It has passed a tipping point. The contours of the Young Player Award nominees are also slowly being revealed.
The Korea Volleyball Federation abolished the Rookie of the Year award from 2024 to 2025 and changed its name to Young Player award to extend the eligibility for the award to third-year players. The measure is aimed at restoring the authority that has fallen to become a "prize that must be given" someday.
I have been agonizing over the past few seasons because there have been no players to give, but coincidentally, the first-year rookies' performance stands out more in the women's division this season. Players who have not yet graduated from high school are competing for the prize.
The most notable player is Korea Expressway Corporation setter Kim Dae-eun. She played 64 sets in 18 matches, recording 7.438 successful sets per set. She is bold and accurate, not like a rookie, and acts as a commander who leads left and right attacks and center attacks. She is demonstrating her presence in internal competition with Lee Yun-jeong. She has played better-than-expected role as the main setter, which is difficult for a rookie to achieve, and is rapidly emerging as a candidate for the award.
The competitor is Lee Ju-ah, an outside hitter at GS Caltex. Lee Ju-ah has scored 99 points in 15 matches, better than a rookie player. Lee Ju-ah, who seized an opportunity in a team that suffered a flurry of injuries, is in charge of a position with a 36.17 percent attack success rate. He clearly has weaknesses in receiving and defense, but he is also playing a role in bold and powerful attacks. As GS Caltex selected a middle blocker for the Asian quarter, Lee could expand his foothold in the second half of this year.
Both players graduated from elementary, middle and high schools together. In the rookie draft last year, Kim Dae-eun and Lee Ju-ah entered the professional league as the first and third in the first round. Now they are competing for a prize.
In the men's category, Han Tae-joon, a setter with three years of experience at Woori Card, seems to be the most promising. Han is also playing as the team's main setter this season. He ranks first in this category with 11.338 sets per set. He is ahead of outstanding setters such as Hwang Taek-ui (KB Insurance), Hwang Seung-bin (Hyundai Capital), and Yamato (KEPCO).
Depending on his performance in the second half of the year, there may be competitors. In particular, Shin may play longer depending on the team's situation. Shin is a third-year Apogit Spiker with strong attack power, but has not been able to play as a regular starting player. 메이저놀이터
Other KB Insurance rookie middle blocker Lee Joon-young, well-known as the younger brother of Hyundai Engineering & Construction Lee Da-hyun, is also steadily participating and expanding his position.