[Anchor]
Women's volleyball star Lee Da-hyeon recently drew attention by deciding to take on a new challenge in the Japanese league, which is considered a step up. With her determination to take a leap forward and contribute to South Korean women's volleyball, she showcased her further growth during a friendly match against Indonesia today (July 23).
Reporter Yu Byeongmin has the story.
[Reporter]
Last month, Lee Da-hyeon accepted an offer from her club, Heungkuk Life Insurance, and chose to challenge herself in the Japanese league, which is regarded as a tier above the V-League.
Several Japanese clubs wanted Lee, but she chose NEC, a powerhouse with nine championship titles and numerous national team players.
[Lee Da-hyeon / Women's National Volleyball Team Middle Blocker: (My thought of going overseas) started during the VNL (Volleyball Nations League). The environment makes the player. I think that kind of thought developed thanks to the VNL. (Coach Yoshihara) told me, "You have to go there determined to survive at all costs. Going there just with the mindset of learning makes no sense."]
South Korean women's volleyball has been on a downward trend following Kim Yeon-koung's retirement, relegation in the VNL, and failing to win a medal at the Hangzhou Asian Games. Lee is determined to grow through her stint in Japan and stand at the center of the resurgence for women's volleyball.
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Having returned after participating in NEC's team training, Lee showed off her best condition in the friendly match against Indonesia.
She successfully executed successive quick attacks a tempo faster, pulled off slide attacks bypassing the opponent's blocking, and even succeeded with precisely timed blocks, scoring 11 points—the second most on the team—to lead a come-from-behind victory.
[Lee Da-hyeon / Women's National Volleyball Team Middle Blocker: Based on what I learned in Japan, my goal is to exert a positive influence and serve as a catalyst for the South Korean national team to bounce back.]
(Photo: Yonhap News)
Reported by Yu Byeongmin | Video by Hwang In-seok | Video Editing by Park Jeong-sam
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