The 2025 KOVO foreign player tryout and draft organized by the Korea Volleyball Federation will be held simultaneously for men and women from May 5 to May 10 in Istanbul, Turkey.

This year, a total of 135 male players and 72 female players applied for the tryouts. Among them, the top 40 players evaluated by the clubs are expected to attend the Istanbul tryout site (39 male players and 37 female players withdrew their participation after the invitation). Additionally, three male players and six female players who challenged again among those who completed the 2024-25 V-League season will be included, waiting for the clubs' selection with 42 male players and 43 female players in total.

Among the newcomers are 206cm tall outside hitter Sheron Vernon Evans from Canada, who plays for the Sakai Blazers in Japan's first division, as well as 207cm tall outside hitter Rafael Araujo from Brazil, who has experience in both Brazil and Japan leagues, Bulgarian national team outside hitter Denislav Valdarov, and Yasir Ramirez, a Cuban national representative and the best outside hitter in the Cuban league.

In the women's division, 190cm tall outside hitter Victoria Demidova from Russia, who played in the German first division last season and won the German Cup, as well as 193cm tall outside hitter Banya Savic from Serbia, selected as the best outside hitter in the 2021 Balkan Championship U-19, and the outside hitter Iwona Zadorozhnaya, who was the MVP of the 2024-25 Romanian Supercup, are included.

There are also familiar faces. In the men's division, Michael Ahhi from the Netherlands, who was drafted by Woori Card last season but could not complete the season due to injury, along with Luis Elian from Cuba, Yosbani Hernandez from Cuba/Italy, and Matej Kok from Slovenia, as well as Lincoln Williams from Australia and Mateus Rodriguez from Brazil, are among those knocking on the door of the V-League, including Thomas Edgar from Australia, who played for two seasons with LIG Insurance (now KB Insurance) since the 2013-14 season.

In the women's division, Rebecca Rasem, a Korean-American who wore the IBK Industrial Bank uniform during the 2021-22 season, and Dalri Santana from Puerto Rico, as well as Willow Johnson from the United States, who played as a replacement foreigner with Heungkuk Life, and Barbara Zabic from Croatia, who played for Pepper Savings Bank, are also on the list.

The annual salary for a male foreign player in the first year is $400,000, and from the second year onwards, it will be $550,000. Female foreign players will receive $250,000 in the first year and $300,000 from the second year. Players who participated in the 2024-25 V-League will be granted priority selection rights by their original clubs, and the clubs must submit the contracts signed with the players to the federation by 6 p.m. on May 8 (local time), the day before the draft.

Meanwhile, GS Caltex in the women's division decided to continue its partnership by re-signing Gisele Silva early.

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