There are two players that V League coaches are paying the most attention to at the 2025 KOVO foreign player tryouts taking place in Istanbul, Turkey. They are opposite spiker Sharon Vernon Evans (Canada) and middle blocker Jose Masso (Cuba).
After finishing a practice match on the 7th (Korean time) at the Mustafa Ozel Sports Hall in Istanbul, Evans met with reporters and highly praised Masso, saying, "He is an amazing player. I have memories of meeting him in the respective national teams of Canada and Cuba when we were younger. I think he has grown since then and I see him as a good player."
Evans, who plays for the Sakai Blazers in Japan's first division, said, "I participated in the tryouts to embark on a new adventure," adding, "I have a good feeling about Asian culture, and I think Korea is a beautiful country, so I applied. No matter which V League team I join, I want to lead them to victory. The Korean players train very hard and their cautious demeanor has left a strong impression on me, which is why I decided to participate this time."
Shin Young-cheol, head coach of OK Savings Bank, who was keenly watching the practice match, noted, "Evans has the advantage of being powerful." Kwon Young-min, head coach of Korea Electric Power Corporation, also analyzed Evans' strengths, stating, "He has height and strength. His basic serves and blocking are good as well."
Evans appealed to V League coaches, saying, "Each year, what's working well is slightly different, but if I had to point out where I'm confident, it would be blocking and offensive power. I'm trying to grow a bit more in serving. I will do my best. I'm improving."
When the coaches hinted that they were already giving him a good evaluation, Evans smiled and said, "That's a very good thing for me. It's great. Receiving such an assessment means I have shown good performance in other leagues, which is a good outcome for me. I think I need to show such performance wherever I go."
Regarding the Japanese league he played in and the Korean league he might soon join, Evans said, "Asia has a different style of volleyball, and it seems to show the beautiful aspect of the sport. Japan is a country that has made the world pay attention to Asian volleyball. Korea is the same. It seems that a unique identity has developed between the two countries regarding how they have grown and how they can compete at a high level in international volleyball."
If he is drafted on the 9th, Evans plans to do his best to become an all-around player. He asserted, "I am a player who shows effort and tries my best. Of course, I also try to grow together with my teammates. I will strive to be a player who can showcase the best offense, defense, and serving in the league."
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