Volleyball legend Kim Yeon-koung returned as a coach in rookie coach Kim Yeon-koung, opening a powerful prologue for volleyball entertainment.
The first episode of the MBC entertainment program rookie coach Kim Yeon-koung, which aired on the 28th (directed by Kwon Rak-hee, Choi Yoon-young, Lee Jae-woo), showed Kim Yeon-koung, who built an unprecedented career in volleyball history, leading the "Pilseung Wonder Dogs," offering a different kind of fun on weekend nights.
On the day of the broadcast, Kim Yeon-koung visited the MBC building in person to hold a meeting with the production team. Kim Yeon-koung said, "I wanted to do something meaningful. I want to develop volleyball," frankly explaining why she chose "volleyball entertainment" even after retirement. She then pointed out that professional volleyball in Korea, among the four major domestic sports, is the only one without a second division, helping viewers understand the system.
Setting a goal of "founding a professional eighth team," Kim Yeon-koung assembled a coaching staff and selected players through tryouts. Fourteen players were chosen by Kim Yeon-koung: outside hitters Pyo Seung-ju, Inkushee, Tamira, Baek Chaerim, Han Song-hee; opposite spiker Yoon Young-in; setters Lee Jin, Lee Na-yeon, Gu Sol; middle blockers Kim Na-hee, Moon Myeong-hwa, Kim Hyun-jung; and liberos Gu Hye-in, Choi Soo-bin—each with varied backstories gathered in one place.
The founding ceremony of the Kim Yeon-koung squad was also revealed for the first time, capturing attention. SEVENTEEN's Seungkwan, who will serve as the team manager, appeared as the founding ceremony MC, listing all the players' names and showing his true fan side, which brought smiles. The players, who became "underdogs" for their own reasons and received the team name "Pilseung Wonder Dogs," meaning they would rise from underdog to wonder, also received realistic salary grade evaluations from experts and steeled themselves to climb up from the bottom.
Kim Yeon-koung continued training with the "Pilseung Wonder Dogs" players and prepared for their first matchup against Jeonju Geunyeong Girls' High School. Jeonju Geunyeong Girls' High School is a powerhouse in high school volleyball with numerous championship records, and Kim, with sharp eyes, identified the players' shortcomings. To motivate players making mistakes, Kim Yeon-koung ordered gap conditioning training, adding interest with a coach moment.
Kim Yeon-koung's long-awaited coaching debut approached, and Kim Yeon-koung and the players, cheered on by team manager Seungkwan, took the court for their first match. After briefly greeting Yang Cheol-ho, the coach of Geunyeong High School, who has ties to Kim from her time with Heungkuk Life Pink Spiders, Kim focused seriously on the game. When the team faltered due to Inkushee's unstable receive early on, Kim Yeon-koung took the drastic step of calling a timeout. Frustrated by the players' repeated mistakes, Kim Yeon-koung snapped, "You have to play thinking volleyball!" The team regained stability centered on veteran players Lee Na-yeon and Kim Na-hee and took the first set 25-19.
In the second set, the "Pilseung Wonder Dogs," fighting point by point, made viewers hold their breath as they wavered under Geunyeong High School's pressure. Still, Kim's tactics paid off with consecutive blocking points, putting them ahead 16-12 and triggering excitement. With the team needing four wins out of seven matches to survive, whether the "Pilseung Wonder Dogs" can clinch victory and get off to a good start leaves viewers curious for the next episode.
Meanwhile, according to ratings agency Nielsen Korea, rookie coach Kim Yeon-koung's first episode saw its peak minute rating reach 4.1% during a breathless rally in the second set when setter Lee Na-yeon set up and middle blocker Moon Myeong-hwa finished with a cross-court kill for a point, marking a strong start. Next week's broadcast previews a match between 0-year coach Kim Yeon-koung's "Pilseung Wonder Dogs" and the pro team IBK Industrial Bank Altos volleyball team, led by 30-year coach Kim Ho-cheol, raising expectations.
The second episode of the MBC entertainment program rookie coach Kim Yeon-koung will air at an earlier-than-usual 8:45 p.m. for the Chuseok holiday.
[Photo] MBC rookie coach Kim Yeon-koung broadcast capture
[OSEN]