Outside hitter Park Sung-jin, 23, joined Samsung Fire with the fourth pick of the second round of the V-League Men’s Rookie Draft last year. He hoped for sunny skies, but his chances were slim. There was no spot for him in the 2022-2023 season.
Still, Samsung Fire head coach Kim Sang-woo was always paying attention. Park worked hard in training and emerged as a surprise star in last month’s cup tournament. He was switched to an outside hitter and excelled. He swept through the group stage against KEPCO (18 points), Hyundai Capital (13 points), and Panasonic (Japan-22 points), and led the team to the final with a 23-point performance in the semifinals against Korean Air. Despite the loss, he continued his explosive growth with a 30-point outburst in the final against OK Financial Group.
“I was very nervous when I stepped onto the professional court,” Park said recently at the Samsung Training Center (STC) in Yongin, Gyeonggi-do. I was afraid of making a mistake, and I became self-conscious of my mistakes. I made mistakes while trying not to miss. The cup tournament helped me get used to it. To a certain extent, the scenes I tried in practice came out and became good memories,” she smiled.
“Coach Kim’s advice helped me. “He kept giving me confidence and helping me with my form. We also changed our attacking patterns. In the past, I used to play a defensive attack where I would just throw the ball into the opponent’s zone, but now I try to use various tactics such as pushing. This means that the team no longer tries to hit the ball when they know that the opponent is blocking.온라인카지노
With Park Sung-jin playing a variety of roles, Samsung Fire has added to its offensive puzzle. It’s especially encouraging that he can take the pressure off Yosubani and Eddie. Park himself is aware of this. “I don’t want to start,” Park said. Even if I’m not a starter, I have a role as a backup. There’s space on the left and right, and I have my duties. When my foreign teammates are tired, I have to help them,” he said emphatically.
Understandably, Park wants to go higher. Finishing last in his debut season was a spur. “The coach said, ‘We only have to go up.’ He’s right. We need to perform better. The cup competition was a harbinger of a different Samsung Fire. We will focus on harmony rather than competition to help the team,” Park said of his ambitions for the new season.