I sharpened my knife for a year... Each men's volleyball team announces revenge ahead of the opening

Volleyball season is back. The coaches and players of seven professional volleyball men's teams expressed their strong determination to lift the championship trophy at the opening media day of the 2026-2027 professional volleyball season held at Hotel Riviera in Cheongdam-dong, Gangnam-gu, Seoul on the 8th.

Renan Dal Giotto, coach of defending champion Korean Air, said, "Maintaining our strength after winning is as difficult as winning, but we will show our growth."

Philippe Blanc, coach of Hyundai Capital, which finished runner-up last season, said, "Our strength is similar to last year, but the new Asian quarter player Jang Chuan will be a big help."

This season, professional volleyball will hold the 2026 Yeosu-NH Nonghyup Cup at the Yeosu Jinnam Gymnasium in Gwangju, Jeollanam-do from the 11th to the 18th (women's division) and the 19th to 25th (men's division), and the HK Heungkuk Finance 2026-2027 V-League schedule will be held from the 31st of this month.

In the new season, three teams, including KB Insurance (Isanaye Ramirez), Korea Electric Power Corporation (Seok Jin-wook), and Samsung Fire & Marine Insurance (Tommy Tilikainen), will compete under the new manager system.

Woori Card also appointed director Park Cheol-woo, who had been acting director, as the official director last April.

In fact, four teams, more than half, are entering the new season with new leaders.

Coach Tilikainen, who led Korean Air until the 2024-2025 season and then took the helm at Samsung Fire & Marine Insurance, said, "I am happy to return after a year," and added, "Our team is going through a lot of changes, and we will make greater efforts to keep up with the strong team."

On this day, each team's manager gave a variety of answers to the common question, 'Please select the opposing team you think you will face in the championship game.'

Coach Park Cheol-woo said, “I want to meet Hyundai Capital, who lost to our team in the playoffs last season.”

Coach Seok Jin-wook replied, “I hope the team led by a foreign coach does not advance to the championship game,” and added, “I would rather go with coach Park Cheol-woo’s Woori Card than with experienced coach Shin Young-cheol’s OK Savings Bank.”

Coach Shin Young-cheol burst out laughing at Coach Seok's words and then said, "I think you look down on our team, but I admit it," and added, "We will advance to the championship game through challenges."

Coach Tilkainen said, “I have built up good memories while leading Korean Air,” and added, “That’s why I want to meet Korean Air even more.”

Directors Henann, Bouland, and Ramirez avoided giving a clear answer.

On this day, foreign coaches generally gave textbook answers, while native coaches told various stories to set the mood for the opening of the season.

Coach Shin Young-cheol said about the new season's performance, "Last season, the offense left a lot to be desired," and "Proven Kyle Russell (registered name Russell) is back, so I have high expectations."

He then surprisingly revealed, “The starting setter will be Kim Dae-hwan, and Noh Jae-wook will serve as a backup.”

Kim Dae-hwan, a high school graduate, was released from Woori Card in 2024, entered Sungkyunkwan University in 2025, and rejoined the professional stage through OK Savings Bank last month.

Coach Shin said, “Our team’s setter is probably the youngest among the seven teams’ starting setters,” and said, “If our players grow, it will be possible to advance to spring volleyball.”

On this day's media day, Coach Ramirez, Heo Soo-bong (Hyundai Capital), and Lim Dong-hyuk (Korean Air), who had shared ups and downs on the men's volleyball team, attracted attention by showing their will to win.

Lim Dong-hyuk said, "I learned a lot from Coach Ramirez, but I know his style well. I will attack KB Insurance well and defeat KB Insurance."

Heo Soo-bong also said, “I know very well what kind of volleyball Coach Ramirez is pursuing,” and added, “I think there will be a lot of fighting, but I will show a play that is opposite to what I have shown so far.”

Coach Ramirez, who heard the two players' words, responded, "We will prepare tightly so that the two players cannot attack comfortably."