Lee Da-yeong joins Romanian club Rapid Bucuresti

An image posted on Lee Da-yeong’s Instagram account on Tuesday shows an announcement from Rapid Bucuresti celebrating her new contract with the club. [SCREEN CAPTURE]

Volleyball player Lee Da-yeong will play the 2022-23 season in Romania with Rapid Bucuresti after signing a deal on Monday.

Rapid Bucuresti is part of the Divizia A1, the top-tier Romanian women's professional volleyball league. Last season, the club finished seventh out of 12 clubs.

Lee Da-yeong posted about the move on social media on Tuesday, after inking the deal on Monday as her contract with Greek club PAOK Thessaloniki ended. PAOK Thessaloniki is part of the top-tier Greek women's volleyball league.

Lee Da-yeong and her twin sister Lee Jae-yeong were two of Korea's biggest volleyball stars, but left for Greece last season after being embroiled in a scandal in February when a former middle school teammate of the pair accused them of being bullies when in school, listing 21 specific allegations including claims that one of the sisters threatened her with a knife.

The Korean national team indefinitely suspended the pair and also banned them from ever holding coaching positions.

Lee Jae-yeong returned to Korea after briefly joining the Greek club to treat an injury, while Lee Da-yeong played the whole season in Greece. PAOK Thessaloniki finished third in their league.

The Romanian league will start on Oct. 15.

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