Hyundai Capital, the Korean men’s professional volleyball team, went downhill after winning the championship game in the 2018-2019 season. From the next season, the team ranked third, sixth, and seventh (last place). It did not match the reputation of the team, which is considered one of the most prestigious teams in the V-League along with Samsung Fire & Marine Insurance and Korean Air. It rebounded by ranking second in the 2022-2023 season, but it swallowed up its disappointment by ranking fourth again last season. It is completely different this season. As of Tuesday, it is leading the league with 11 wins and two losses (31 points). Recently, it has been on a four-game winning streak. Expectations are high for its fifth championship in six years.
At the center of Hyundai Capital’s rise is Heo Soo-bong (26). Outside hitter (left) is currently ranked fourth (234 points), the highest among Korean players. He ranks first in attack rate (57.06 percent) and second in serve (0.491 per set). “Our team has never been in such a good mood at the beginning of the season,” Huh said at Hyundai Capital Training Center in Cheonan on Tuesday. “Personally, I am proud that we have grown a lot more than before.”
Heo said that he focused on serving practice ahead of this season. “Playing in international competitions, Asian countries showed stronger serve than us. After receiving a strong serve, the team’s reception faltered and the attack efficiency decreased a lot,” Heo said. “I thought I should install such a strong serve.” He said that he practiced serving by throwing to different heights every day to find the pitch where he can hit the serve the strongest. “I focused my training not so much on the amount of practice but also with the determination that I will not forget that feeling even if I do it once,” he said. As a result, the number of serve aces has more than doubled from the previous season (0.228 per set).
He started playing volleyball when he was a fourth grader, and was selected as the third overall pick by Korean Air during the 2016-2017 season, before joining Hyundai Capital by draft four days later. He was the first high school graduate to be selected in the first round since the launch of the professional league in 2005. 온라인바카라 He joined the military at an early age in 2019 when he was 21. After serving in the military athletic unit, his skills rapidly improved, taking over the starting position full-time. He gained weight and muscle mass significantly during his military service. He was 194 centimeters tall and 75 kilograms when he joined the pro league, but now he is 197 centimeters tall and weighs 85 kilograms. Since joining the pro league, he ate four meals a day, including breakfast, lunch, dinner, and late-night snacks to build up his body. He ate ramen and chicken for late-night snack, but he would eat one ramen with high-calorie food made by the chef, chocolate bar, and protein shake. Nevertheless, he said he gained weight after eating a lot of frozen food sold at PX in the military, although he did not gain much weight. “I was forced to eat more than exercise. When I was serving in the military, I focused more on gaining weight and weight training than practicing volleyball,” he said.
Before joining the pro league, his life in volleyball was for his family. After losing his father to a brain tumor in middle school, he said, “I will show my father in heaven that he succeeded as a volleyball player.” He challenged himself to become a pro instead of going to college in order to support his family, who lost his father and were struggling to make ends meet. “I gave my mother a down payment (130 million won) for joining the pro league, and I even gave her living expenses if she gets paid,” Heo said. He cited Moon Sung-min (38), his senior in the same team, as his role model. “When I was a student, Seong-min was like a celebrity,” he said. “I want to resemble not only my brother’s volleyball skills but also his energy to lead younger players.” “I hope young players will see me and dream of becoming volleyball players. To do that, I think they need to be good at volleyball and set an example outside the court. That’s why I try my best to serve as many fans as possible and greet everyone as I can.”
