Women’s professional volleyball team Heungkuk Sinseng has signed a new foreign player. They sent off Yelena Mrazenovic and signed Willow Johnson, the daughter of MLB legend Randy Johnson. Could this be the turnaround card for Heungkuk Saengsaeng, currently in second place in the V-League?

On the 22nd, Heungkuk Life announced, “We finalized the contract with Yelena Mrazenovic, who accompanied us for the past two seasons, and signed a contract with Willow Johnson (born in 1998), an American national who plays in the American professional league ‘Athletic Unlimited’.”

Willow is a 5’10” left-handed outside hitter. She is the daughter of Randy Johnson and was a standout at tryouts. Willow made it to the 바카라사이트 V-League after three tryouts.

“I’ve always been interested in K-Culture and it’s been a dream of mine to play in the Korean League,” Willow said. “It’s an honor to play for the Pink Spiders, a traditional and prestigious team in Korea, with great players.” “I’m looking forward to the level of play in the Korean League and hope to help lead the Pink Spiders to a championship.”

With Yelena’s recent struggles, Heungkuk Life went on the offensive with outside hitter Kim Yeon-kyung and Asian quarterfinalist Tokoku Reina (registered name Reina). Reina’s performance as a middle blocker and outside hitter was encouraging. It helped them to go into the All-Star break with a 4-2 record after four rounds and third place in the round-robin standings.

Expectations are high for Willow to pierce the veins of Heungkuk Life’s clogged apogee attack. “Willow has the potential to unlock our offense from the right side,” said Heungkuk Life head coach Marcello Abondanza, adding that he believes she will energize the team with her cool offense.

Willow touched down on South Korean soil on the 20th. Yelena left the team on the morning of the 24th.

Heungkuk Life is still waiting for Willow’s work visa. There are still administrative procedures such as issuing an International Transfer Consent (ITC). Fortunately, the All-Star break has bought them some time.

Heungkuk Life is scheduled to travel to Gimcheon on March 30 to play a fifth round match against Korea Expressway Corporation. The team plans to travel to Gimcheon on the 21st.

A representative from Heungkuk Life said, “We are waiting for our visas. Because of this, we don’t know if we will be able to play against Korea Expressway Corporation.” “I’m excited that she was selected for a V-League team in the U.S., and she said she wants to go to Korea as soon as possible,” he added about Willow. Willow is known to be a hard-fighting player. She is very eager to play in the V-League. She is expected to bring new energy to the court.

Willow graduated from Oregon State University in 2020 before moving on to play for Turkkiye in the 2020-21 season. Since then, he has played in the US Athletes Unlimited Pro League. He played in the league in the 2020-21, 2022-23, and 2023-24 seasons. It’s a month-long league, usually held in October, where major players are divided into four teams and awarded points based on their play to determine the MVP. Each team is made up of players selected by the captain each week.

In the league, which kicked off in October 2023, Willow finished 14th out of 45 players. She had a game-high 18 points and a game-high 47 attack attempts.

Willow invited her father, Randy Johnson, to Korea in March, as he is currently rehabilitating from an ACL surgery on his left knee. He is expected to fly to Korea to cheer on his daughter once he is fully recovered.

The battle for the women’s V-League title is fierce. Not only are Hyundai E&C and Heungkuk Saengsim fighting for the top spot, but GS Caltex is also looking to leapfrog third place. Heungkuk Life, who have teamed up with ‘new face’ Willow, will also be looking to fight back in rounds five and six. Willow, who coincidentally appeared as a ‘pink-haired’ player, will also wear a pink uniform and prepare to reach her dream stage.