olympic finals too, what was I thinking haha

Dominican it is then

Quote from LDvolley

eh what? Serbia is the main candidate to WIN the pool. They won't have any problem with Korean team...

Korea will have to play a head to head with Dominican R. for a place in QFs.

Haha is that right? Not too familiar with their team, but just know that Serbia beat Korea 3-1 in VNL 2019, and Korea beat Serbia 3-1 in World Cup 2019 after that

If so, then as long as De La Cruz plays and Martinez recovers, Dominican will win Korea to get into Top 16

Quote from YKMag

They need to strengthen their defense. They can win at least 1 set yesterday but somehow couldn't sustain their lead. Pyo Seungju haihh I lose count how many times she got blocked!

Anyway, what happen to An Hyejin? And Lee Soyoung also get subbed in the middle of the match

?

Hyejin (#7) wasn't in their squad list, and she didn't run out together with the rest of the team for the Dominican match

She was present at the match in a jacket & black shirt though
Read from Korean comments that the Korean commentators said during the broadcast that she had pain in her knees (not sure how true, but I guess should be why), wasn't in the news though
But she only played partially during Thai match so far, so its likely from the v-league season before this.

Feels like she's just not fated for NT, the last time she was part of the team for Olympic Qualifications 2019, she got hyperventilation symptoms and was sent back to Korea (think it was said to be due to the long flight travel? I thought maybe anxiety but idk)

Soyoung did okay during the 1st set, but her performance wasn't good in 2nd set (only scored 3 pts overall and made some mistakes too), probably just subbed out

Thinking of all the amazing digs Kim Haeran, Kim Heejin, Lee Jaeyeong and Lee Dayeong did during World Cup 2019 for their defence (and blocks too)

You can't expect this team to suddenly level up within 2 months time for the Olympics

Quote from sambokojin

MB is a more difficult job. You constantly need to jump as a blocker and as a decoy.

Not really, MB gets subbed out by libero frequently when in back row and does not need to play full time

They generally aren't sent the ball as often as OH/OPP who tank majority of the attacks & has to back attack (they jump for blocks in front row and dig in back row too)

She switched to MB because of a coach's suggestion (which was partially due to her age and height)

She was less effective as an OH and more as a MB, which worked in her favour seeing how she got #1 in blocks this past season and won Best 7

Quote from VolleyOrange

Serbian libero about the racist incident in the match vs Thailand

FIVB should *at least* give out a statement against this and that it is unacceptable. The regret comes always after and obviously she "didn't mean to disrespect anyone" but that's the excuse we forever get after the incident. With Thailand accepting excuses or not: Time for FIVB to make a serious statement against this

Edit: read caption by clicking the post

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okay yeah, that's better now that she posted an apology on her own feed too

agree that FIVB should mention that such things are unacceptable

Quote from suminj

While I can't imagine any reason why someone would make that gesture in the middle of a game and in this day & age unknowingly...

What I took away from this is that the Thai team and Pleumjit are such sweet people. Not only readily accepting her apology, but even going to the extent of posting it on their IG publicly so that people will stop the witchhunt and hate.
I never like the idea of cancelling people so that's great (though... a certain extent of backlash is to be expected after doing such a rude gesture, or she'd never realize it)

I wanted a sweet ending but... 🙃

Turns out Pleumjit & the Thai team had no idea what it was about (in an IG comment on her post), and she was asked by the Serbian Libero to record a video for her sake?!

N'aw man.... now that's just taking advantage of people's kindness...

I doubt FIVB will fine her (though they should like other bigger leagues), and she should release an apology on her own timeline instead of reposting Pleumjit's post for her own sake.

I still won't kick up a fuss about it - asians being asians (an attitude i much prefer), and waste my time&energy on giving her attention.

But to be taken advantaged of is a different thing 🙃🙃🙃

Quote from avid

The caption says "Everyone, they cry. They walk into the room. They are very stressed. They said they didn't intend to. Forgive me"

Is that not what they said in 2018? "We didn't intend to" Obviously someone didn't learn

While I can't imagine any reason why someone would make that gesture in the middle of a game and in this day & age unknowingly...

What I took away from this is that the Thai team and Pleumjit are such sweet people. Not only readily accepting her apology, but even going to the extent of posting it on their IG publicly so that people will stop the witchhunt and hate.
I never like the idea of cancelling people so that's great (though... a certain extent of backlash is to be expected after doing such a rude gesture, or she'd never realize it)

Quote from zhutingfan

Each team will have a different plan. China for example is returning home and quarantineing in the training base.

So quarantining for 2 weeks in China, and another 2 weeks in Tokyo afterwards?? (with only 1 month in between the last match of VNL & first match of the Olympics)

And jumping straight into their first Olympic match??

Unless only 7 days of quarantine is required in China🤔

Does anyone know how the teams will be moving from VNL to the Olympics?

Seeing how VNL ends in late June and the Olympics starts in late July (1 month apart), and how quarantine is usually 2 weeks long.

Will they head straight to Japan after VNL in Italy? Quarantine for 2 weeks then practice & acclimatize in Japan before the Olympics start.

Or will they head home first, then to Japan? (I can't imagine how they'd quarantine 2 weeks at home + another 2 weeks at Japan) and have Olympics immediately start right after.

On that note, it's still interesting to watch & find gems amongst newer players on the international stage.

Feeling pretty hopeful for the future Korean team seeing Soyoung grow into a main spiker who is still learning to lead the team (in attacks), and Dahyun's first international stage.

Dahyun's composure is amazing, she never plays like rookie even during her first year of professional v-league after being drafted haha.

(wonder if this is a common thing for players with ex-vball national team parents? even the twins played with so much composure during their first international stage when they were just 18y/os in the 2014 AVCs - they did mention their mum helping them with mental aspect of playing on an international stage)

Despite Lavarini's comment that she's a bit short for a center on the international stage - which is true, at least he acknowledges her good blocking timing.
Still wishing he had played her against Japan since they were a shorter team haha, she could've definitely gotten a few good blocks from that match compared to Songyi

This current Korean team is a far-cry from what they used to be in 2018/19, which is such a pity for Lavarini who had built up such a great system.

With only 2 months left before their first Olympic match (1 month in VNL, 2 weeks in quarantine before Japan if they head there straight after), their only hope will be if Kim Heejin (surgery late May), Kim Suji and Im Myung Ok libero (unspecified injuries from season) can join the team in time for the Olympics.

But they will only have days to practice with the new setters, and may not be in their peak condition - even if they do return in time.

Sohwi and the twins are out of the Olympics lineup for sure, and Kim Haeran is highly unlikely considering her first practice after childbirth was only in late May.

Assuming no upset takes place, Korea will have to beat at least Kenya & Dominican Republic in their pool to advance to the Top 16.
(likely losing to Japan, Brazil & Serbia)

At this rate and looking at the current team's power & coordination, doesn't seem likely they'd stand a chance against Dominican too, seeing how they lost against Dominican Republic. (note: only 2 months before Olympics, how much magic can Lavarini cast on such a team?)

Edit: Switched Serbia and Dominican Republic above, did a brain fart here - thanks to LDVolley

Quote from atlas4

I swear SK was robbed of at least two points by the challenge system. When they switched from a touch-out challenge to a net-touch challenge for Park Jeong Ah's point, my fist nearly flew through my screen 🙄🙄🙄🙄🙄

sorry to say but that's not what had happened

Lavarini asked for a net-touch challenge, but the ref mistook it as a touch-out challenge and viewed the touch-out footage instead (it wasn't touched out)
The players then immediately informed the ref mid-way that they were requesting for a net-touch footage, not a touch-out, and the ref switched the footage to what was originally requested - net-touch (it also wasn't touched)

no issues in challenge system against Dominican, though I'd say there were 1-2 in their match against China that should've been in Korean's favour instead

though, wouldn't have made a difference to the final result imo