The Hyundai E&C Hill State Volleyball Team has begun its quest for a second consecutive national title.

The team, led by head coach Kang Sung-hyung, departed Incheon International Airport on Sept. 26 and arrived at Nagoya International Airport in Japan.

The team will spend a week in Japan training with weights and tactics, and will play three practice matches against 파워볼게임 Denso and Toyota.

“We prepared a tight schedule to use the short week efficiently,” said coach Kang Sung-hyung. ”I think the players will be able to follow along because we have prepared well in Korea. Experiencing the fast pace of Japanese volleyball will definitely help them,” he said, explaining the training plan.

It has been seven years since Hyundai E&C last traveled to Japan in 2017. The team also prepared for a training camp in Japan in 2019, but it was canceled just before departure due to anti-Japanese sentiment at the time.

From 2020 onward, the team held only domestic training camps due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Despite the training, the players’ faces showed excitement at the prospect of traveling abroad for the first time.

Veteran Hwang Yeon-ju said, “It’s been a long time since I’ve traveled abroad. I think it’s a great opportunity to change the atmosphere,” said veteran Hwang Yeon-ju. Moma, who joined the team five months ago, said, “This is my fourth trip to Japan. It’s my first time with Hyundai E&C, and I’m looking forward to building good memories with the players.”

The team traveled over an hour from Nagoya International Airport to Okazaki City, where they will be staying.

Coach Kang Sung-hyung convened the team as soon as they unpacked their luggage. The flight was only two hours long, but he didn’t want them to be out of shape after being on the road since early morning. The riverside in front of the hotel was the perfect place to run. The athletes changed into their workout clothes, warmed up with their trainers, and started running. The residents looked on in wonder as the team of more than 30 runners sprinted. The first training session ended with a round of applause as the team completed 30 minutes of sprinting without anyone falling down.

“We wanted to take the initiative to start training on the first day, as the schedule will not be ours to dictate,” said Kang. ‘Seeing them run so vigorously, I realized that they have been preparing well for physical fitness,’ he said. “This is the first time we’ve trained together as a team before the new season. We haven’t been able to train at 100% until now due to national team call-ups and the timing of foreign players joining the team. We’re aiming to build better teamwork and make sure that we’re our own by playing against the Japanese team,” he added.

Hyundai E&C will be joined in the new season by Moma (foreigner) and Wipai (Asian quota), who together won the overall title last season. Kang played alongside Moma and Wipai and observed them closely.

“Moma doesn’t seem to have any physical problems. She hasn’t played volleyball for about five months and has done well with our fitness program. Her body fat and other measurements have been at their best during the season. She hasn’t touched the ball for five months, so her sensitivity is down, but she can improve enough for the upcoming trials in Japan and Korea.” “Wipai has been playing volleyball for the Thai national team, so she is in good shape. She struggled with a shoulder injury last season, but I’m glad to see that her shoulder is much better now. There are a lot of changes in the new season in AsiaQuest, but we believe in Wipai and we will go with her.”