Sangmu (The Korean Armed Forces Athletics Corps) Recaptures Top Position in Nine Years

Sangmu recaptured the top position of the Corporate Volleyball League for the first time in nine years.

The finals of the 2003 Kumho Life Insurance Cup: Grand Korean Corporate Volleyball Tournament was held on October 28 at the Eastern Sea Gymnasium. Sangmu surprised everybody as they finished the game with a 3-0 victory over LG Life Insurance despite the fact that LG’s morale was high after their win over Samsung Life Insurance the night before.

This victory set a new record for Sangmu, for it was their first time in nine years (since 1994) to reach the pinnacle of the Corporate Volleyball League. This is the second consecutive win Sangmu has had over LG Life Insurance this year: once in the preliminary rounds (3-0) and again in the finals (3-0).

Sangmu, also known as the “Corporate Union Corps,” was able to beat LG thanks to their skillful setter, Lee Dong-yub, a former LG player. Lee’s fast and alternating tosses were critical to the team’s success. As a former LG player who joined Sangmu only last year, Lee knew that even though LG’s players were tall and good blockers, they were slow. Lee used this knowledge to mix up short and long volleys before the blockers got into position in order to shatter the defense.

Thanks to Lee’s alternating and freely moving passes, Sangmu attacked with full power. Right hitter Park Suk-yoon (25 kills), and center Shin Kyung-soo (12 kills) teamed up to lead a strike parade onto LG’s side of the court.

The first set had already decided the outcome. Sangmu used Park’s offensive moves and Shin’s blocks to take the lead, 6-2, in the early stages of the first set. LG tried to stop Sangmu’s leading position by attempting to counterattack with the revival of Lee Kyung-soo and Kim Sung-chae’s offensive moves. However, Lee Kyung-soo’s performance did not last long and impeded LG from playing their best. Lee Kyung-soo had a demanding night the day before against Samsung; his physical condition was not at its peak. Lee was unable to attack forcefully enough to play his role as the finishing spiker. Lee’s spike went out of bounds as the scoreboard read 26-25, and when the score was tied 28-28, Lee’s spike was blocked by Sangmu’s Park. Lee Kyung-soo, who scored a total of 17 points, had 27 offensive tries out of which six went out of bounds and seven were blocked.

Shin’s swift attacks and Chung Seung-yong’s powerful spikes contributed to Sangmu’s 33-31 win in the first set. Sangmu took the second set, 25-18, and the third, 25-20. Shin Kyung-soo received the MVP Award.

Sang-Ho Kim hyangsan@donga.com