The tournament was a breath of fresh air for foreign coaches and a sign of rebellion for the lower-ranked teams.메이저사이트
The 2023 Gumi Dodram Cup professional volleyball tournament in Gumi ended with GS Caltex winning the women’s title and OK Financial Group winning the men’s title.
Most notably, foreign coaches made waves. OK Financial Group’s new head coach, Massa Ogino, led the team to its first-ever cup victory. OK Financial Group missed the postseason last season after finishing fifth. OK Financial Group chose to make a change, and it paid off within two months of his arrival.
Ogino broke down the hierarchy and actively encouraged communication between the coaching staff and players. Moreover, OK Financial Group could be even stronger with the addition of foreign players Leo and Asian quarterback Bayarsaihan. Despite winning the cup, Ogino said, “The V-League is completely different. You need multiple players to play. We will not divide the team into first and second teams, but we will improve both the team and individuals.”
Korean Air coach Tommy Tilikainen has made waves with his new volleyball style. Jeong Ji-seok, Lim Dong-hyuk, Kim Kyu-min, and Kim Min-jae were unable to participate in the tournament due to national team call-ups. With only 10 players available, the team still managed to win all three matches in the group stage, topping Group A and reaching the quarterfinals. Although they didn’t make it to the final, they made a strong impression by playing volleyball with a lot of variety.
There were also signs of a rebellion from the lower-ranked teams. Last season, Samsung Fire, the lowest-ranked men’s team, finished as runners-up. Despite the lack of foreign players, the trio of Kim Jung-ho, Park Sung-jin, and Shin Jang-ho showed off their offensive prowess. They even defeated Korean Air in the quarterfinals. Samsung Fire head coach Kim Sang-woo said, “The players have gained confidence and a stronger will. I hope it will be a great opportunity,” said Samsung Fire coach Kim Sang-woo.
On the women’s side, IBK, which finished sixth last season, reached the final for the first time in seven years. They were stopped by GS Caltex in the final, but they were able to overcome the absence of their key resources, Kim Hee-jin and Hwang Min-kyung. It will be interesting to see how they fare under new coach Kim Ho-cheol, who took over in 2021.
The emergence of the 2000s is also a welcome factor. Shin Shin-jin, born in 2001, led OK Financial Group to the title and broke her own record for most points in the quarterfinals and final. Samsung Fire’s Park Sung-jin, born in 2000, also showed a lot of promise in the tournament.