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SOOP, the newly established youngest club that acquired the women's professional volleyball team Pepper Savings Bank, has officially commenced full-scale training. Although considered an underdog due to a weakened roster, newly appointed head coach Kim Se-jin, returning to the court after seven years, firmly declared that the team's goal is none other than the championship.

Reporter Pyeon Gwanghyeon has the details.

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Traces of the former club can still be found throughout the Yeomju Gymnasium in Gwangju, South Jeolla Province, but the players have kicked off a new era wearing training gear emblazoned with the new club's logo.

Having faced the crisis of being forced to quit volleyball due to the team's disbandment, their determination is all the more extraordinary.

[Ko Ye-rim / SOOP Captain: Honestly, I thought I might really have to stop playing volleyball if the team disappeared. I feel so grateful that one more opportunity has come our way....]

Stepping back onto the court after seven years as SOOP's inaugural head coach, Kim Se-jin is focusing heavily on rallying the players' morale.

[Kim Se-jin / SOOP Head Coach: I hope the pain the players experienced can be sublimated right here within this space... That makes me imagine that we could become a very tight-knit team.]

[Kim Se-jin / SOOP Head Coach: Just go in and touch it gently.]

With key players Park Jeong-ah and Lee Han-bi having left an already weakened squad, the team is widely tipped as a prime candidate for the bottom of the standings. However, Coach Kim has thrown down the gauntlet, aiming for a championship through tight teamwork rather than big-name reputations.

[Kim Se-jin / SOOP Head Coach: Our goal is the championship. People on the outside might say making the playoffs is talking nonsense. I want to showcase SOOP's own well-organized and distinctive style of play.]

(Video by Hwang In-seok | Video Editing by Hwang Ji-young)