SEUNGKWAN’s early introduction to volleyball

SEUNGKWAN: I’ve enjoyed ball sports ever since I was young. And when I saw volleyball for the first time, I thought, What is this game? It was so dynamic and fun. I turned on the TV every day when a match would be on, and I wrote down who got the points, who blocked, and where my team went wrong—all on a piece of A4 paper. I’ve been watching volleyball for a long time, but it wasn’t until now that people started to see the appeal. (laughs) I think I became a fan of KGC around 2005, but their name was originally the KT&G Volleyball Club. I was nine or 10—I was young and the name just looked really cool. (laughs) And their uniforms were sky blue back then. Choi Kwang-Hee was on the team as well, and was known as a Korean volleyball legend. Whenever I like something, I like it forever, so I’ve always liked them, just like I’ve always liked Wonder Girls.

Having fun learning volleyball

SEUNGKWAN: My arm ended up hurting a lot more than I expected when I was first learning. The ball was a lot harder than I thought. I thought, Wow, this isn’t easy at all. It’s a really hard sport. First I learned the basics, starting with receiving, where to put the ball, and how to bounce it. Then I tried spiking and receiving spike serves. Things like that. If I ever end up playing on a volleyball team, I want to try playing the libero or setter positions. Playing spiker, like Kim Yeon-Koung does, would be good too, but I’d rather play a supporting role [the setter] and help set up the spikes. I was goalkeeper a lot when I used to play soccer, so libero, the defense specialist, is tempting, too. Because I use my body however necessary and I’m not particular about protecting it. (laughs)

Volleyball’s unique play style

SEUNGKWAN: It’s true of all sports, but I think in volleyball especially it’s important to know that if one player on the court falls apart, the whole play fails. You really have to go after that ball to the very end. And you can really feel it when you spike the ball, and it’s thrilling when you receive one. The blocking is great, too. And most of all, it’s not a game where they tackle each other and get hurt, so it’s more fun to watch. Manners are important in volleyball, so I thought it was a cool sport. Maybe I’m biased because I love it. (laughs)

The sports mentality of volleyball: “Let’s go! Let’s go! No regrets!”

SEUNGKWAN: There’s a famous quote from Kim Yeon-Koung: “Let’s go! Let’s go! No regrets!” So in volleyball, even if you continuously have possession of the ball, if things are just a little bit murky, you won’t be successful. I think that’s what makes it such a fascinating sport. It’s not all about skill—it depends on how you get into the flow, and who can stay vigilant enough and be the first to end this fight centered around a ball to score all 25 points. I’ve seen plenty of matches where someone loses after they get sloppy and the other team catches up, but I think it’s that need to focus until the very end that makes volleyball so engaging. In the Korea versus Japan match this past Olympics, it was down to match point for Japan, but even though they had possession, Korea made a comeback and brought it to deuce. It’s a sport that makes me think of the words, “You can do it, as long as you don’t give up—you can do it.”

What to watch for during the 2021–22 V-League season

SEUNGKWAN: Well, for people who discovered volleyball from watching the Olympics, once the domestic league’s season is underway, they might find it awkward, like, Why are all these Olympic players split into different teams? But I actually felt it was weird when players from all over were put together on one team for the Olympics. (laughs) In the domestic league, the players who were at the Olympics are divided into different teams based on their play styles. People will see that there are lots of good players besides them. And, most importantly, I heard that all the teams are so unbelievably strong that it’s going to be really close. It wouldn’t be unusual for the sixth-place team to come out on top, so if you watch with people to see which team will win and what their order will be, you’ll see how fun the domestic league can be.

The 2021–22 V-League players SEUNGKWAN has his eyes on

SEUNGKWAN: I’m a fan of KGC, and I stand by my beliefs. (laughs) Jung Hoyeong is pegged as a promising player and is 190 centimeters tall, but she couldn’t play in any games last season because of a knee injury she sustained last year, so I’m looking forward to seeing how she performs this year. I’m also looking forward to watching Lee Seon-Woo, who joined last year. There’s so many, I can’t pick just one. Han Song-Yi was the top blocker last year, and I hope she can do it again this year. There’s also the players who were in the Olympics: Yeum Hye-Seon has continuously been a notable player on pro teams since 2008 and is known for taking responsibility on the court. She really looks like she knows what she’s doing when tossing, which is my favorite kind of play style. Park Eunjin also played at the Olympics and looks like she’ll do well, and Lee Soyoung’s already done well in the domestic league, and now that she’s on my team I really can’t wait to see what kind of ace she’ll be. There was a review saying KGC had a weak left. I disagree, naturally (laughs) but I hope they’ll clear that up. There are some new players on KGC this year and there’s been some changes so I feel like they’ll play differently from last year.

What “spring volleyball*” means to volleyball fans

SEUNGKWAN: There’s no getting around it—the world of competition is a very cold one. (laughs) It's like studying: Everyone preps hard, but not everyone can come out on top. So it’s similar that way, the way the rankings come out. Spring volleyball seems to be this matter of pride that all the teams want so badly: Let’s at least go to spring volleyball, even if we won’t win. It’s been a little while since KGC made it to spring volleyball, but I heard they’re training really hard for it this time. (laughs)

“You have to watch it in person at least once.”

SEUNGKWAN: When I went and saw my first game—wow. The whole energy itself was different. And I could really feel the battle of wits happening between them, fighting for the ball. You have to watch it in person at least once. You probably won’t be able to snap yourself out of it ever again. (laughs) The one game I’ll never forget was the match between the Hyundai Engineering & Construction Hillstate volleyball team and KGC just before the pandemic in 2020. KGC didn’t have a single win against Hyundai E&C the whole season. At the time, people were saying that if I went to the game then KGC would win, so they started calling me the Victory Fairy. But anyway, I went to the stadium, thinking, Hyundai E&C? Isn’t that a stretch? And then, even though we were the visiting team, KGC won. We were so happy, we all screamed together. (laughs) I’ll never forget that. I hope I can see another game in person soon.

I guess you could say it’s like going to see your favorite singer in concert for the first time. I mean, all the players I liked and only ever saw on TV were right in front of me. I think they’d feel the same way as when CARAT come to see us in concert. I could see from far away the players were signing things for fans after the match, and that they were talking with the fans. It occurred to me that I would never forget that time. Of course, watching it broadcast is just as fun as being there in person. I think it’s great how the experts explain everything so that even people who aren’t familiar with volleyball can understand. If you’re there in person, there’s no commentary, even if the ball falls from the sky out of nowhere. (laughs) Even in volleyball, the rotation rules, which lines you can’t step on, how much of the ball has to be over the line to still be considered in—all of it’s important. I think it’s probably more fun to watch while hearing about the rules. Plus the cameras capture all the players’ facial expressions, and they also play it in slow motion.

For newcomers to the world of volleyball

SEUNGKWAN: Volleyball is quite challenging, so even the basics are hard. So you might think, Why couldn’t they get that? Why didn’t they hit it? Why did that one get blocked? What was with that bad serve? But every little movement counts in volleyball, so it’s pretty hard to go without missing the ball at all and execute each and every play just right. Plus it’s a barehanded sport. I hope people will watch it and support it more, too.

* Refers to the postseason playoffs and championships, typically held in the spring, between the top teams from the regular league.