Shin Ho-jin and Bayar Saihan, who were in charge of Inha University’s one-two punch for four years, will be working together again in the pros.
In the 2023 Korea ㅋㅋㅋ벳Volleyball Federation (KOVO) Men’s Asian Quarter Draft, which was held at the Jeju Sun Hotel on the 27th, OK Financial Group nominated Mongolian middle blocker Bayarsaihan.
It is a welcome thing to join Bayarsaihan because OK Financial Group has suffered a lot in the middle of the 2022-2023 season. Last season, OK Financial Group players were the only ones among the seven clubs that failed to make it to the top 10 in the fast break and blocking category.
In the team rankings, it was ranked 7th in the fast break (51.73% success rate), and the quick break attempt was the lowest with 346 times. In the blocking category, it ranked 5th (2.074 per set), but this also showed the lowest number with 1490 attempts.
The disappointment of the center also led to the rankings. They failed to play spring volleyball for two consecutive seasons and finished the season earlier than other teams. OK Financial Group retained Jin Sang-heon, who was an internal free agent during the off-season, and increased the central squad by appointing Bayar Saihan through this Asian quarter.
Bayar Saihan has been active at Inha University since 2019 after attending Suncheon Jeil High School. While he was in Inha University for four years, he took a position on the court, going back and forth between apogee and middle blocker. In particular, I met Sinho-jin Shin, who was nominated by OK Financial Group as the 1st place in the first round last season, and I met again in the pro following Inha University. Inha University, where the two players played an active part in a one-two punch, has always been at the top of college volleyball.
In 2019, when they first joined together, the triangular formation consisting of Bayar Saihan, Shin Ho-jin, and Kim Woong-bi (Army Sports Corps) was added to Libero Park Kyung-min (Hyundai Capital), and reached the final at the 2019 Hyundai Capital Cup National University Volleyball Inje Tournament.
From 2020 to 2021, he steadily reached the finals, but unfortunately there was no winning. The long-time collaboration showed its true value in 2022. At the 2022 Korean Air Cup National Collegiate Volleyball Goseong Tournament, Bayar Saihan won the Blocking Award and Shin Ho-jin won the MVP Award.
After winning the 2022 Muan Competition, and once again winning the 2022 KUSF College Volleyball U-League, he won three crowns.
Shin Ho-jin, who experienced the professional stage first, suffered ups and downs at the beginning of the season. He was somewhat disappointed with the expectations towards the first rank, and for a while he did not even make it into the entry. Nevertheless, he regained his condition towards the end of the season, and in the 6th round, he consistently started and scored double digits.
Bayarsaihan was also well-received by many clubs during the Asian Quarter tryout schedule, and succeeded in entering the V-League, which they had dreamed of for a long time.
Inha University, where the two players were located, was at the top of college volleyball for four years. How will Bayarsaihan and Shin Ho-jin, who wear the same uniform once again, perform on the professional stage?
