He leaves without hesitation, but his juniors get caught. "If you endure this kind of time, you will have fruit."
Nov 24, 2024
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'Captain' Han Soo-ji left the court laughing. GS Caltex held Han Soo-ji's retirement ceremony ahead of the home game against Chung Kwan-jang at Jangchung Gymnasium in Seoul on the 23rd.
Han Soo-ji, a Jeonju native, graduated from Jeonju Geunyoung Middle School and Geunyoung Girls' High School and joined GS Caltex as the No. 1 overall pick in the first round of the rookie draft in the 2006-2007 season, receiving high expectations.
After spending his first season at GS Caltex, he moved to Hyundai Engineering & Construction as a compensation player, and then returned to GS Caltex through KGC Ginseng Corporation. Han Soo-ji, who was a tall setter of 1m83 at the time of joining the team, changed her position to a middle blocker when she played for KGC. She is the first female volleyball player to wear the national flag as a setter and a middle blocker.
Han Soo-ji, who served as the oldest sister since returning to GS Caltex, also ranked first in blocking the league in the 2022-2023 season, but announced her retirement from active duty after the 2023-2024 season.
Han Soo-ji, who attended the retirement ceremony with her husband, had a bright face all the time. He did not shed tears even after watching a video of his career as a player prepared by the club before the retirement ceremony.
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Han Soo-ji said, `I'm the first person to go to both positions as a national team member. If it's a record in its own right, it can be a record. "I'm satisfied" and cited 'change position' as the most memorable moment.
"Coach Lee Sung-hee also suggested changing the position, but I wasn't confident at that time. I used to set it up saying, 'I like it when I just did it', but after that, director Seo Nam-won recommended it, and after making the decision, it led to a good resultHan Soo-ji, who recalled the time, said, "The first season after the position change is the most memorable. Rather than doing well, volleyball was so much fun then. That was the most memorable time."
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The court leaves without regret, but it is heartbreaking to leave the juniors behind. GS Caltex, which is going through a rebuilding period, is at the bottom of this season with one win and eight losses. In the game, he also suffered a 2-3 upset loss to the Jeonggwanjang. Han Soo-ji, who was watching the game sitting in the stands, felt sorry for each play.
Han Soo-ji told GS Caltex's juniors that `Now that we are in the process of rebuilding, I think such time is inevitably necessary. It may be very difficult now, but you have to endure and endure these times to produce good fruits. I think there will be good results if you try hard."
youll@sportschosun.com
