Barely avoided the worst.
Pepper Savings Bank, a professional women’s volleyball player, recently staged a skit in which setter Lee Go-eun (28) was stolen and then recovered. In the process, the club’s misjudgment was put on the cutting board. It hurts the players.
After the end of the 2021-2022 season, Lee Go-eun obtained a free agent (FA) qualification and transferred to Pepper Savings Bank. Last season, he led the team as the main setter. He has established himself as an indispensable mainstay. Pepper Savings Bank succeeded in strengthening its player base by recruiting outside hitters Park Jeong-ah and Chae Sun-ah in the free agent market this year. It raised expectations for the next season.
But I lost Lee Go-eun. It was self-inflicted. The Korea Expressway Corporation has to give a compensation player for the recruitment of Park Jung-ah, but Lee Go-eun was not tied as a protected player. An official from the club said, “We made a roster based on the players needed for the team. Of course, Lee Go-eun is also a necessary player. However, he saw that the probability of being nominated by the road construction was low.” It was a mistake. The road construction company immediately chose Lee Go-eun.
A fire fell on the feet of Pepper Savings Bank. The setter is the field commander on the court. Depending on how the setter connects the ball, the probability of successful attack varies significantly. Lee Go-eun is a veteran who spent 10 seasons in the V-League. Pepper Savings Bank sent the proven main setter to another team in vain.
In the end, a trade was made with the road construction company. Middle blocker Choi Ga-eun and the 2023-2024 season rookie draft 1st round nomination rights were given, and Lee Go-eun and 2023-2024 season rookie draft 2nd round nomination rights were received. Pepper Savings Bank secured the most beads of 35 in this year’s rookie draft odds lottery after last season. There is a high possibility of being nominated for the top ranking in the first round. Even if he received the right to be nominated in the second round, it was like giving up even the biggest prospect.
It also hurt Lee Go-eun’s heart. To him, who had renewed his determination by playing an active part in the first season of the transfer, what returned was the reality that he was not among the six protected players. As a result, I put on the Pepper Savings Bank uniform again, but my mind can’t be the same as before. The impact on other players in the team who have watched the club’s progress is not small. An official from the club said, “We haven’t had any conversations with the players yet. I think you can interview Lee Go-eun later on that part.”안전놀이터