Outside hitter Seo Hyun-il, who is leading Inha University’s winning streak, talks about her determination to win.

Inha University is on a roll heading into the 2024 Korean Air Volleyball National Championship Danyang. After defeating Gyeongsang National University in straight sets on the first day of the tournament, they continued their winning streak with a shutout victory over Kyung Hee University (25-17, 25-16, 25-15) on the 25th. Inha University, which is in Group B alongside Sungkyunkwan University, Kyungsang National University, Chungnam National University, Chosun University, 토토사이트 and Kyung Hee University, is the favorite to top the group.

Seo Hyun-il (sophomore, OH, 188 cm) has been a major contributor to Inha’s rise. Her solid reception and reliable defense in the middle of the court are the cornerstones of Inha’s volleyball, and she also contributes on offense. In the second set of the match, 11-9, she sealed the victory with a neat block in the middle of the court, moving quickly to the left side of the court and making a floating block.

Speaking to after the match, Seo said, “We focused on strengthening our teamwork while preparing for the match. I think we made a good start in the first match and it worked out well until this match. It feels good to win,” was the first thing she said about her victory. On her clutch block in the second set, 11-9, she said, “Their attacker (Yeom Si-won) came in as a substitute, so I wasn’t 100% sure that the ball was going to go there. But I was aware of it to a certain extent, and thanks to a little bit of luck, I was able to catch the block,” she said with humility.

When asked about her chemistry with her fellow third-year player, setter Bae Hae-chan-sol, Seo was the first to admit, “I don’t think I can say it’s perfect yet.” However, he also expressed confidence in the future, saying, “But our chemistry was better in this match than in the first match. Just as our chemistry improved in one day, I expect that we will continue to improve our chemistry in the future.”

We also asked Seo about his chemistry with Lee Jae-hyun, the main outside hitter for Inha University. “I think I can feel less pressure in that area because (Lee) Jae-hyun is so good in offense, so I can feel less pressure. On the other hand, Jae-hyun will be able to take a little less pressure on the defense by playing with me. We seem to have a good synergy with each other,” he said, expressing his satisfaction with playing alongside Lee Jae-hyun.

Seo Hyun-il is still developing her chemistry with the setter and is happy with her play with the outside hitter duo, but what else does Choi Cheon-sik ask of her? “First of all, the coach tells me to smile a lot,” Seo smiles. “Also, our captain (Seo) Won-jin can’t always be on the court because his older brother is a middle blocker, so he wants us to be able to play the role of captain when he’s not around,” he added.

To conclude the interview, we asked Seo about his preparations for the next match against Chungnam National University. “It doesn’t really matter who the opponent is. I think we need to prepare for the match with the same mindset as always, not letting our guard down, but at the same time, not being too nervous. We will try to play a good game with our teammates and help each other as usual,” he said.

Seo Hyun-il has been leading Inha University’s high-flying flight after a strong first half of the U-League and a good performance in the Danyang tournament. It will be interesting to see if his continued strong play can lead to a championship for Inha University.