“I need to be better.”
Red Sparks middle blocker Jung Ho-young, 22, wants to get better at volleyball.
He was called the next Kim Yeon-kyung when he was a student at Seonmyeong Girls’ High School. He was drafted by KGC Ginseng Corporation (now Chung Kwan-jang) with the No. 1 overall pick in the 2019 rookie draft.
He had a bittersweet rookie season. In 20 games, he shot just 28.13% from the field and had a 2.33% receiving efficiency. 토토사이트 He struggled to establish himself at the outside hitter position. Flax and the pros were different.
At the urging of former KGC Ginseng Corporation head coach Lee Young-taek (IBK Head Coach), she switched to middle blocker. It turned out to be a godsend. He had the misfortune of skipping a season in 2020-21 due to an ACL tear, but his potential exploded in 2021-22. He used his 6-foot-9 frame to his advantage.
In 28 games in 2021-22, he posted 152 points on 46.15% shooting percentage and 0.595 blocks per set. Last season, he played in all 36 games for the first time in his career, posting 355 points on 49.87% shooting percentage and 0.686 blocks per set. Career-high season.
Three years after switching to middle blocker, she has not only established herself as the team’s starting middle blocker, but also as the national team’s starting middle blocker. Filling the void left by the retired Yang Hyo-jin (Hyundai E&C) and Kim Soo-soo (Heungkuk Life), along with Lee Da-hyun (Hyundai E&C), Lee Ju-ah (Heungkuk Life), and Park Eun-jin (Jeonggwanjang).
On the season, Jung has played in all 15 of the team’s matches and has 143 points, a 50% attack percentage, 0.768 blocks per set, and 0.196 serves per set. He ranks third in blocking and fifth in service aces, both career highs.
“When I was younger, there were expectations that people created, and I think I wasn’t that good. I didn’t find my position until I was in high school,” he says. “After my knee injury, I was always thinking about what role I should play. People expect a lot from me physically, and I’m still trying to live up to that.”
Early on in the season, he struggled to find his scoring touch. He scored just three points against GS Caltex in the second round. However, he has been a force to be reckoned with in the last six games, scoring double-digit points in all of them. In particular, he scored 11 points against the previously weak Roadworks, helping the team to a 3-0 sweep.
“Last season, we didn’t know how to beat Roadworks, but now I think the players have realized how to win against them. We are confident that we can win the remaining rounds. If we do what we’re good at, we’ll be able to play a good game.”
“There’s a responsibility that I have to bring to the team. I need to focus more on offense and help a lot on defense. I need to do better.”
Jung couldn’t forget the 4-2 win in the first round, as he fell into a five-game losing streak at one point in the second round. So he increased his training volume. His recent winning streak helped him turn things around. The team is in fifth place with 23 points (7 W-8 L), but two points behind third-place GS Caltex (25 points, 9 W-6 L) and tied with fourth-place IBK (23 points, 8 W-8 L), but has played one less game.
“In the off-season, I wasn’t on the national team, so I didn’t get to train with the team,” Jung said. It’s not the training that’s hard on your body. It’s just repetitive training. So we know how to make it easier on ourselves,” she laughed.
Three years after switching positions, Jung has become the starting middle blocker for her team and the national team. Fans have come to recognize her as the next Kim Yeon-kyung, not the next Jung Ho-young.
Meanwhile, Jung Kwan-jang will try to win his third straight match against Hyundai E&C at Daejeon Chungmu Gymnasium on the 16th.