On the afternoon of the 20th, Hyundai Engineering & Construction held a set score of 3-1 (25-19, 21-25, 25-23, 25-21) in the match against IBK Industrial Bank Altos in the second round of the Dodram 2021-2022 V League Women’s Division held at Hwaseong Sports Complex in Gyeonggi-do on the afternoon of the 20th. ) to win 10 games in a row.
With this victory, Hyundai E&C, which tied with the club’s most consecutive wins in the 2009-2010 and 2010-2011 seasons, was also on par with the Heungkuk Life Pink Spiders last season, which had the most consecutive wins since the opening. In addition, they gained 3 points, and the gap with the second-placed KGC Ginseng Corporation widened by 8 points.
▲ Although they struggled at the beginning of the game, Hyundai E&C succeeded in changing the atmosphere with a 3rd set victory, proving the qualifications of the top team. ⓒ KOVO (Korea Volleyball Federation)
Difficult early game
From Hyundai E&C’s point of view, the first set was brought with a six-point margin, but the game did not go as planned as it struggled until the second technical time-out. In the second set, IBK Industrial Bank of Korea successfully counterattacked amid the performances of Kim Hee-jin and Pyo Seung-joo.
It was in the third set that Hyundai E&C and IBK Industrial Bank had mixed successes. Unlike the previous two sets, in the third set, the two teams maintained a tight flow, and IBK Industrial Bank of Korea, who was leading until 19-14, had a slightly more advantageous position.
In the middle of the third set, when Kim Suji could not score points in the serve, the mood of Hyundai E&C seemed to have subsided somewhat. Hyung-Sung Kang, manager of Hyundai E&C, who did not hide his frustration, also asked the players to work hard every time during operation time.
But it was not for nothing. Hyundai E&C, who followed up to a two-point difference with three consecutive goals, made a tie as ‘rookie’ Hyeon-ji Lee, who was replaced in 18-20, succeeded in scoring consecutive servings. After that, he hit Yasmin’s back attack and finally took the lead, winning three sets by two points.
Hyundai E&C, who took the lead from the beginning of the fourth set, once allowed a tie at 17-17, but it did not waver anymore. Hyundai E&C ended the game as it was, running away by three points in an instant, from Yasmin’s back-attack, Lassem’s fault, and Lee Da-hyeon’s blocking goal.
Shall we create a ‘overwhelming season’?
The player who scored the most goals for both teams on the day was Hyundai E&C foreign player Yasmin Bedart (registered name Yasmin). He scored a whopping 32 points, including one serve and one blocking, and contributed greatly to the team’s 10th straight win streak. In addition, domestic players such as Yang Hyo-jin (13 points), Jung Ji-yoon (8 points) and Hwang Min-kyung (6 points) stood out.
On the other hand, IBK Industrial Bank of Korea, Pyo Seung-joo (20 points), Kim Hee-jin (12 points), and Kim Su-ji (10 points), failed to even get points even after fighting side by side three Korean athletes who stood at the center of the ‘Tokyo Olympic semi-final myth’. Song-hwa Cho’s departure from the squad and the sluggishness of foreign player Lassem could not shake off the turbulent team atmosphere.
Unlike the men’s division, where each team competes for ranking at close intervals, the women’s division is showing some outlines when the second round is not even finished. In particular, it is safe to say that Hyundai E&C, which has won all 10 games since the start of the season, is starting to consolidate its monopoly system.
After finishing the 2020-2021 season at the bottom, Hyundai E&C became a completely different team in just one season. By winning the cup competition held in August, it heralded a change in appearance, and when I opened the lid, the team was united around the presence of foreign player Yasmin and still strong domestic players.
As long as it does not fall into a long-term losing streak, Hyundai E&C’s uptrend is not expected to stop for the time being. Attention is focused on whether the goal of regaining the top, which has been dreamed of since the 2015-2016 season, which embraced the second star, can be achieved.
☞ Go to ‘Oh My Sports’ Facebook page, sports news with a point of view
.
