‘Spike and jump serve’…’Knee surgery’ Kim Hee-jin ready to go…against Heungkuk Life Insurance

With a cool jump and a high hit, she slammed a powerful spike down the court like a volleyball. After hitting the spike several times, she checked herself to make sure she was okay and even tried a jump serve from the back of the court. Her teammates high-fived and congratulated her on her return to health.

IBK ace Kim Hee-jin, 32, confirmed that she was in good shape during pre-match training.

Kim has been dealing with a nagging knee injury and her performance has been up and down depending on the condition of her knee. Last season, she was often forced to sit out due to knee pain. She tried to recover through strength training and rehabilitation, but her knee condition worsened, and in February, she underwent meniscus surgery on her right knee.

Nine months have passed. Immediately after the surgery, the club expected about a year of rehabilitation, but she recovered quickly and is now fit enough to play. She made a substitute appearance in a home game against GS Caltex in the Dodram V League Women’s Division of the 2023-2024 season last month, but she didn’t attack. 

But now it’s different. Before the Dodram 2023-2024 V-League Women’s Team’s home game against Pepper Savings Bank at the Gyeonggi Hwaseong Sports Town Indoor Gymnasium on April 1, Kim attended the official training session. Taking her place with her teammates in the middle blocker position, Kim jumped to the toss from Ponpun and hit the spike. Even though it was just a drill, it showed that her knee was strong enough to hit the spikes. It’s a sign that her return is imminent. 토토사이트

Kim signed a free agent contract with IBK in April for a total annual compensation of 350 million won (150 million won in salary plus 200 million won in options). Kim Hee-jin, a founding member who joined IBK as a priority pick in the 2011-2012 season, is a franchise star who has won three regular season titles (2012-2013, 2014-2015, 2015-2016), three championships (2012-2013, 2014-2015, 2016-2017), and three KOVO Cups (2013-2015-2016) in the past 12 seasons. 

The star, who represents the V-League in both skill and popularity, is now preparing for her comeback with a healthy body. It will be interesting to see how she fares against Kim Yeon-kyung in their match against Heungkuk Life at Samsan World Gymnasium in Incheon on April 4.