Seo Jae-deok (34) of the men’s professional volleyball KEPCO is considered the most versatile player in the V-League. Seo Jae-deok, who played an active role as an apogee spiker until college, taking advantage of his left-handed nature, was equipped with a receive after he joined the pros. Although he belatedly learned receiving, which is said to be the most difficult of volleyball skills, he mastered it with his innate talent and volleyball sense. Thanks to that, if a foreign player is an outside hitter, he can run as an outside hitter, and if a foreign player is an outside hitter, he can run as a receiving opponent메이저놀이터. For coaches, Seo Jae-deok, who is excellent in both offense and defense, is able to utilize various mercenary skills and tactics.
Seo Jae-deok, who became the main player of the team as soon as he wore the KEPCO uniform as the 2nd pick in the 2011-2012 rookie draft, made a name for himself as the strongest duo in the V-League with Jeon Kwang-in, who became the first overall player two years later. As the two players, who had been in sync since their college days as two years senior and junior at Sungkyunkwan University, became the core of the team, KEPCO, which belatedly turned pro as a public enterprise team, was able to enjoy its first heyday.
However, in the era of Seo Jae-deok and Jeon Kwang-in, KEPCO’s limits were up to the playoff (PO) stage. In the 2014-2015 season, he was eliminated from OK Savings Bank by losing 2 matches in PO, and in the 2016-2017 season, he had to kneel down to Hyundai Capital in PO with 2 matches and 2 losses.
As Kwang-in Jeon, who obtained qualification as a free agent (FA) at the end of the 2017-2018 season, transferred to Hyundai Capital, a dark period came again for KEPCO. In the 2018-2019 season, when Seo Jae-deok struggled alone, he stayed at the bottom, and after the season, Seo Jae-deok left the team due to military service. In the 2019-2020 season, KEPCO, which both key players left, was at the bottom of the leaderboard.
In the 2021-2022 season, when Seo Jae-deok returned from military service, the KEPCO’s player base was different. Park Cheol-woo, a left-handed apogee senior who had divided the apogee spot in the national team, joined KEPCO as a free agent from the 2020-2021 season and was playing, and Shin Young-seok, the best middle blocker in Korea, was also traded from Hyundai Capital. With the team’s original ace Seo Jae-deok joining, KEPCO took fourth place and won the semi-PO ticket, accepting an invitation to spring volleyball after 5 seasons after the 2016-2017 season. KEPCO, which won the semi-PO against Woori Card, had a successful season, although it lost to KB Insurance in the PO.
Seo Jae-deok and Lim Seong-jin, who are 10 years senior and junior at Sungkyunkwan University, will step on the PO stage for the second year in a row. The opponent this time is Hyundai Capital. It is expected that Seo Jae-deok, who has no championship match experience during his 10-plus years of professional life, will become a very eager PO. Seo Jae-deok said, “I always remember having fun playing volleyball with Hyundai Capital in Cheonan. He said, “I will go to Cheonan with the goal of winning.” The goal is to seize the opportunity when it comes. If not this time, I think it will be longer. I really want to step on the court before the championship match,” he emphasized.
It is a must-win playoff, but there is one thing that bothers Seo Jae-deok. I am sorry for Jeon Kwang-in, who suffered an ankle injury due to a collision with himself during the 6th round match. When the story of Jeon Gwang-in came out, Seo Jae-deok, who showed a slightly teary face, said, “I am still very sorry. But (former) madman called me first and said, ‘What are you doing like a jerk?’ and let me go.” I hope to recover and return to the game.”
Seo Jae-deok, who was limited in advancing to the playoffs by partnering with Jeon Kwang-in. What about the ending of his partnership with Lim Seong-jin, who is 10 years his junior? It is another point of observation to watch volleyball this spring.
In the 2022-2023 season, despite the sluggishness of falling into 9 consecutive losses in the early and mid-season, Seo Jae-deok, Shin Young-seok, and Tais centered the team, and outside hitter Lim Seong-jin, who celebrated the third-year season, finally reached full potential and took a starting place. He succeeded in advancing to spring volleyball in 4th place in a row.
JunPO, who has been competing with Woori Card for the second year in a row. The winner of this semi-PO, which drew attention as a return match, was also KEPCO. Amid the performances of Seo Jae-deok (13 points) and Im Seong-jin (11 points), who showed Altoran-like performances from the left and right, KEPCO defeated Woori Card 3-1 and succeeded in advancing to PO for the second consecutive year.
KEPCO coach Kwon Young-min, who emphasized that a ‘crazy player’ should appear in the short game before the game, picked Seo Jae-deok as the crazy player after the game. Seo Jae-deok said, “I used to get stressed out thinking, ‘Can I do well? I think it went well that I asked to bump into it with the thought that it was the last time,” he said of his victory.
Seo Jae-deok also did not forget to praise his junior Lim Seong-jin, who entered the press conference room as a distinguished player. He said, “(Lim) Seongjin has really grown a lot, and now he seems to have his own know-how. He praised him, saying, “I leaned on him at the end of the game.” In the 4th set that decided the game, Lim Seong-jin, who put a series of difficult two-way connections into the opponent’s court, replied, “I was lucky to hit it randomly rather than honestly aiming for it.”