Heungkuk Life Insurance, a women’s professional volleyball team, lost the first place right in front of their eyes. ‘Volleyball Empress’ Kim Yeon-kyung (35) also struggled.
Heungkuk Life Insurance scored a set score of 1-3 (12-25, 19-25, 26-24, 20-25) in the 5th round away game against IBK Industrial Bank of the 2022-23 Dodram V League Women’s Division held at Samsan World Gymnasium in Incheon on the 11th. was defeated with Heungkuk Life Insurance, who suffered the 7th loss (20 wins) of the season, failed to add points and stayed at 60 points. The previous day (10th), Hyundai E&C, who ranked first in the league, lost to the lowest ranked Pepper Savings Bank after a full set, adding 1 point and marking 61 points. If Heungkuk Life Insurance had beaten IBK, it could have taken the lead by at least one point. In front of a crowd of 5,800 people, he missed the chance to rise to first place alone for the first time in the season.
On this day, Heungkuk Life’s performance was generally messy. The connection between Yelena, Kim Yeon-kyung and the side strikers was not smooth. Neither the setter’s game management nor defensive concentration was like the second-ranked team in the league. Setter Lee Won-jung, who played a full set as a starter in the previous two games (KGC Ginseng Corporation and Hyundai E&C), was replaced in the second half of both the first and second sets, and the third set started from the bench. As the Field Marshal was not centered, flanking attacks were also blunted.
Kim Yeon-kyung only scored 18 points and had an attack success rate of 40% that day. The total score for the 1st and 2nd sets was only 5 points. He displayed his unique solver instinct and led a counterattack in the 3rd set (26-24), but the 4th set, which had already been disorganized, had only a 33.33% attack success rate.
Director Kim Ho-cheol of Industrial Bank of Korea said, “I did not fix the left (outside hitter) striker, but continued to use it while moving. It was also effective to create a blocker combination suitable for the opponent’s striker.” On this day, Heungkuk Life Insurance allowed IBK to block 15 blocks. Heungkuk Life Insurance won IBK in all of the previous rounds 1 to 4, but this day was helpless.
Kim Yeon-kyung continued to lead the team. Even though the frustrating play continued, he encouraged his juniors throughout. During the operation time, when both sets (1 and 2) were in danger of being given out, some players, including setter Lee Won-jung, were stroked on the head or patted on the shoulder. Even in the middle of the 3rd set, when he allowed a point after a long rally in which the right to attack came and went five times, he raised his thumbs toward his teammates who were disappointed. He defended with his body as always, attempting to dig with his feet. However, the performance was too messy to aim for a turnaround with mental management.
Kim Yeon-kyung recorded a 39.84% attack success rate in the IBK match (3 games) before this game. This is significantly lower than his season record (45.76%). On this day, his attack success rate rose a little to 40%, but he looked heavier than in the last two games. 스포츠토토
Heungkuk Life Insurance needs to reexamine how to deal with Yelena and Kim Yeon-kyung when they do not have a smooth attack opportunity or when their condition is not good. Kim Yeon-kyung’s performance cannot always be the best. He cannot entrust everything to the player who is in charge of managing the mentality of his juniors during the game.
