GS Caltex won the final match of the 2023 Gumi Dodram Cup Professional Volleyball Tournament (hereinafter referred to as the Cup) Women’s Division against IBK Business Bank with a set score of 3-1 at Park Jung-hee Gymnasium in Gumi on May 5.

GS Caltex won the Cup for the second consecutive year, following last year’s tournament in Suncheon. It was also their sixth Cup title, making them the most decorated team in the tournament.

After suffering a shutout loss to IBK in the group stage, GS Caltex made sure to wipe the slate clean. The team struggled a bit in the first and second sets, but with the score tied at 1-1, Kang So-hwi, Yoo Seo-yeon, and Kwon Min-ji fired evenly in the third set to secure the win.

The GS Caltex offense was led by Yoo Seo-yeon (22 points, 41.18% attacking success rate), Kang So-hwi (21 points, 47.62% attacking success rate), Kwon Min-ji (15 points, 35.48% attacking success rate), and Oh Se-yeon (10 points, 60% attacking success rate).

After the game, GS Caltex head coach Cha Sang-hyun said, “I’m glad we got a good result. Last year, we won the Cup, but we had a lot of internal problems. Our teamwork was broken. I was worried about how to change it quickly, but the aftermath of that went all the way to the league. I realized that we needed to change the coaching staff, which was unavoidable. I also thought we needed new players. With the good result, I think we can go into a good mood to prepare for the league.”

“What I told the players is that we have to work together. I said we have to make concessions. I told them that even though they have older sisters, I wanted Kang So-hwi to be the captain. (Yoo) Seo-yeon-i said that the role of vice captain is also important. The players also said that they needed to change the atmosphere in some way. The players responded well. There were a few bumps in the road, but it’s good to see our team’s unique and persistent team color.”

Although it was the second year in a row, the preparation was not easy. “After Kang So-hwi went to the national team, we didn’t practice well in the beginning. I also had a back injury. We had about a week left before the Cup, and we were in the process of building our bodies. I think it was good that we lost the qualifier against IBK. I think I got the right shots.”

Sixth cup competition under Cha. Four wins. “The cup is just one game, but I jokingly wish there was a coach’s award for the cup,” Cha laughed.

“I had a meeting with the players, and they told me that it’s not just a cup tournament, so they need to prepare well, but also when preparing for the league, they can endure a season with both quality and quantity of training. GS Caltex is not easy to train. We are doing 카지노사이트 well because they recognized it and followed us. Even though they lost last year, they always try their best in every game. They stand out because of their good performance in the cups, but they also do a good job of preparing internally for the league.”

He expressed his gratitude to the players. “They worked hard,” Cha said. I’m grateful to the coaching staff and players because we tried to make changes and made concessions. That part worked out well in the end. I think it will be an opportunity for the players to be satisfied, and I think it will be good for the league preparation,” he smiled.

For the win, Kang So-hwi was named MVP and Kim Ji-won was named Rising Star. Coach Cha said, “I’m sorry for (Kang) So-hwi, but I’m glad that (Kim) Ji-won won. He’s a player who can be left alone while coaching. He’s won a lot of MVPs, and I thought he was going to win the MVP after we finished,” he said, adding, “There are a lot of players who don’t win any individual awards, even in simple cup competitions. Ji-won is the first player to be selected for the national team, and if he is in good shape, he can go to the Asian Games, so I hope he can gain momentum. I hope he will do well with the mindset of growing to the next level with this opportunity.”Gumi=Jongseo Reporter