At the age of 35, she dreams of becoming the first ‘blocking queen’. Han Su-ji, a middle blocker of women’s professional volleyball GS Caltex, stood tall as the ‘wall of Jangchung (gymnasium)’.
GS Caltex won the home game against KGC Ginseng Corporation held at Jangchung Gymnasium in Seoul on the 9th with a set score of 3-2. The highest scorer was MoMA (30 points), but Han Su-ji was the first contributor to the victory. Han Su-ji, who caught 4 blocks in the first set alone, blocked 8 attacks from the opposing team that day. Most records in one game. In particular, she blocked Elisabeth’s spikes, the KGC main gun, a whopping 5 times.
Han Su-ji said, “I didn’t have any greed for blocking. In her last three round fights, she was often beaten by Elisabeth, so she thought ‘what’s wrong’. I studied movements and timing while watching Elisabeth’s game video.”
It is evaluated that the water has risen in Han Su-ji’s blocking this season. She caught 0.788 per set and is running first, beating former and incumbent national representatives such as Yang Hyo-jin (Hyundai E&C), Jeong Dae-young (Road Corporation), Kim Su-ji (IBK Industrial Bank of Korea), and Bae Yu-na (Road Corporation). There is also a chance that she will reach number one in blocking for the first time since her debut. Han Su-ji said, “The battle for team rankings is fierce, so I tend to check her records often. She also keeps an eye on individual blocking rankings,” she said.
Han Suji started playing volleyball in the 4th grade of elementary school. However, the ‘center’ experience is now in its 7th year 토토. This is because she has been the setter since middle school, following her older sister Han Eun-ji. A tall (1m83cm) setter with good blocking skills, he was selected first overall in the 2006 draft.
However, after going through a slump, he received an offer from coach Seo Nam-won and transformed into a middle blocker. He’s not very tall compared to other centers, but his blocking ability is improving year by year. Han Su-ji seems satisfied with playing as a middle blocker, even though she “still lacks offensive power.” Han Su-ji also challenges the record. Having won the setter award in the 2009-10 season, he is challenging the best 7 middle blockers this year. So far, no player has won awards for both setter and middle blocker.
Suji Han served as the captain of GS Caltex again this year. When Oh Ji-young was traded to Pepper Savings Bank, he became the most senior member of the team.
Director Cha Sang-hyun, who recruited Han Su-ji through a trade in 2019, is also highly trusted. Coach Cha praised her, saying, “As the captain and the eldest sister, she is leading the team well.” Han Su-ji, the only member of the team who was born in the 1980s, said, “It’s difficult to talk with juniors who are in the MZ generation.”
Until now, the V-League could only use uniform numbers from 1 to 20. However, starting from this season, he can write from 1 to 99 freely. Han Suji, who used to wear number 1, chose number 34. It is a combination of the number 3 he used during his school days and the number 4 his husband used in the basketball club. Han Su-ji said, “Her husband teased me saying it was Shaquille O’Neal’s number.” O’Neill is a legendary center who played an active role in the NBA. He even ranked first in blocked shots. The meaning is different, but it is the same to block as a center.
Before the opening, GS Caltex was considered one of the top three along with Hyundai E&C and Heungkuk Life Insurance. He also reached the top in the cup competition held in the summer. However, once the season started, it was sluggish. However, as the team gradually stabilizes, they are fighting fiercely for third place. Han Su-ji said, “The atmosphere of the team subsided due to a series of losses at the beginning of the season. However, after winning one game after another, volleyball became fun,” he said. “I will study more so that I can block the opponent’s attack with blocking.”