Professional volleyball, which seemed to end blandly with the strongest teams solo, faced a variable at the end of the regular season. As Korean Air and Hyundai Engineering & Construction, which had been leading the men’s and women’s divisions, became distorted, it became impossible to know the direction of the championship.
As of the 13th, in the Dodram 2022-23 V-League, which has played 27 to 28 games per team, Korean Air and Hyundai E&C are still leading. These are the ones who have never lost the lead since the opening.
However, the recent air currents are subtle. Korean Air lost 4 times in a row, and Hyundai E&C lost 2 times in a row.
Korean Air lost to KB Insurance, Korea Electric Power, Samsung Fire & Marine, and Hyundai Capital.
Korean Air, where many of its key players, including Han Seon-seok, Kwak Seung-seok, Kim Kyu-min, and Cho Jae-young, are veterans in their 30s, seem to be feeling physical strain lately. Foreign player Lincoln Williams has not been able to show as much destructive power as other players throughout the season, and many analyze that this is leading to physical problems of domestic players.
The gap between Korean Air (19 wins and 8 losses, 56 points) and Hyundai Capital (17 wins and 10 losses, 52 points) narrowed to 4 points as they lost in the 1st and 2nd place match against Hyundai Capital held on the 10th. Considering that they once widened by 9 points, the leading position is not safe now.
Korean Air will play against KB Insurance and Woori Card this week. KB Insurance is the team that started the 4th consecutive loss, and with Woori Card, it is on the same page with 2 wins and 2 losses this season. It’s not easy for both teams.
However, on the other hand, it is also the right time for Korean Air to break the losing streak in the 6th place KB Insurance and Woori Card, which is losing 5 consecutively. If it cannot break its losing streak this week, next week it will have 메이저놀이터to play two consecutive matches against OK Financial Group led by Leonardo Leiva (registered name Leo). The season record against OK Finance is 2 wins and 2 losses.
Hyundai E&C is ‘yet’ 2 consecutive losses, but it is in a crisis situation that is bigger than Korean Air. This is because the long-term injury of Yasmin Bedart, the main shooter, and Kim Yeon-gyeon, the starting pitcher, suffered an ankle ligament injury and left the team.
In particular, Kim Yeon-gyeon’s departure is bigger than expected. This is because even in the absence of Yasmin, the strength of Hyundai E&C, which stood out for its strong defense centered on Kim Yeon-gyeon, disappeared.
Hyundai E&C lost 0-3 to second place Heungkuk Life Insurance last week, and was shocked to lose 2-3 to Pepper Savings Bank, the lowest place. This is the moment when Hyundai E&C, which showed off its solid power even in the absence of Yasmin, was shaken.
Hyundai E&C has been using Ivone Montaño as a temporary substitute since the match with Pepper Savings Bank, but it seems that it still needs time to match with domestic players. As a player recruited in a hurry, it is difficult to expect the same destructive power as Yasmin.
After losing to Pepper Savings Bank, Heungkuk Life Insurance was also caught by IBK Industrial Bank, fortunately maintaining its leading position, but the crisis is ‘ongoing’. Hyundai E&C has 21 wins and 6 losses (61 points), and Heungkuk Life Insurance has 20 wins and 7 losses (60 points), with a difference of only one point, so a’reversal’ is possible at any time.
Hyundai E&C will meet Korea Expressway Corporation in 3rd place and KGC Ginseng Corporation in 4th place this week. Both teams are in good spirits recently and are fighting a fierce battle for third place, so it will not be an easy match.
The crisis of Korean Air and Hyundai E&C is also an opportunity for the second-place teams. Hyundai Capital and Heungkuk Life Insurance are looking for an opportunity to turn around.
Is it the defense of the ‘1st place’ teams or the last-minute overturning of the 2nd place teams? Attention is focused on the lead fight that caught fire at the end of the regular season.