A practice game was held in which players stood out for their good performance by capitalizing on valuable opportunities.
Samsung Fire and Woori Card held a practice match at the Samsung Training Center in Yongin on the 2nd. The result of the four-set, 25-point match was a victory for Samsung Fire, but the process was more important than the result. With Kim Jun-woo, Kim Young-joon, Kim Ji-han, Lee Sang-hyun, and Han Tae-joon absent due to the men’s national team training camp, various players got a chance to showcase their skills, and some of them stood out.
In the first set, both teams started with Iranian-born Asian quota players. For Samsung Fire, Ali Fazli, Kim Jung-ho, Noh Jae-wook, Son Tae-hoon, Yang Su-hyun, and Lee Yun-soo started, while Cho Gook-ki took the court as libero. Woori Card started Ali Hagfarast, Song Myung-geun, Lee Kang-gang, 파워볼게임 Lee Seung-won, Kim Wan-jong, and Park Jun-hyuk, while Han Sung-jung played libero.
Kim Jung-ho was arguably the best performer. He led the team’s offense with an onslaught of attacks from left, center, and right. Kim, who looked like he had lost quite a bit of weight, showed a lighter body while maintaining his power.
Woori Card’s Asian quarterback Ali Hagfarast was also in good form. He showed sharp attacks with great momentum, and his reception was solid. Although her serve didn’t go in 100% of the time, it was enough to get her excited for the upcoming cup tournament and season. Han Sung-jung’s unconventional appearance at libero also stood out.
In the second set, both teams kept the same lineup from the first set, except that Samsung Fire’s starting setter was replaced by Lee Ho-gun. While Kim Jeong-ho continued to play well, Ali Pazley’s ability to handle high balls caught the eye. The 6-foot-2 outside hitter energized the team with attacks that utilized his height. For Woori Card, Lee Kang-won had a better performance than in the first set. His serve and attack were both powerful, and his reactions to the ball seemed to satisfy coach Mauricio Paes.
Sets 3-4 saw a different lineup from the previous sets. With both teams’ Asian quarters missing, Samsung Fire had Kim Woo-jin, Lee Simone, Kim Jung-yoon, and Ahn Ji-won on the court, while Woori Card had Kim Hyung-geun and Kim Dong-min. The fourth set saw the return of Samsung Fire’s Lee Hyun-jin and Woori Card’s Kim Kwang-il.
Outside hitters Kim Dong-min and Kim Woo-jin of both teams drew attention with their fiery attacks side by side. Kim Hyung-geun, who joined Woori Card with the second pick of the first round in last season’s rookie draft but was unable to make his debut, played at the outside hitter spot and looked solid.
The player who stood out the most in the second half of the match was Kim Kwang-il. Usually overshadowed by Han Tae-joon and Lee Seung-won, Kim Kwang-il stepped onto the court in the fourth set and calmly played his game, especially with his agile movements to cover bad receptions and powerful connections.
After the scrimmage, in which many players showed off their hidden skills, the two teams exchanged pleasantries and looked forward to the next match. The second scrimmage between the two teams will be held on August 8 at the same venue. We are curious to see which players will catch everyone’s attention in the second scrimmage.