The women’s professional volleyball organization is playing spring volleyball for the first time in seven years after the 2016-2017 season. It’s not just the first spring volleyball season in a long time. Lee So-young, the main player who completed the team’s lineup with more losses than wins until the fourth round and led the big comeback from the fifth round, is out with a torn left ankle ligament. To make matters worse, Jeong Ho-young, a key middle blocker, was also substituted during the first round of the playoffs at Samsan World Gymnasium in Incheon on April 22 due to knee pain. 안전 토토사이트 As a result, the team lost the first set of the playoffs 1-3.
Game 2 of the 2023-2024 V-League Women’s Playoffs at Chungmu Gymnasium in Daejeon on April 24. The crowd was filled with spectators who wanted to enjoy spring volleyball in Daejeon after a long time. Another loss in front of a packed house could mean a short spring for Jung’s team. Lee So-young was unable to play, as well as Jung Ho-young. Before the game, coach Ko Hee-jin said, “Ho-young won’t be playing today. It’s for player protection. He had an ACL surgery on his left knee, and it’s the left knee that’s causing him pain,” said Ko.
Jung’s replacement was 1984-born veteran Han Song-i (pictured). In a close match, Chung won the set 3-1 to send the playoffs to a third game. Han’s stat line for the day was three points, including one block, which may not seem like much, but he also had 11 effective blocks, which shut down the opposing offense. Moreover, every time the ball was served to the three wing attackers, Hansong executed countless fake jumps to throw off the timing of the opposing blockers by even a fraction of a second. She also contributed to the team’s offensive connections, with the most set attempts (eight) outside of setter Yeom Hye-sun. Hansong’s veteran dedication was evident in more than just her numbers.
After the match, Hansong said, “I thought the team’s mood would be low after losing the last match. Instead, I think the last game stimulated the players. We were eager to go back to Incheon, and I’m glad we were able to win at home,” he said after the victory.
“I’m a bread-and-butter player,” he said of his performance, “I wanted to do well, but I think I didn’t play well because I hadn’t played a full match in a long time, so I thought about what I could do in the meantime. I focused on the connection part.” Coach Ko also said, “When Song Yi comes in, she has the advantage of stability. The connection she made in the fourth set was crucial to our victory today.” “In the first game, there was a lot of back and forth in the connection work. As a coach, I’m very grateful for the players who do a good job in the invisible areas.”