“He’s always a tricky opponent to play against.”

That’s what Samsung Fire head coach Kim Sang-woo said about his former student Ahmed.

Kim’s side will host Hyundai Capital in the third round of the Dodram 2023 V-League on Friday at Cheonan Yugwansoon Gymnasium. Sitting in fourth place with 21 points, Samsung Fire is trailing third-place 토토사이트 OK Financial Group (22 points), second-place Korean Air (25 points) and first-place Woori Card (27 points).

In the previous match against Hyundai Capital, the team won a close full-set match. Now, they’re looking to pick up a point on the road. Coach Kim said, “We focused on recovering our physical condition and stamina. In the last game, we made a lot of errors. We were playing well, but then we lost our concentration and played a difficult game. We had a meeting with the players about serving and other things.”

Kim Woo-jin’s performance in the previous match stood out. He joined the team last month after being discharged from the Korean Armed Forces Athletic Corps (Commerce). He started against Hyundai Capital and scored 10 points. Kim smiled at his performance.

He will start again today. “Park Sung-jin is also recovering. The players who can play are Shin Shin-ho, Park Sung-jin, and Kim Woo-jin.” Lee Hogan, who suffered an ankle injury, did not accompany the team. “I didn’t bring him,” Kim said. Rookie Lee Jae-hyun is being prepared as a backup for Noh Jae-wook.”

AsiaQuarter’s Eddie is still adjusting to being a middle blocker. “His serve is a plus, but his blocking is hard to follow,” Kim said of his reduced playing time. We just have to keep training. Middle blocker is a difficult position. You need to play a lot of roles to fulfill your role in intense matches. I don’t have that kind of time. I have to keep preparing.”

Middle blocker Yang Hee-jun will start in the starting lineup. “Ahmed is so high,” Kim said. It’s to keep up with his height,” Kim said, adding, “Last year, he was 75 kilograms. I worked hard to build him up to 82 kilograms. He maintained it, and his technique is much better. The same goes for his power, his success rate. He’s always a tricky opponent to play against,” he said of Ahmed, who played with him last season.

Unlike last season, when they were at the bottom of the standings, Samsung Fire is cruising this season. They are not far behind in the race for the top spot. “When you have a long losing streak, or when your lineup sags, the players get more tired. They would be afraid to play, but this season is still going well so far, so the players are encouraged. I’m happy when they do well,” he said, adding, “It’s not a big difference between us and first place. Every game is important. We can’t relax,” he added.