Red Sparks Coach Optimistic About Megawati’s Replacement from Asian Quota Draft

Ko Hee-jin, head coach of the Daejeon JungKwanJang Red Sparks, has expressed optimism about the team’s newly selected player from the Korean Volleyball League’s Asian Quota Draft — a strategic move made after the club was unable to retain star opposite Megawati Hangestri Pertiwi.

Megawati — who led last season’s attack success ratio statistics and ranked third among the league’s top scorers — decided to reject Red Sparks’ third contract extension offer due to family reasons.

The team, which came close to winning the championship last season, suffered a dramatic defeat in the finals against Incheon Heungkuk Life Pink Spiders. This impressive run was achieved despite the team facing significant player injury issues throughout the season.

Ko Hee-jin — who successfully recruited Megawati as an opposite three years ago — is now taking a different approach by selecting a player for the outside hitter position from the Asian Quota Draft, going against the common practice among Korean teams of using foreign players to fill the opposite position.

The Asian Quota Draft, introduced in the 2023–24 season, allows Korean V-League teams—to select one player from an Asian country in addition to their foreign player quota.

This system has opened new opportunities for strategic team-building and talent diversification—as coaches like Ko Hee-jin explore positional flexibility beyond traditional norms.