Attention is focusing on who will be the first Young Player Award winner of the 2024-2025 V-League. In the women's division, Kim Dae-eun (19), the main setter of the Korea Expressway Corporation, is likely, while in the men's division, Han Tae-joon (21), the main setter of Woori Card, is showing his presence.
The Korea Volleyball Federation (KOVO) changed the name of the Rookie of the Year award to Young Player of the Year award before the start of this season. In addition, the criteria for the award have been expanded from players who are in the first year of joining the team to those who were registered as rookie players in the previous two seasons. Therefore, candidates for the Young Player Award will be eligible for the Rookie Draft of the Year award in the 2022-2023 season.
The women's team is likely to be Kim Dae-eun, who is the No. 1 overall rookie draft player in the 2024-2025 season and became the main setter in the first year of her debut. In comparison, the men's competition is a little more interesting. They include Han Tae-joon and Shin Seong-jin, 24, who are playing as key setters and strikers in their respective teams for the 2022-2023 season. Shin, who graduated from Inha University, was ranked No. 1 overall in the first round that year, and Han, who graduated from Suseong High School in Gyeonggi Province, was ranked No. 4 overall in the first round.
Having played in all 35 matches (144 sets) of Woori Card this year, Han has solidified his position as the main setter, with 3,037 attempts (1st place in the league), 1,616 successful sets (1st place), and 11.222 sets (2nd place) on average per set. In contrast, Shin has played in 34 matches (110 sets) and is struggling at the lowest-ranked OK Savings Bank with 439 points (10th) and 50 percent attack success rate (6th).
At this point, setter Han Tae-joon is expected to have the upper hand. Although Woori Card failed in the spring volleyball match, it is highly praised for continuously leading the season despite the injuries and ups and downs of strikers. Mauricio Fayes, Woori Card's coach who took charge of Woori Card for the first time this season, also praised Han Tae-joon, saying, "He has a lot of potential and he is doing really well for his age. If he develops a little more in the defensive area and shows strong leadership, I think he will become the best setter in the V-League with a little more experience."
Han's strength lies in his solid fundamentals, which are not comparable to high school graduates. This allowed him to rank No. 1 in the number of set successes despite his lack of honesty in game management. In terms of the average number of sets per set, he ranked second with 11.22 after 11.49 by Hwang Taek-ui, a 29-year-old Korean setter. Among the 3,000 setters, Han is the only one who has succeeded in more than 11 sets per set. Despite consistent criticism on the ups and downs of Woori Card's offense this season, Han Tae-joon ranked second in scores and third in attack success rate, enabling the team to compete (final fourth) in spring volleyball until the end of this season.
His strong fundamentals are also revealed in offense and defense. He has the second-most points (72 points) among setters with 0.313 blockings and 0.160 serve (15th) in the league, while he is the only setter in the top 10 with 1.66 per set on average in the dig rankings.
As this season is the last chance to win the Rookie of the Year award, the player himself has a strong will to maintain his skills to the end and receive good reviews. Han Tae-joon said, "There are not many setters who have played all the games this season, so I am happier and better to be able to play as a built-in setter in every game. I am more grateful because it is possible because of the trust of the coach and coach. In terms of condition, not only the coach and coach, but also the trainer part takes good care of me, so I have no problem playing many games and sets." 메이저사이트
"It would be a great honor to receive the award because it is an award given to an invited young player. There are many players within the third year. If I get it, I will not be proud that I received it and will constantly try to work harder and better for those players," he said.