Park Jeong-ah thinks she can turn the AI Peppers around

Park Jeong-ah is confident that she can lead the Gwangju AI Peppers to success in the upcoming 2023-24 season, despite having been an underdog in the V League since their foundation in 2021.

Gwangju AI Peppers' Park Jeong-ah trains at Pepper Stadium in Gwangju on July 19. [YONHAP]

Park Jeong-ah is confident that she can lead the Gwangju AI Peppers to success in the upcoming 2023-24 season, despite having been an underdog in the V League since their foundation in 2021.

“I do not feel pressure, as I am going up from the bottom,” Park said during an interview with the JoongAng Ilbo at Pepper Stadium in Gwangju on July 19.

The Peppers have not been able to seriously challenge the older V League teams, finishing in last-place for two seasons and managing just eight wins in 67 games.

Feeling pressured to reinforce their squad ahead of the 2023-24 season, the team recruited a number of players this summer, including Park who led her former team Gimcheon Korea Expressway Hi-Pass to a dramatic championship victory.

Hi-Pass were crowned champions last season after coming back from two games down to beat league winners Heungkuk Life Insurance Pink Spiders in the five-game series, becoming the first-ever team to manage a two-game deficit comeback.

That historic victory allowed Park, who also captains the Korean national team, to maintain her nickname “Talismanic Park.” She won both the V League and championship multiple times with former teams Hwanseong IBK Altos and Hi-Pass — three league and championship titles apiece with the Altos and one league and two championship titles with Hi-Pass.

“I am exhausted physically as I played for the national team after finishing the season,” Park said. “But I was able to take a break since the head coach allowed it. I am preparing [for the next season] gradually as I work with my new teammates.”

Head coach Joe Trinsey is keen to utilize Park in the upcoming season as he thinks she is one of the best players in the V League.

Playing as an outside hitter, Park has always been one of the top three prolific scorers among Korean players since the 2018-19 season.

With blocking and attacking at a high point as her forte, she is also looking to improve on receiving.

“I know the worries and I think I have to improve what I am not good at,” Park said. “At the same time, I will work to maximize my offense, which is my forte.”

“I will work to enjoy myself rather than feeling the pressure,” Park said. “Volleyball is a team sport. There is no pressure when going up from the bottom and the results will follow if I enjoy it. I will achieve it with my teammates.”

The addition of outsider hitter Chae Seon-ah will also likely boost the Peppers’ attack in the upcoming season.

From left: Park Jeong-ah, Oh Ji-young, Lee Ko-eun, Lee Han-bi and Mar-Jana Phillips pose for a photo during a media day at Pepper Stadium in Gwangju on July 19. [YONHAP]

Park’s first game with the Peppers will be a KOVO Cup game — where all seven V League teams with one invitee from overseas participate to test out their squad ahead of the new campaign — against her former team Hi-Pass on Sunday.

Head coach Trinsey, however, might exclude Park from the game as she is tired after national team duty — having played in the Volleyball Nations League from June 1 through July 2 — and will also have to join national team training immediately after the KOVO Cup.

“Hi-Pass being the opponent is not the reason why I want to win,” Park said. “I want to win all the games and I will do my best if I can take part.

“I want to help the team win even if I don’t play.”

The KOVO Cup will start on Saturday and run through Aug. 5, before the regular 2023-24 V League season begins on Oct. 14.

BY KIM HYO-KYUNG [paik.jihwan@joongang.co.kr]