Eddie is happy to finally play in a Samsung Fire uniform.
Eddie was selected by Samsung Fire with the first overall pick in the 2023 Korea Volleyball Organization (KOVO) Men’s Asian Quarterly Draft in April. Eddie’s entry into the 온라인카지노 V-League generated a lot of buzz, including a reunion with coach Kim Sang-woo, who was his mentor at Sungkyunkwan University, and the arrival of Bayarsaihan, who has traveled with him from Mongolia. At the same time, there was a lot of curiosity about Eddie’s adjustment to the professional stage and his performance after being crowned No. 1.
While he has yet to be seen in an official V-League game, Eddie seems to be settling in nicely with the team. In Samsung Fire’s 3-1 (25-19, 23-25, 25-23, 28-26) victory over KEPCO in the first day of the 2023 Preseason Men’s Professional Volleyball Tournament at the Danyang National Sports Center on Sunday, Eddie was the only Samsung Fire player to start every set, and his sharp serve stood out in particular.
Speaking to The Spike after the match, Eddie said, “It feels good. I realized that it’s really starting now, so I tried to work harder,” he said, sharing his thoughts on playing his first real match in a Samsung Fire uniform. As for his performance, he said, “My serve and attack were both good. I don’t think it was bad,” he said with a smile.
Throughout the game, Coach Kim gave Eddie various instructions. Whether Eddie was scoring points with a good attack or playing poorly, Kim’s feedback was constant. “When I was attacking, he told me to take a quick step, stay in the air, and hit it,” Eddie said, “and when I was serving, he told me to keep the toss in the air and look at it from a distance and hit it.
We asked Eddie, who was playing in the U-League for Sungkyunkwan University until just a few months ago, if there was a big difference between the U-League and the professional stage. “There are so many differences from college. Especially in blocking and serving. The blocking is higher, the serve is harder. I feel it even more when I play against foreign players,” he said.
Outside of the game, Eddie is also fitting in well with Samsung Fire. “Because of my position, I naturally talk a lot with the setters. I think Jae-wook (Noh) talks to his brother the most,” Eddie said, adding that he is also getting along well with his younger brothers (Park) Sung-jin, (Yang) Hee-joon, and (Ahn) Ji-won. Regarding foreign player Yosvani Hernandez, he said, “She has a lot of power. He has a lot of power when he attacks, and his serve is really strong, so I feel like he’s a good player from the sidelines,” he said.
Now, come October, Eddie will make his real debut as a V-Legger. “I hope the fans will come to the stadium when the season starts. Thank you for your support,” Eddie said shyly to his fans. We can’t wait to see what Eddie does in the V-League as he continues to adjust to life as a professional.