2026 V-League Draft: OK Savings Bank Chooses Kyle Russell as Top Pick – What This Means for Korean Volleyball
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[Sports Seoul | Reporter Park Junbeom] OK Savings Bank used its No. 1 foreign-player pick on Kyle Russell.
The Korea Volleyball Federation (KOVO) held the 2026–27 V-League men’s tryouts on the 10th (Korean time) at the Clarion Congress Hotel in Prague, Czech Republic.
OK Savings Bank secured the top pick. Coach Shin Young-chul went to the podium and selected Russell, a V-League veteran who has played for Korea Electric Power and Samsung Fire & Marine Insurance and spent last season with Korean Air.
With the second pick, Samsung Fire chose Felipe Hoki (Brazil). The 212 cm (about 6 ft 11.5 in) attacker also has experience with Hiroshima in Japan’s V.League.
Korean Air used the third pick on Zender Ketzjinski (Canada), who entered the tryout as the pre-draft favorite at the attacker position. At sixth, KB Insurance selected Linus Weber, a former member of the German national team.
Meanwhile, three clubs — Hyundai Capital (Leo), Woori Card (Araujo), and Korea Electric Power (Sho) — re-signed their existing foreign players. beom2@sportsseoul.com
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