The daughter of the Major League legend with 303 wins has once again issued a challenge to the V League stage.

The participants in the 2025 Korea Volleyball Federation (KOVO) women's foreign player tryouts showcased their skills on the court. The players are competing for the remaining six spots, while GS Caltex has already re-signed 'monster attacker' Gisele Silva, with 40 players (including 6 current players) in the competition. In the first practice match held on the 7th (local time), there were many evaluations that the players' skills did not meet expectations.

Elisa Janetti (Italy), Pamela Onyo (Kenya), and Victoria Demidova (Russia), who received high praise in a club preference survey, caused concern for clubs with their heavy movements.

The standout player of the day was Willow Johnson (United States), who has experience in the V League. Born in 1998, Johnson drew attention as the daughter of American Major League left-handed legend 'Big Unit' Randy Johnson, and in January 2024, she played as a substitute for Heungkuk Life as Yelena Mrazhenovich was sidelined due to injury. Johnson did not succeed in remaining in the V League but received positive evaluations for raising her skill level in this draft. The fact that she is a left-handed opposite spiker is an additional plus.

After completing the first practice match schedule, Johnson said, "I'm satisfied. The energy in the gym was good, and I think I showed competitiveness." Regarding maintaining relatively good condition, she explained, "The season ended last Sunday, so my body was in shape. I worked a little harder to show more scoring ability."

Having received interest from V League clubs last season but having to give up due to contract issues, Johnson expressed her desire to return to the V League, stating, "Honestly, it’s a blessing to be chosen by any team in the V League. I want to contribute to winning, no matter which team I go to."

Johnson shared special memories regarding her reason for re-challenging the V League. She said, "I played in the United States and Turkey after turning professional, but my experience in Korea was better than anywhere else. I'm happy to have the opportunity to participate in the V League tryouts," adding, "I have many reasons to want to play in the V League. The culture of fans cheering for me remains a precious memory, and it was special to play with Kim Yeon-kyung last time I played."

Johnson stated, "I definitely think I have improved over the past year and a half since leaving the V League. I focused on strengthening my power and timing to show scoring ability in high blocking and defense."

She asserted, "With these skills and strength, I am confident in increasing my scoring ability in the V League."

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