Varvara Jabić Makes History as First Pick in KOVO Draft of Foreign Players

The honor of being in the first place in the draft of foreign players of professional women’s volleyball went to Croatian Varvara Jabić. Vanja Bukiric, who played for the Korea Expressway Corporation, changed to a Cheong Kwan Jang uniform.

Director Barbara Jabić and Jang So-yeon were nominated for Pepper Savings Bank. / Korean Volleyball Federation

The Korea Volleyball Federation (KOVO) announced the results of the application of women’s foreign players for the 2024-2025 season held in Dubai, United Arab Emirates on the 9th. In this draft, a total of 41 candidates, including 4 foreign players who played last season, submitted their offers. Among them, Letizia Moma Basoko (31, Cameroon) and Gisele Silva (33, Cuba) managed to renew their contracts with their original teams, Hyundai Engineering & Construction and GS Caltex, respectively, confirming their departure to Korea once again.

Hyundai Engineering and Construction MoMA. /News

Pepper Savings Bank coach, Jang So-yeon, who got the first pick through the lottery, named Varvara Jabić (29, Croatia, 194 cm), who plays as an apposite picker. Jabić was on the radar of several clubs due to his height and offensive ability among Apogit players. Pepper Savings Bank, which selected middle blocker Jang Wi (29, China, 196 cm) in the previously held Asia Quarter Draft, managed to build a tremendous ‘height’ in the coming season.

After much discussion, Cheong Gwan-jang, who received second place earlier than expected, chose Vanja Bukiric (25, Serbia, 198 cm), who played for Apogit in Korea Expressway Corporation last season. Bukiric finished third in scoring last season (935 points), but was put on the market after the Korea Expressway Corporation stopped renewing his contract. Cheong Kwan-Jang, who holds the Asia Quarter Apogee Megawattie Puttywi (25, Indonesia), was expected to choose an external heater, but pulled off a ‘surprise’ by choosing Apogit.

Merelin Nikolova nominated for Korea Expressway Corporation. / Korean Volleyball Federation

Next, the Korea Expressway Corporation called Apogee left-handed pitcher Merelin Nikolova (21, Bulgaria, 188 cm). IBK Industrial Bank, which needed to reinforce its height by choosing the setter Cheon Shin-tong (30, China) in the application in the Asian Quarter, nominated the opposite picker Victoria Danchak (24, Ukraine, 192 cm).

In fact, Heungkuk Life Insurance, which was the last to exercise its right to appoint, chose Tutku Bourges (25, 193 cm), an Apogit pitcher from Turkiye, after much discussion. Willow Johnson (26, USA) was a substitute last season, but chose to go with a new member of her family.

Varvara Zabić (from left), Merelin Nikolova, Victoria Danchak, and Tutku Bourges. / Korean Volleyball Federation

The annual salary of MoMA and Silva, who renewed their contracts, and Bukiric, who plays in the V League for two consecutive seasons, is $ 300,000 (about 400 million won), and the salary of the other four players who playing in the V -League for the first time is $250,000.

Meanwhile, Marta Matejko (26, Poland), featured as the tallest player (198 cm) in this offer, was not selected and suffered.

Marta Matejko from Poland. / Korean Volleyball Federation
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