Hyundai Engineering & Construction, ranking No. 1 in the regular league, went straight to the championship match, and relentlessly blocked Heungkuk Life from going forward based on its well-stocked physical stamina and stable offense and defense for about two weeks. It dragged both the first and second rounds to five sets, creating a sense of crisis for the rival team, which already ran out of physical stamina.
Game 3 of the championship match between Heungkuk Life Insurance and Hyundai Engineering & Construction will be held in the women’s championship match of the 2023-24 Dodram V-League at Samsan Gymnasium in Incheon on the afternoon of the 2nd.
Heungkuk Life lost both the first and second games earlier, but both games ended in reverse losses. The nightmare of watching Korea Expressway Corporation lift the championship trophy after suffering an unprecedented reverse sweep loss in the 22-23 season is being similarly reproduced this season.
In the first round, he easily won the first and second sets and flipped the third, fourth, and fifth sets in succession. In the second round, he won the first set and lost the second set to Hyundai E&C.
A noticeable lineup change took place in the third set. Kim Hae-ran, who could not be seen properly in the regular league due to her knee pain, started from the third set. Kim Hae-ran only played for about five weeks, and she did not play for a month in March after starting against Jeonggwanjang on February 24.
Due to Kim Hae-ran’s poor condition, Do Soo-bin was in charge of Heungkuk Life’s defense line.
Do’s postseason record in March was based on 16 successful attempts in 24 Diggs and 19 receptions (47.37 percent efficiency) in the first playoff game against Jeonggwanjang. In the second playoff game on Saturday, Do succeeded in 12 receptions in 16 Diggs and 27 receptions in 8 receptions (efficiency 24.93 percent). In the third playoff game on Sunday, Do recorded 50 percent efficiency in receiving and 15 receptions in 18 receptions.
However, in the first round of the championship game, she suffered from 43 target hits, showing only 13.95% efficiency. Raina and Kim Yeon-koung also failed to advance further, falling sharply in defense with around 30% efficiency. At that time, Lee Won-jung’s toss was also somewhat shaky, falling from the net toward the latter half of the game.
In particular, the team suffered a first-round defeat despite breaking the record of most blockings (16 just before) in the women’s championship with only 19 blocks.
In the first round of the championship game of the opponent Hyundai Engineering & Construction, Wipawi secured 24 attempts in 27 cities and provinces, Jeong Ji-yoon 11 attempts succeeded in 8 attempts and Kim Yeon-kyeon 19 attempts succeeded in 14 attempts. The receiving was slightly shaken by Jung Ji-yoon receiving 34 target hits, but Wipawi, Ko Ye-rim and Kim Yeon-kyeon took turns.
In the second round, Heungkuk Life’s receiving situation got a little better. Kim Yeon-koung succeeded in half of 22 attempts, exceeding 40 percent per set, and Raina held out about half (16) of 35 target hits. Kim Hae-ran, who started from the third set, made eight success (41.18 percent) in 17 attempts.
Kim Hae-ran is a libero specialized in digs rather than receiving. However, the true value of this veteran was clearly seen in the stable two-stage connection and waiting motion for connection, not in digs and receptions. However, due to the poor knee condition, it is unclear whether he will be selected in the third game, and it is likely to use a substitute with Do Soo-bin.
Heungkuk Life showed a better performance in the second game compared to the first. Notably, she displayed spirit of adventurer by scoring three consecutive points in the fifth set, chasing after them by one point. However, at an important moment for Heungkuk Life, Park Su-yeon, Lee Ju-ah, and Kim Su-ji each made sub errors, giving strength to their opponents. This is considered one of the main losers. Managing individual errors is important, but at what time and which errors occur more often is quite important.
Another difference is the ability of MOMA and Willow to handle the clutch. The biggest thing I want from a foreign mercenary in the Korean league is that Willow, who does not have a high RBI, sometimes gets blocked by attack covers or makes mistakes while trying to solve the problem by hitting consecutive hits in front of Hyundai E&C’s blocking. Also, specializing in diagonal left hands, Willow often makes out mistakes when he has to hit straight hits.
Kim Yeon-koung, who is supporting the team, also shows a psychological urgency when the game is on the defensive, sometimes making mistakes on both sides of the offense and defense. As the power gradually declines, such as diagonal spikes and time differences, the opposing receivers take it as an opportunity to fight back.
Heungkuk Life has virtually no airborne backup card available. The main libero is an injury and the use of the midfield is at a disadvantage compared to Hyundai Engineering & Construction. Hyundai Engineering & Construction has excellent attack efficiency of middle blocker Yang Hyo-jin. Even if you don’t increase your market share, you’ll always solve the score at an important moment.
Heungkuk Life Insurance cannot afford to make major changes to its tactics and lineup. Therefore, it is necessary to prepare for a game only with mental and concentration. If he advances to this field, it will be up to Avon Danza, but he cannot make clear moves even as a coach. In some cases, even the coach loses his composure and gets overly excited during the operation time of each game. Since his inauguration in Korea, Avon Danza has had the disgrace of losing five consecutive championship games (including the 22-23 season).
He aims to rebound in Game 3 thanks to the cheering buff at home, but there is certainly a lack of performance that cannot be filled with just this enthusiastic cheering. The key is how to fill this gap.
Game 3 of the championship match between Heungkuk Life Insurance and Hyundai Engineering & Construction will be held at Samsan Gymnasium in Incheon at 7 p.m. on the 1st.
BY: 안전놀이터