All eyes are on the second V-League Asia Quarter in 2023.
The first Asian Quarter was introduced to the V-League in the 2023-24 season, and its impact was more than expected. Some players were so dominant on the court that they dominated their teams, while others created a buzz off the court and contributed to the league’s success.
While the importance of the Asian Quarter selection continues to be talked about on the field, the 2024 Korea Volleyball Organization (KOVO) Asian Quarter Tryouts, which will take place in Jeju Island from April 29 to May 3, will be even more important and interesting due to the expansion of the participating countries. 메이저 토토사이트 Which players will be selected by clubs at the Asian Quarterfinals?
The women’s tryouts will be held first, from April 29 to May 1, and there’s a name that’s turning a lot of heads, just like last season’s Ponpun Gedfard. It’s Zhang Yu. Standing at an imposing 196 centimeters, the Chinese middle blocker has been playing for Beijing BAIC Motor in her home league since 2013.
His height is a simple but powerful weapon in his arsenal. With a well-timed fastball, he can ignore late blockers and put the ball in the court. Because of his height, he can also attack from behind the arc with the right pass. He also has a long serve that some taller players have. When it comes to blocking, he doesn’t have the most explosive technique or flair, but he’s strong enough to make up for it.
However, Zhang Yu is not a flawless player. First of all, his basic movements are rather dull. His swings and steps aren”t very agile. Teams that can fight at a certain height in the field can be effective against him. He also has no experience in a foreign league, so he may struggle to adapt.
Nevertheless, if he can utilize his strengths on Jeju Island, Jang will likely be a first-round pick in the V-League, both for his profile and his play.
There is a general consensus on the field that the best rated players, even if they aren’t jangwi, are skewed towards the middle blocker position. Especially in the women’s division, the top 5-7 teams from the previous season will be given a different number of marbles and will draw first, so the top 1-4 teams, who are unlikely to draft Zhang, will have to look elsewhere for middle blocker reinforcements.
Huang Rui Lei (China), Thi Luyen Li (Vietnam), and Anilis Pidge (New Zealand) are some of the names that have been mentioned.
Huang Rui Lei is a 1996-born Chinese middle blocker with the same physicality as Zhang, standing at 196 centimeters, while Thi Luyen Li is a 1999-born middle blocker with the same physicality at 192 centimeters. However, both players are a bit underpowered for their size. In the case of Anilis Pidgey, her strengths lie in counterattack situations rather than side-out situations. At 6-foot-2, she’s not a big player, but she has a personality of her own and could be an option for teams looking to improve their breaks.
The 2024 women’s middle blocker class is also notable for its movement of resources. GS Caltex veteran middle blockers Jung Dae-young and Han Su-ji announced their retirement from active play, while Heungkuk Life star middle blocker Lee Ju-ah became a free agent (FA) and chose to join IBK. Park Eun-jin, who also became a free agent, stayed with Jungkwanjang. Despite the growth of IBK’s Choi Jeong-min, who won the blocking title, and Korea Express’s Kim Se-bin, who was named the Rookie of the Year, there are still plenty of teams in need of center reinforcements.
The Asia Quarter has been one of the league’s biggest disruptors in the 2023-24 season, with the likes of Jungkook’s Megawatti Puttiwi, Hyundai E&C’s Wipawi Sithong, and Heungkuk Life’s Reina Tokoku. It will be interesting to see if any ‘new faces’ will emerge in the Asia Quarter, and what their respective coaches will do in 2024.