Heungkuk Life Insurance advanced to the championship game with two wins first in the PO.
Heungkuk Life Insurance, a women’s professional volleyball player, is heading to Suwon. It will challenge Hyundai Engineering & Construction, the No. 1 team in the regular league, to win the team’s fifth championship game champ match.

Heungkuk Life Insurance beat Jeonggwanjang 3-0 25-18, 25-19, 25-19 in the third playoff game held at Samsan World Gymnasium in Incheon on the 26th. Ace Kim Yeon-koung scored 21 points, and Willow Johnson and Raina Tokoku, who showed poor performance in the second round, also supported 14 and 15 points, respectively, to lead the attack.

Heungkuk Life Insurance won the first round 3-1 and secured a 100 percent chance to advance to the championship match. All the teams that won the first round of PO matches, which were held 17 times until last season, went to the final stage. However, it gave up the second round to Jeonggwanjang, who replaced the starting Korean outside heater left from Park Hye-min to Kim Se-in. Among the triangular formation groups, only Kim Yeon-koung struggled hard.

Heungkuk Life Insurance, which gave up its momentum, is on the verge of falling victim to a first-ever record in which it gives up a chance to advance to the championship to the team that lost the first match. However, the third match in front of the home fan showed completely different momentum from the second match, showing off strong performance as a potential winner.

Willow right, who shook off his poor performance in the second round, shares joy with Kim Yeon-koung. Photo = KOVO
Heungkuk Life showed off its strength by scoring through various attack routes in the early part of the first set. Veteran middle blocker Kim Su-ji scored consecutive serve points at 2-1, while Willow and Raina, who showed poor performance in the second game, also joined the scoring. The opposing gun, Giovanna Milana registered Jia and Megawatti Puttywi registered Jia were also effectively blocked. Willow roared by successfully attacking back, widening the gap despite unstable connection at the score of 9-4.

What made this situation even more difficult for Jeong Kwan-jang was that Kim did not have a score until his opponent scored 10. Kim’s silence was not long. He also scored touch-out points at 10-6 to open, and 12-6. He also drew operation time from Jeong Kwan-jang. Kim also scored a diagonal opening at perfect timing even at 13-7, when the opponent team was in charge of maintaining the team, heating up the Samsan World Gymnasium.

Heungkuk Life’s pace continued into the second half of the set. At 17-12, Jia, the opponent team, made a mistake of failing to cross the net due to Lee Ju-ah’s one-man blocking. At a time when Kim allowed a four-point lead by allowing consecutive points, Kim Yeon-koung perfectly matched the setter Lee Won-jung with her opening attack to the opponent’s court. 19-14.
Kim Yeon-koung’s show continued into the second half of the first set. After giving up one point to Jeonggwanjang, Kim Yeon-koung succeeded in open attack again in the ensuing attack. She immediately served as a server and even managed to serve as a sub-ace. Heungkuk Life Insurance, which was leading by a wide margin, secured the first set 25-18 with Reina scoring a serve.

Heungkuk Life Insurance in harmony with the side triangle formation and the center team.
In the early part of the second set, she was pushed back by Jeong Kwan-jang’s counterattack, and gave up three consecutive points. However, Raina blocked Mega’s quick opening, and Kim Soo-ji made a serve-ace, changing the mood. With the situation continuing, Willow blocked Jia’s on-site open attack, tying the game 3-3.

Another critical moment has come. Mega was given a series of open attacks and serve aces, and Kim Yeon-koung’s time difference attack was blocked by opponent middle blocker Park Eun-jin, allowing the team to come from behind. However, Kim was not beaten twice. He successfully staged an open attack at 7-8, and Lee Won-jeong blocked Kim’s open attack in subsequent defense, turning the tables. Kim made additional errors and added one more point. Since then, Kim Yeon-koung and Willow have continued to score points. Notably, Willow has given her the lead 5 in two sets by scoring points in a row at 13-10.

Heungkuk Life allowed Raina’s attack to be followed by two consecutive blocks, and Lee Sun-woo was also chased by two points, but Raina scored without hesitation and Lee Won-jung blocked Lee Sun-woo to widen the gap again.

The second half of the set was Kim Yeon-koung’s time again. She completely won the game with three consecutive open attacks at 19-16, 20-16, and 22-16. Kim Soo-ji also supported Jia’s score by blocking her back attack at 21-16. Heungkuk Life Insurance caught up to the second set with Willow scoring a touchout at 24-19.

Heungkuk Life took the lead in the third set, which also led to a close match, with Raina scoring consecutive points in 10-10. When Jeong Kwan-jang chased with Mega, Kim Yeon-kyung succeeded in the diagonal open attack again and did not miss the victory. Kim Yeon-kyung responded by blocking Mega’s open attack in the ensuing defense when her open attack was caught in Park Eun-jin’s hands and allowed a run in 13-14. In the ensuing situation, when Jia committed a back attack error and led again by two points, Kim Yeon-kyung even made a serve-ace, giving Heungkuk Life a three-point lead. He also scored with a back attack, which was rarely seen in 19-16.

The game ended at this point. Heungkuk Life Insurance continued to score points and maintained its gap. Kim Yeon-koung scored again to make a match point 24-19, and the opponent team made an error, finishing the match in three sets. Heungkuk Life Insurance is heading to Suwon. The first round of the championship match will be held against Hyundai Engineering & Construction from Friday. 스포츠토토