The final foreign player tryout in the V-League saw only two unfamiliar names earn contracts. At the recently concluded women’s tryout in Prague, Czech Republic, just two new players—Heungkuk Life Insurance’s Yensi Kindela (Cuba) and Hyundai Engineering & Construction’s Jordan Wilson—will debut in the league.
Jeonggwanjang, which held the first pick, opted for Brankica (Serbia), who had a successful 2024–2025 season and left good memories, even though she did not play last season. She is a familiar, proven face.
After Hyundai E&C (second pick) and Heungkuk Life (third pick) chose new players, the remaining clubs—Korea Expressway Corporation (fourth), IBK Industrial Bank (fifth), and GS Caltex (sixth)—all decided to renew contracts with their existing foreign players. Korea Expressway Corporation will keep Moma, IBK retains Victoria, and GS Caltex continues with Silva for another season.
These three re-signed foreign players are veterans who have proven their competitiveness in the V-League. Moma is preparing for her sixth season, Victoria for her third, and Silva for her fourth.
While they undoubtedly possess strong skills, it also implies that no superior talent emerged from the tryout. A club official who attended the event commented, “It might be time to stop holding these tryouts. We spend a lot of money, but only two new players actually signed. The efficiency is poor.”
Nevertheless, some teams anticipate a boost in power with the arrival of new foreign players. Heungkuk Life, in particular, is hopeful. Last season, they struggled with Rebecca’s inconsistency and lack of attacking punch. Now they have acquired Kindela, who was considered a top pick by multiple teams. A Heungkuk Life official stated, “Kindela was on our shortlist alongside Brankica. Head Coach Yoshihara also gave her high praise. We expect a clear improvement at the opposite spiker position.”
Hyundai E&C took a different approach by signing outside hitter Jordan Wilson as their foreign player. They opted for a major change, bringing in Asian quota player Mega as an opposite spiker. It will be interesting to see how their new lineup takes shape.