Kim Yeon-koung rejoins Pink Spiders for preseason training

Kim Yeon-koung [YONHAP]

Korean volleyball legend and former captain of the women's national team Kim Yeon-koung started training with the Incheon Heungkuk Life Pink Spiders on Monday at Gyeyang Arena in Incheon.

Kim returned from training in the United States to rejoin the Pink Spiders in the domestic V-league after signing a one-year, 700-million-won ($542,000) deal on June 21.

The last time Kim played for the Pink Spiders was in the 2020-21 season, when she returned for one season after 11 years playing in Japan, China and Turkey.

Kim then jetted off to Shanghai in May of 2021 to join the Shanghai Bright Ubest Women's Volleyball Club, returning to the team four years after she led it to the top of the Chinese Super League in the 2017-18 season to snap a 17-year drought. The team finished runner-up in the championship that year.

“I see new faces in the team,” Kim said to the team on Monday. “I will do my best to adapt to the team and do my best to play well this season. I could use a lot of help.”

The Pink Spiders alongside Korea Expressway Corporation Hi-pass, Korea Ginseng Corporation and GS Caltex Seoul Kixx will play the V league summer friendlies starting Friday. Whether Kim will join the friendlies is yet to be announced.

Due to Covid-19, this year marks the first time in three years that the V league has allowed summer friendlies.

The V league summer friendlies are not part of the V league regular season but will serve as a great chance for the players to test out their skills against each other.

A total of six matches will be played, two matches a day for three days, with four sets for each match.

The Pink Spiders announced that they will watch Kim’s form during practice to see if she feels fit to join the friendlies.

BY YUN SO-HYANG [yun.sohyang@joongang.co.kr]