Exiled volleyball star Lee Da-yeong hopes to return to Korea's V League

San Diego Mojo setter Lee Da-yeong said Saturday that she hopes to return to the V League despite a de facto ban by the Korean league in the wake of a bullying scandal.

Lee Da-yeong poses during a friendly between the Korean men's volleyball team and Netherlands at Yu Gwan-Sun Gymnasium in Cheonan, South Chungcheong on June 7. [YONHAP]

San Diego Mojo setter Lee Da-yeong said Saturday that she hopes to return to the V League despite a de facto ban by the Korean league in the wake of a bullying scandal.

Lee attended a friendly between the Korean men's volleyball team and the Netherlands at Yu Gwan-sun Gymnasium in Cheonan, South Chungcheong, and spoke on the sidelines.

"It's a bit difficult to say right now, but I honestly want to play there again," Lee said. "I still don't think it is right to discuss whether or not I want to compete in the V League now."

Lee now plays in the United States' newly-launched Pro Volleyball Federation after making her pro debut in the V League in 2014 and starting her overseas career in 2021.

Lee Da-yeong, one half of the infamous Lee twins, made her debut with Suwon Hyundai Engineering & Construction Hillstate in the V League in 2014. She later joined the Heungkuk Life Insurance Pink Spiders in 2020.

Despite her outstanding performances alongside her twin sister, Lee Jae-yeong, while playing for the Pink Spiders, both siblings were forced to leave the team after being embroiled in a scandal in February 2021, when former middle school teammates accused them of being bullies when in school, listing 21 allegations, including claims that one of the sisters had threatened them with a knife.

Lee Da-yeong, left, and Lee Jae-yeong during a Heungkuk Life Insurance Pink Spiders V League match in October 2020 [YONHAP]

Lee Da-yeong then joined Greek club PAOK Thessaloniki and played the entire 2021-22 season before moving to Romanian club Rapid Bucuresti ahead of the 2022-23 season.

She initially seemed to adapt to the Romanian league, but disappeared from the roster after suffering multiple injuries during the season.

A back injury she picked up at the end of the season forced her to return to Korea for treatment. With her future with the Romanian side looking unclear, she moved to Volero Le Cannet and played the entire 2023-24 campaign in France.

Lee also played for the Korean national team as a regular pick until the Korea Volleyball Association (KVA) suspended her indefinitely from the national team following the bullying controversy.

Lee went on to join San Diego Mojo ahead of the 2025 PVF season, which ended last month.

“It was really fun playing in the U.S. league,” she said. “The crowd’s energy was incredible. The level of play and the players’ skills were better than I expected.

"I plan to play in the U.S. league for now. I am talking about a move to Europe with my agent, but I liked my last season in the U.S. league. The United States is considering the launch of another pro league in 2026, which gives players more options."

Lee also won two Asian Games medals during her stint with the national team — a gold in 2014 and bronze in 2018 — and helped the squad reach the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.

The KVA has yet to lift her suspension from the national team, which has struggled internationally since the Tokyo Olympics.

The squad lost every match in the 2022 and 2023 Volleyball Nations League matches without Lee and Korean volleyball star Kim Yeon-koung.

Translated from the JoongAng Ilbo using generative AI and edited by Korea JoongAng Daily staff. BY JEONG HYE-JEONG [paik.jihwan@joongang.co.kr]