“I will come back healthy.”
Heungkuk Life outside hitter Kim Da-eun, 23, is preparing for her sixth professional season. After graduating from Ilshin Women’s College and joining Heungkuk Life with the sixth pick in the first round of the 2019 rookie draft, Kim was expected to be a promising offensive player who also earned a spot on the national team.
Kim showed growth with 98 points in 18 games in 2021-22 and 186 points in 35 games in 2022-23, but in 2023-24, she only scored two points in seven games. The reason: injuries. After playing in the FIVB Volleyball Nations League (VNL) 2023, Kim suffered a shoulder injury that led to a long rehabilitation period. The injury was especially unfortunate because she had shown promise in the 메이저 토토사이트 VNL.
Although she made a comeback in the third round, she found it difficult to play consistently and ended the 2023-24 season on a disappointing note. After the end of the season, she was called up by Fernando Morales, the head coach of the women’s national volleyball team, but had to withdraw from the team due to a partial tear of the rotator cuff in her right shoulder. Kim hopes to say goodbye to injuries.
Speaking to reporters at the Heungkuk Life Practice Gymnasium in Yongin, Gyeonggi Province, on Monday, Kim said, “I’m getting stronger. I’m better than last year. I’m also participating in the 6-on-6 mini-game.” ”I was very upset and disappointed that I was injured in the national team last season. I’m a very greedy person, but there were so many things I didn’t get to do because of my injury,” she said.
“It was frustrating not to be able to play. I also thought about what it would have been like to come in when the team was in a tough situation and needed a spark,” he said. ”I came back in the third round, but it took me a long time to feel good because I was resting a lot of ball exercises. I ended the season disappointed,” he said.
Although she is now preparing for her sixth season, Kim hopes to have a happier one. Her 2019-20 and 2021-22 seasons were cut short by the pandemic, and her 2023-23 season was cut short by injury.
“I think I’ve only been with the full squad for two out of five seasons. I still lack a lot. My goal is to become an attacker who can receive well, and I will do my best to achieve that goal.”
Heungkuk Life head coach Marcello Avondanza named middle blocker Huang Ruirei, who is not an outside hitter, for the Asian quarterfinals. The foreign player is Turku Bourge (25-191 centimeters), an apogee spiker from Turkiye. Eventually, a domestic player will have to step up to the plate for Kim Yeon-kyung.
That’s why, after the Asian Quarterfinals, coach Abondanza said, “We have to give Kim a chance to grow. I expect her shoulder to be better next season. I think she can grow enough and we should give her a chance. She is an important player for our team. She didn’t show much last season, and I hope she will show a lot this season,” and after the foreign player draft, ”I considered outside hitter Anastasia Guerra. I’m going to give Kim Da-eun a lot of opportunities. I want her to grow,” he said.
Kim said, “I feel a sense of responsibility. I don’t want to disappoint you. I know you care a lot, so I will do my best. I will make myself healthy and return to the court,” she said.
In conclusion, Kim said, “I know that there are many fans who support Heungkuk Life and are waiting for my healthy return. I received a lot of messages on Instagram DM saying, ‘Come back healthy’. I’m so grateful. I will come back healthy. I’ll come back healthy. Next season, I’m not going to miss the whole season. I want to play the season without any problems,” he concluded with a smile.