The 2020-2021 Professional Volleyball V League Women’s Division, Hyundai E&C and Heungkuk Life Insurance, were held at the Suwon Indoor Gymnasium in Gyeonggi on the afternoon of the 31st. Kim Yeon-kyung is attacking the spike. Suwon = Reporter Kim Min-gyu
The confrontation between Kim Yeon-kyung (33, Heungkuk Life Insurance) and Yang Hyo-jin (32, Hyundai E&C) is only one time left. Another box office hit card for the rest of the season.
Until last season (2019-20), when Heungkuk Life Insurance and Hyundai E&C meet,’twin sisters’ Lee Jae-young and Lee Da-young’s face-to-face battle attracted attention. Lee Jae-young was nominated for Heungkuk Life Insurance in the 2014 rookie draft, and Lee Da-young joined Hyundai E&C in the second place. Since they were two players who were evaluated as special prospects before their professional debut, they garnered great attention from the first confrontation that took place on November 26, 2014. The appearance of making funny faces toward each other with the net in between was also a hot topic. In April of last year, Lee Da-young signed a free agent (FA) contract with Heungkuk Life Insurance, giving fans joy until the sisters played for the same team.
This year,’best friends’ Kim Yeon-kyung and Yang Hyo-jin took over Baton. A face-to-face battle was concluded when Kim Yeon-kyung, who had been thinking about where to go before the 2020-21 season, chose to return to his family team (Heungkuk Life Insurance) to prepare for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. The two players have eaten Korean pot rice with the national team since childhood. Yang Hyo-jin is a one-year junior, but since he has been Kim Yeon-kyung’s roommate for quite a while, he is close to each other.
Heungkuk Life Insurance and Hyundai E&C’s team performance this season is very different. Heungkuk Life Insurance ranks first. In 20 games played until the 30th of last month, he scored 17-3 and 49 points. On the other hand, Hyundai E&C remains at the bottom with only 6-15 and 18 points in 21 games.
The 2020-2021 Professional Volleyball V League Women’s Division, Hyundai E&C and Heungkuk Life Insurance, were held at the Suwon Indoor Gymnasium in Gyeonggi on the afternoon of the 31st. Hyundai E&C Yang Hyo-jin is attempting an attack. Suwon = Reporter Kim Min-gyu
However, the confrontation between the two teams is bakbing. Hyundai E&C beat Heungkuk Life Insurance with a set score of 3-2 in the third round held on December 29 last year. In the 5th round face-to-face match held on January 31, he won after a full-set battle, giving Heungkuk Life’s fourth loss of the season. Hyundai E&C is the only team that has won 2 losses to Heungkuk Life Insurance this season.
Kim Yeon-kyung, who ranked first in the attack overall (46.98%), led the attack on Heungkuk Life with 23 points in this game as well. Yang Hyo-jin did better. He scored 19 points including 4 blocking points. He scored 4 points only after entering the 10-point range in the 5th set. The match ended with a successful open attack at 14-10.
The match between the two players also sparkled. Yang Hyo-jin blocked the quick open of Kim Yeon-kyung’s 2nd set, which was tied in 20-20, and overpowered the baseline. Kim Yeon-kyung also responded. Heungkuk Life’s three sets of 8-7 open attacks both took the hands of Yang Hyo-jin and failed to score, but in the subsequent rally, he broke through the three-man blocking of Hyundai E&C including Yang Hyo-jin and succeeded in a diagonal attack.
The 2020-2021 Professional Volleyball V League Women’s Division, Hyundai E&C and Heungkuk Life Insurance, were held at the Suwon Indoor Gymnasium in Gyeonggi on the afternoon of the 31st. The players of Heungkuk Life Insurance, who were defeated with a set score of 2 to 3, are showing regret. Suwon = Reporter Kim Min-gyu
Both players are icons of Korean women’s volleyball. Yang Hyo-jin is the 1st place in the V-League’s total personal score (5836 points). Every game is writing new records. Kim Yeon-kyung has traveled to Japan, Turkey, and China to become a world-class player. He is the leading player in the rising popularity of women’s volleyball.
It is a hot topic just because two players compete on one court. The appearance of friendship before and after the game is also drawing attention. Since Kim Yeon-kyung signed a one-year contract with Heungkuk Life Insurance, it is unclear whether they will face off next season. The sixth confrontation of the season held on the 9th of next month could be the last. If Hyundai E&C wins, the season record will be tied (3-3). It is the best box office card in the V-League women’s division.
Reporter Ahn Hee-soo