Suwon Gymnasium on the 12th, where Hyundai Engineering & Construction, the leader of women's professional volleyball, and Heungkuk Life Insurance, the second-ranked team, will face off in the fifth round of the 2023-2024 V-League. As Hyundai Engineering & Construction has 65 points (21-6) and Heungkuk Life Insurance has 59 points (21-6) before the match, the game of No. 1 in the women's regular league could change depending on the direction of the match. Perhaps because the game was so important, the players' faces warming up were also grim.
Heungkuk Life Insurance is enjoying the "Willow Effect" that it recruited during the All-Star break. It won all three of its five rounds since the All-Star break. Yelena may be better in terms of skills and performance, but other teams say that the overall mood of the team has changed since the recruitment of Willow.
Coach Marcello Abondan said, "It's a good start to the fifth round. Not only the result but also the process is good. The players got closer and the team spirit got better. The players' attitude toward the game, including communication and reaction, has improved as well during the game. The upward atmosphere from Willow's joining seems to be linked to volleyball."
It could be a burden as the game is about to be held with six points, but Avon Danza did not hide his desire to win. "If I win today, I can aim for the top spot, but if I lose, I think I should focus on the playoffs," he said. "Of course, I want to win because it's an important game, but I will decide which side to focus on after the results." He added, "We didn't show our volleyball performance in the showdown with Hyundai E&C in the third and fourth rounds. Regardless of the results, I hope we will show good performance and attitude."
Coach Kang Sung-hyung, who entered the interview room following coach Avon terminal, also acknowledged the Willow effect. "We have to face off on the court in person, but from the screen, it seems that Heungkuk Life has improved the mood since the recruitment of Willow," he said. "Setter seems to be posting the ball more comfortably," but added, "His strength or height is not noticeable. Although his technique seems to be better, his recruitment itself seems to have raised the team's mood rather than his skills. Yelena also lost as much as Willow. What has changed is the atmosphere." 토토사이트
Wi-Fi, who was out of the game due to shoulder pain during the second set against GS Caltex on the 9th, will not play on the day. Coach Kang said, "The injury is not big. However, there is some pain left. Wi-Fi was excluded today to avoid overdoing it. We plan to run the outside heater team to Kim Joo-hyang, Jung Ji-yoon, and Ko Ye-rim."