“We need a player who plays abroad…” We’ve been waiting for it! The 196cm 18-year-old prospect is challenging the Italian league, and Korean volleyball fans are sincerely supporting her.

“I hope he does well.”

The challenge begins for Lee Woo-jin (Gyeongbuk Physical Education High School).

Vero Volley Monza, an Italian men’s volleyball team, recently announced that they have signed an internship contract with Lee Woo-jin, who is hailed as a promising prospect in South Korean men’s volleyball.

On the 7th, Monza stated, “The best teams in the Korean Volleyball Federation (KOVO) wanted to recruit him, but he chose not to participate and decided to join us to further grow his career.”

Claudio Bonati, Monza’s Sports Director, said, “We believe Lee Woo-jin is one of the most important talents in the world. His decision to venture into Italy reveals his adventurous nature. We will carefully nurture his growth.” Lee Woo-jin stands at 6’5″ and weighs 200 lbs, boasting a solid physique. His spike height is 9’10”, and his blocking height is 9’6″, both respectable. His main position is outside hitter.

Lee Woo-jin made his name known to scouts worldwide at the 2023 FIVB U19 World Men’s Youth Championship held in Argentina last August. He was the main player who led the South Korean men’s volleyball team to a third-place finish for the first time in 30 years. Lee Woo-jin scored 117 points in seven matches. He scored double digits in every match, and in the game against Colombia, he scored 24 points, putting on a one-man show and leading his team to victory. He was named one of the tournament’s top seven outside hitters, attracting the attention of scouts worldwide. Monza fell for Lee Woo-jin at this time.

Lee Woo-jin is the first South Korean high school volleyball player to head straight to Europe after graduation. Moon Sung-min (Hyundai Capital) went to the German league after graduating from Kyung Hee University. Kim Yeon-kyung (Heungkuk Life Insurance) moved to Europe after playing in the V-League and being loaned to Japan. Thus, Lee Woo-jin is the first to venture abroad before becoming an adult, drawing much attention to his challenge.

In fact, it is known that Lee Woo-jin considered entering the V-League and going to college. He was mentioned as a top candidate if he had applied for the men’s rookie draft held on October 30th, which means he could have comfortably built his career in Korea.

However, Lee Woo-jin chose to take on the challenge in the unfamiliar land of Italy, in the Italian league, considered one of the best in the world. Although he could fail, Lee Woo-jin chose to enter the Italian league, focusing only on his dream.

The entry of a Korean player into Europe was a moment all volleyball enthusiasts were waiting for. Recently, as Korea struggled in international competitions, rivals Japan sent players like Ran Takahashi and Yuji Nishida overseas to gain experience and increase their competitiveness in international competitions, taking a path diametrically opposed to Korea. Suddenly, Japan was on par with the world’s powerhouses, while Korea had fallen to a third-tier level in Asia.

Huh In-jung, KB Insurance’s coach, once said, “In a way, it feels like we’ve been playing our own league all this time. We need players who can perform on the big stage, but we haven’t been able to do so. We need to watch not only the domestic league but also foreign leagues. I hope we can produce players who can go to foreign leagues.”

Kim Yeon-kyung, through her agent, helped Lee Woo-jin, an 18-year-old prospect, join the team. She showed her sincerity by saying, “I want to support his decision to take on the challenge.”

Samsung Fire & Marine Insurance’s coach Kim Sang-woo also said, “I’ve been watching Lee Woo-jin since he was in his first year of high school. I hope he does well now that he’s gone. Someone once said, ‘Why don’t we go abroad? Are we frogs in a well?’ We weren’t in a situation where we could go. We didn’t have players who could draw attention. We need to discover more players so we can decide whether to go or not.”

Of course, even if he goes, he won’t be able to play in matches for a while. The Italian league prohibits foreign players under the age of 19 from participating in official games, so Lee Woo-jin has an internship contract and plans to sign a formal contract next February. He can’t play in games, but all his living expenses and support are the same as for existing players.

Lee Woo-jin, who departed through Incheon International Airport on the 15th, is ready to grow one step further under the guidance of coach Massimo Eccheli. He also had the opportunity to train and grow with Japanese ace Ran Takahashi.

The challenge of 18-year-old prospect Lee Woo-jin has begun.

Incheon=Lee Jung-won, MK Sports reporter

Lee Jung-won, MK Sports reporter (2garden@maekyung.com)