In one of the great spectacles of the spring volleyball season, foreign athlete tryouts for the Korean Volleyball League, has announced a full list of tryout participants for the 2018-2019 season. The tryouts usually draw very high levels of interested players to compete for spots on rosters with a maximum of $300,000 salaries available for foreign players (though it is widely known that this cap is worked-around).
Of the 92 men and 67 women attending the annual tryout, 37 have been selected to try-out for a spot to play in Korea’s top league. First-round picks are guaranteed of a minimum salary of $150,000, plus a club-determined bonus. While salary limits can keep Korean League teams from signing players like Wilfredo Leon and Zhu Ting, who demand million-dollar salaries on the global market, it often results in a higher-than-normal payday for the 2nd and 3rd tier of the world’s players.
The tryouts, which have moved around the world since their inauguration in 2015, will be held in Monza, Italy from May 2nd-6th for women and May 7th-10th for men.
Among the biggest names invited is 27-year old French middle blocker Kevin Le Roux. The 209cm (6’10”) has played in the V-League in the past. He spent last season with Rennes Volley in the French League. He started for France in last year’s World League, where he had 14 blocks in the 4 matches of the Final 6. That includes a match-high 4 in the championship against Brazil.
The lone American male to tryout is Sam Holt, who spent last season with Lagonegro in Italy’s Serie A2 league. The Korean League says that he is drawing a significant amount of interest from Korean clubs.
Trying out on the women’s side are 4 University of Utah alumni, including 22-year old Adora Anae. Anae is currently finishing her college career playing with Utah’s beach volleyball team, but her biggest credentials come indoors where she is the school’s all-time leader in Kills. Also attending will be 6’8″ (203cm) opposite Merete Lutz. The Houston, Texas native was a three-time AVCA Second Team All-America and was a starter on Stanford’s 2016 NCAA Championship squad.
The full roster of invited attendees are below:
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