Outside Heater (left), Yosvani (Cuba), Apogit Spiker (Light), Leo (34) of Cuba, Villena (31) of Spain, and Mattei (28) of Slovenia will also play in the 2024-2025 season.
The Korea Volleyball Federation (KOVO) held a men’s foreign player draft at the Holiday Inn & Sweet Science Park in Dubai, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) on the 11th (Korea time). The order of nominations was decided by a lottery system that gives a high probability in the reverse order of last season’s final performance. The lowest ranking (7th) KB Insurance 35 times, the sixth-ranked Samsung Fire & Marine Insurance 30 times, the fifth-ranked KEPCO 25 times, the fourth-ranked Hyundai Capital 20 times, the third-ranked Woori Card 15 times, the second-ranked OK Financial Group 10 times, and the first-ranked Korean Air 5 times, then decided the order of nominations by lottery.
The order of nominations was determined in the order of Korean Air, Hyundai Capital, KB Insurance, Korea Electric Power Corporation, Woori Card, Samsung Fire & Marine Insurance, and OK Financial Group. Among them, Korean Air, Hyundai Capital, KB Insurance, and Samsung Fire & Marine Insurance chose “experienced workers” and accompany them.
After surpassing 3.57 percent chance, Korean Air named Yosvani. Debuting in the V-League during the 2018-2019 season, he played for OK Savings Bank (currently OK Financial Group), Hyundai Capital, Korean Air, and Samsung Fire & Marine Insurance for four seasons to establish himself as a foreign striker who represents the V-League. As a member of Samsung Fire & Marine Insurance, he also ranked first in both scoring 1,068 points and serving per set (0.55 points) in the league last season.
Hyundai Capital also chose Leo, who broke up with OK Financial Group. Leo also joined Samsung Fire & Marine Insurance during the 2012-2013 season and played for six seasons, being recognized as the best foreign player in the history of the V League. KB Insurance then named Villena, who renewed her contract the previous day. Samsung Fire & Marine Insurance picked Matei, a former Woori Card player, as a foreign player for the new season. Although Matei was packed with ankle injury at the end of the 2023-2024 season, his score (669 points), attack success rate (51.17 percent, sixth place) and serve per set (0.39 points, third place) all ranked high.안전놀이터
In contrast, KEPCO, Woori Card and OK Financial Group picked “new faces.” They are all Apogit spikers Luis Elian Estrada (24, Cuba), Michael Ahi (25, Netherlands), and Manuel Luconi (25, Italy).
Teams that have selected experienced players expect synergy between them and their existing players. The fate of each team’s 2024-2025 season is at stake in the performance of Yosvani, Leo, and Villena, who will be with quality outside heaters, as well as Mattei, who is likely to be burdened with offense.