Korean Air is arguably the least reliant on foreign players in professional volleyball this season.
Apogee spiker Lincoln Williams (registered name Lincoln) has been out of shape and has been alternating with Lim Dong-hyuk.
Korean Air has managed to keep Lincoln in check and still cruise to second place in the league, challenging for a fourth consecutive title.
Reducing reliance on a specific player is good for the team. But it’s also a challenge for Lincoln, who has to protect the bench even though he’s a foreigner who’s supposed to lead the offense.
However, Lincoln is determined to improve his game, praising his position rival Lim Dong-hyuk.
Lincoln scored a team-high 17 points in a 3-0 win over OK Financial Group at Sangryoksu Gymnasium in Ansan, Gyeonggi Province, on Nov. 22.
Returning to the starting lineup for the first time in six games since last month’s game against KB Insurance on March 28, he shook the OK Financial Group receivers with his powerful serve and was so destructive that eight of his 17 points came from behind the arc.
Lincoln, who entered the interview room with ice on her still-aggravated knee, said, “I’m happy from a lot of perspectives. My serve was good, my back-attack was good, and I think my attack choices were all good.”
Regarding Lim Dong-hyuk, he said, “It’s good to have him. He’s the best apogee spiker in Korea,” and then added, “He’s a good player for the team. Sometimes he reminds me that I need to work harder. The best partner.”
Even the most professional player can be shaken by being left out of the starting lineup for five straight games and watching from the bench.
“You have to help the team whether you’re on the court or not,” Lincoln says. If I saw something off the court, I communicated it to the coaching staff,” Lincoln said. “I just kept getting ready to play and thinking about how I could help the team.”
Now in his third season in Korea, Lincoln said that while he can eat most Korean food, he has a hard time getting comfortable with cold noodles.
“I’ve gotten used to driving in Korea, I’ve gotten used to the rush hour traffic,” the Australian, who is from the opposite direction, said, “but I still can’t get used to the cold noodles.” 토토