7th Player in Volleyball Court

“An indispensable person in the court”

They are the ones who spice up the environment in the volleyball court. Announcers.

Before volleyball became one of the professional Korean leagues, they simply announced players’ names and changes. But now, they play various roles such as explaining the ongoing match and delivering focal points to the spectators as well as moderating an intermission event.

There is one male announcer in Incheon, and a pair of male and female announcers are working in Cheonan, Gumi, Daejeon, and Suwon, respectively. They need basic background knowledge of volleyball and talent to create a lively atmosphere. Given the speedy advancement of volleyball matches, they should be able to concentrate and respond quickly at every moment.

They pay extraordinary attention to their home teams. Jeon Baek-soo, 32, whose home teams are Korean Air and GS Caltex, said, “When my team is winning, my voice becomes high-pitched, and when it is not doing well, I can’t say a word right.”

That is why they sometimes hear complaints from other team players or coaches. “Once, my home team won the first and second set and the third one began, and I mistakenly said, "This is the last set." The other team’s coach fired back, saying, "This is not the last." Since then, I pay attention to every single word I say,” said Woo Hyeon-ah, 29, of Samsung Fire Insurance and Hung Kuk Life Insurance.

Yeon Hyeon-sook of Chungmu Stadium in Daejeon is the most experienced active court announcer. She has been working for 15 years as a volleyball court announcer, and got married to a former volleyball player, Kim Gu-cheol. Woo, the only player-turned-announcer, will graduate from college this February.

Yoon In-ah, 34, and Yoo Chang-geun, 29, of LIG Insurance Co. and Korea Expressway Corporation that use Park Chung-hee Gymnasium in Gumi, North Gyeongsang Province, said, “All of the court announcers go to see other matches as well as their home teams’ games. If they can’t go, they tape them to watch later. They get umpire education, too.”

They are the seventh players who connect spectators and players.

creating@donga.com