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| Bukiric - Coach Ko Hee-jin / Photo provided by KOVO |
The Korea Volleyball Federation (KOVO) held the 2026-2027 women's foreign-player draft on May 10 (Korean time) at the Clarion Congress Hotel in Prague, Czech Republic.
As the bottom team in the 2025-2026 season, Jung Kwan Jang held the first overall pick and used it to select Bukiric.
Standing 198 cm (6 ft 6 in), Bukiric has already shown she can compete at V-League level and was the consensus top prospect at the tryout. After drawing interest from multiple clubs, she entered the draft and landed with Jung Kwan Jang as the No. 1 overall pick.
Bukiric made her V-League debut with Korea Expressway Corporation in 2023-2024. She transferred to Jung Kwan Jang for the 2024-2025 season and helped lead the team to a runner-up finish alongside Megawatti Pertiwi (registered name Mega).
After spending last season in the Italian league, Bukiric returns to Jung Kwan Jang, boosting expectations for the upcoming campaign.
Pepper Savings Bank, which has been facing financial difficulties, did not participate in the draft, leaving only six clubs in the pool.
Among those teams, GS Caltex moved quickly to re-sign regular-season MVP Giselle Silva (registered name Silva). Korea Expressway's Leticia Moma Basoko (registered name Moma) and IBK's Victoria Danchak (registered name Victoria) also secured new contracts to remain with their clubs.
Meanwhile, Jung Kwan Jang, Hyundai Engineering & Construction and Heungkuk Life all parted ways with their previous foreign signees and targeted new talent.
With the No. 2 pick, Hyundai E&C selected American outside hitter Jordan Wilson (182 cm/6 ft 0 in). Using the No. 3 pick, Heungkuk Life chose Yensi Kindelan (Cuba, 188 cm/6 ft 2 in), a player capable of filling both opposite and middle-blocker roles.
[Sports Today reporter Shin Seo-young sports@stoo.com]
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