Hyundai Engineering & Construction, which won the 2023-2024 Season
Among professional volleyball teams, Hyundai Engineering & Construction in the women's division is considered the first team to suffer the most losses due to the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19). The postseason itself was not held as the V-League decided to shut down early due to the COVID-19 pandemic while ranking first in the 2019-2020 season. The 2019-2020 season could be less unfair. Since the score point gap with second-place GS Caltex (54 points, 18 wins and 9 losses) was only one with 55 points (20 wins and 7 losses), the ranking could have been reversed if the team played the remaining three games.
In the 2021-2022 season, two seasons later, Hyundai E&C had a record winning rate of 28 wins and three losses and was leading with 82 points, a wide gap with runner-up Korea Expressway Corporation (70 points, 24 wins and eight losses). However, the women's league ended early again due to COVID-19, and the postseason was not even held. On the other hand, during that season, the men's team completed the regular league and played the postseason. Hyundai E&C unfairly missed the opportunity to add a star to its uniform.
Hyundai Engineering & Construction, which had been completely blocked from advancing to the Championship due to COVID-19, has regained the chance to win the Championship after eight seasons since winning the Championship in the 2015-2016 season. Hyundai Engineering & Construction, which won the final 2023-2024 V-League match against Pepper Savings Bank 3-1 on the 16th, won the direct ticket to the Championship by winning the first place in the regular league with 80 points (26 wins and 10 losses) over Heungkuk Life Insurance, which has 79 points (28 wins and 8 losses).
Up until the start of this season, few predicted Hyundai E&C to rank No. 1 in the regular league. In other words, it was a thorough "underdog."
The reason was clear. Rather, Korean players' performance was not good enough. Hyundai Engineering & Construction ranked second in the playoffs last season, but lost two games and lost, and sought to recruit Kim Yeon-koung, a free agent. The deal was close to being signed, but Kim chose to stay in Heungkuk Life at the last minute. During that time, Hwang Min-kyeong, who had been captain of the team for four years, transferred to IBK Industrial Bank of Korea as a free agent. He thus missed out on Hwang Min-kyeong while chasing Kim Yeon-koung.
Hyundai Engineering & Construction failed to strengthen its teamwork despite the lack of reinforcement of its players in Korea. It was also a rich harvest for foreigners. It picked Moma Basoko (Cameroon) who played for GS Caltex for two seasons, as a foreign player, and selected Weepawi (Thailand), a former outside heater for the Thai national team, as the second runner-up in the Asian quarter tryout. Weepawi focused on attack on the right side of Hyundai Engineering & Construction as if it were always a green tree, and Weepawi focused on attack and defense. Yang Hyo-jin, the top middle blocker in the V-League, still boasts of his presence as a foreign player on potential fronts. Kim Da-in (Setter), Lee Da-hyun (Middle Blocker), and Jeong Ji-yoon (Outside Heater) also showed steady growth.
Heungkuk Life Insurance played with overwhelming power at the beginning of the season to the extent that it was said that "Oh-Hung" (the winner is Heungkuk Life anyway), but Hyundai Engineering & Construction continued to accumulate points and chased. Hyundai Engineering & Construction, which took the lead at the end of the third round, has since secured its lead despite ups and downs, and finally won a direct ticket to the championship game for the first time in 13 seasons after the 2010-2011 season by recovering from the shock of the 0-3 defeat against Heungkuk Life on the 12th through the victory against Pepper Savings Bank on the 16th.
Hyundai Engineering & Construction's Championship partner is the winner of Heungkuk Life Insurance, the second place in the women's playoff, and Jeonggwanjang, the third place in the women's league, which will take place from the 22nd.
In order for Hyundai Engineering & Construction to lift the championship trophy for the first time in eight seasons since the 2015-2016 season, the attack power of the outside heater team must be revived. The right and center guarded by Moma, Yang Hyo-jin and Lee Da-hyun are nothing short of Heungkuk Life Insurance and Jeonggwanjang, but the attack power of the outside heater team, which leads to Wi Pawi, Jeong Ji-yoon and Go Ye-rim, is much lower than that of Heungkuk Life Insurance and Jeonggwanjang. 토토사이트
The first round of the women's championship will take place on Wednesday. If Kang Sung-hyung saves his left side during the remaining 10 days, he will likely be able to engrave the third star on Hyundai E&C's uniform.