To put it plainly, they did well, but they did poorly.

On the 4th, Korea Expressway Corporation scored Heungkuk Life Insurance a set score of 3-1 (22-25, 25-22, 25-22, 22-25, 25-22, 25-22, 25-23).

According to the Korea Volleyball Federation (KOVO) statistics, the team that won both the first and second rounds of the championship has a 100% chance of winning. However, the road construction that cut this probability to 50% challenges the first record in the history of the V-League men’s and women’s divisions. 

Heungkuk Life Insurance was overwhelmingly ahead with 5 wins and 1 loss in the regular league. However, the rules of the regular league did not work in the championship game. At the time of the regular league, the road construction had to endure part of the season with Katarina Jovic, who had a weak attack. After reorganization with Catbell, who was recruited midway, the road construction team became a completely different team. Catbell transformed into a Kim Cheon bomber against his former team last season. 

It’s a miraculous reverse sweep. However, it is difficult to see it as a miraculous reversal. Heungkuk Life Insurance gave up a winning game. Even though they were ahead, the receive collapsed from the middle, and they could not find a seat and were confused.

After the game, Kim Jong-min, the head of the road construction company, who was the enemy, also commented, “The atmosphere changed and I saw the opponent wandering around.” 

It is clear that the performance and mentality of the road construction have reached their peak. On this day, Catbell scored 30 points (attack success rate 43.28%), the highest score of both teams, Park Jung-ah 20 points and Bae Yoo-na 16 points. In Digg, Catbell made 21 out of 24 attempts, Jeong-Won Moon made 23 out of 26 attempts, Yoon-Jung Lee got 25 out of 26 attempts, and Lim Myung-Ok saved 18 out of 20 attempts. Moon Jeong-won and Lim Myung-ok endured even in the receive, and Heungkuk Life Insurance was exhausted. Moon Jeong-won’s clutch score drove the wedge, and Catbell’s sensible strike, repeated attacks, and left-handed scoring made highlights. 

In particular, at the end of the 4th set, Catbell threw the ball over the side of the billboard and saved it. This momentum led to a come-from-behind victory. 

As director Kim Jong-min commented, the ‘atmosphere’ could never be ignored. No matter how good Kim Yeon-kyung did, he could not make Heungkuk Life Insurance a combined victory on his own. First of all, setter Lee Won-jung, who had not recovered from a hamstring injury, could hardly show his skills. It was difficult to see that Kim Da-sol also made a good toss.

Setter Jin increased Yelena’s possession, but was rarely hit in the RBI. It was difficult to handle, and a low toss that was read by the opponent followed. There were few balls going to Kim Yeon-kyung.

In the 4th set, Yelena’s attack share reached 43.75%, but her attack efficiency was only 9.52. The attack success rate was 23.81%. On the other hand, Kim Yeon-kyung’s attack share was 18.75%, attack efficiency 55.56%, and attack success rate 55.56%. 

Once the pattern was seen through, the attack did not work. I could see the opposing defense all following Yelena. When the attack was blocked, the defense and attack cover were greatly shaken. There was nothing to do with it. Yelena could hardly contain her emotions. In the one-day match, the Heungkuk Life Insurance team could not avoid physical exhaustion and mental limitations. Captain Kim Mi-yeon also showed a disappointing appearance, shaking in receiving. 

As the game collapsed in real time, it was clear that director Abondanza was also at a loss. 1 point, 1 point earned hard. Everyone from the command tower to the squad was confused. Calmness, judgment, and tactics are gone, leaving only ash that has been scorched and extinguished. 

This season, the shock caused by the road construction continues. Hyundai E&C, which seemed to be undefeated, ended the playoffs with no power due to the issue of injury and replacement of foreign players. And Heungkuk Life Insurance is also gradually involved in the road construction’s ‘swamp defense’.

It was a game that only Kim Yeon-kyung and Kim Hae-ran caught my eye throughout. It was because the place of the two was not permanent. The present of Heungkuk Life Insurance, which the two hold on to, is a fleeting moment. It is difficult to taste sweet short-term results that will not come back and end without development. 

Basic operational reinforcement has become urgent. Manager Abondanza seems to be expecting a home stadium buff with the feeling of catching a rope. Of course, we cannot ignore the fervent cheering of the home crowd. This is because cheering is also a kind of fight against opponents.  스포츠토토

However, the road construction that realized that it was ‘worth a try’ became a very scary opponent. 

Now, at Samsan Gymnasium in Incheon, banners commemorating the champion championships of Road Corporation and Heungkuk Life Insurance are hung side by side. Heungkuk Life Insurance, which missed both opportunities and allowed a 50% win rate, was actually psychologically pushed from 100% to 1%. 

After the game, coach Abondanza reprimanded in a rather strong and rigid tone, saying, “The team looked as if they were afraid of winning.” 

Can Heungkuk Life Insurance, who has a half win rate that has slipped away like sand, dramatically succeed in winning the combined championship in the last game? Or, will the road construction be the protagonist of the brilliant band electrode that was written for the first time at the same time as reclaiming the throne in 5 years after the 2017-18 season?

The 5th game of the championship match, in which the fate of Heungkuk Life Insurance and Expressway Corporation was split in half, will be held at Samsan Gymnasium in Incheon on the 6th.