“He’s definitely a talented player.” That’s what Hanyang University head coach Yang Jin-woong said about freshman Jang Bo-seok.
Hanyang University defeated Gumi University 3-0 (25-19, 25-11, 25-13) in three sets in the Group B qualifying match of the 2024 KUSF University Volleyball U-League at the Hanyang University Olympic Gymnasium in Seoul, South Korea, on Monday. It was the team’s second straight win in the first two matches of the season.
Hanyang was led by freshman outside hitter Jang Bo-seok (195 cm, OP). He scored a team-high 16 points, making head coach Yang Jin-woong smile. He was also decisive. With a 70 percent success rate in individual attacks, he showed off his ability to take 토토사이트 순위 advantage of opportunities.
Hanyang University, with a solid wing, played a one-sided game against Gumi University. While the youngest player, Jang Bo-seok, set the tone, seniors Jung Sung-won (sophomore, 185 cm, OH) and Lee Han-ul (junior, 192 cm, MB) also got into the scoring column. They added 13 and nine points, respectively, to form a strong trio.
After the game, Jang said, “I was able to play the way I did today because my teammates supported me well. Apojit can’t do anything if the team is shaky because of his position. I’m grateful to my teammates for creating chances with stable tosses and receptions. I feel like I’m just a spoon on their plate,” he humbled himself.
Jang first started playing volleyball in the first grade of Sokcho High School. It was a bit of a late start for him. “I dreamed of being an athlete from a young age, influenced by my father, who was an athlete,” he says. But opportunities were hard to come by, so I lived a normal life until middle school. Then, when I was about to enter high school, I realized that I had to make a decision. I realized that I needed to experience elite athletics at least once before it was too late, so I wouldn’t have any regrets later.”
Despite her curiosity, the barriers to success were high. “For the first year after entering high school, it was difficult to compete properly, and I was surprised to find that training was harder than I thought it would be, even though I always loved sports,” he says.
However, Zhang didn’t want to give up on the opportunity he’d worked so hard for. “I thought, ‘What I started, I’ll see it through to the end,’ so I took a year off from high school. I trained every day until 10 or 11 p.m. and struggled to close the gap with others,” he said.
The hard work didn’t betray Zhang. In his sophomore year of high school, unlike before, he slowly began to make his presence felt in every game he played. “It was in my sophomore year that my career really took off,” he says. “I established myself as a starter on the team and won several individual scoring awards in big tournaments. This gave me a lot of confidence in myself and made me work even harder,” she said.
Jang’s high school career went from strength to strength. Now it was time for him to take on the college stage. “I wanted to go to Hanyang University the most. Apart from volleyball, I really liked Hanyang University itself from a young age. There was no particular reason for it. I was just drawn to it. If it didn’t work out through athletics, I was willing to challenge myself (to go to Hanyang University) by studying again.”
Coach Yang Jin-woong was also looking for more offensive resources for his team, and Jang was able to fulfill his dream of attending Hanyang University. “Certainly, training is much more organized compared to the high school level. Thanks to that, my skills are improving faster than before. One challenge is that it’s hard to stand out in matches as much as I used to. I think it’s because the standard of players is higher in college than in high school,” he said.
We also asked him about his future goals. “First of all, I want to become a player who can help the team as soon as possible. I think my offensive ability is decent, but I feel that my reception is very unstable. During the game, I sometimes let the other team score because of my defense. I apologize to my teammates for that. For the time being, I will focus on improving this area. I also want to try to win the Rookie of the Year award, which is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. I will keep my focus until the end of the season and keep the momentum going.”
Finally, he also spoke briefly with head coach Yang Jin-woong. “Jang has a lot to offer,” Yang said. She is tall for her position and has a lot of power. However, he learned volleyball late in life and is weak in the basics. She needs to work on her receiving accuracy and coordination to challenge the professional stage. She is still in her freshman year, so there is plenty of time. I hope (Jang) will be able to fill in a lot of gaps during her college career.”
As coach Yang Jin-woong said, Jang’s volleyball career is just beginning. There’s still plenty of time left. We look forward to seeing him go beyond this season’s rookie of the year award and into the professional ranks.
