South Korean volleyball club Jung Kwan Jang Red Sparks ended its contract with foreign player Elisa Zanette early on March 21, 2026, after finishing last in the V-League 2025-2026. The move has sparked fans' calls for Megawati Hangestri's return. Megawati was a key player for Red Sparks in the previous two seasons.
Jung Kwan Jang Red Sparks closed the V-League 2025-2026 season disastrously, losing 1-3 (23-25, 14-25, 25-23, 21-25) to AI Peppers at Stadion Pepper in Gwangju on March 15. Coach Ko Hee-jin's team finished last with six wins and 28 losses out of 36 matches, failing to reach the playoffs. Earlier, Red Sparks released Asia quota player Wipawee Srithong due to injury, replacing her with Mongolia's Jamiyanpurev Enkhsoyol, and recruiting Inkushi, who scored 104 points in 17 games at a 32.65% attack success rate. Elisa Zanette, brought in as opposite to replace Megawati, also failed to match her predecessor's contributions. On March 21, the club announced the parting via its official account. Zanette stated, “I want to say thank you and give a warm hug to all of you for supporting from the beginning until the end of the season. I will miss you all. I hope we can meet again in the future.” Following the announcement, fans clamored for Megawati Hangestri's return. One fan wrote, “Goodbye and Good luck Zanette. I really want to see Red Sparks' number 8 jersey worn by its owner again.” Another said, “Mega, now it's time for you to return to Red Sparks.” Korean media My Daily reported that Red Sparks plans to extend middle blocker Jeong Ho-young's contract and seek a new Asia quota player, as Megawati's return failed to materialize this season. Megawati currently plays for Jakarta Pertamina Energi in Proliga 2026.
