Hyundai Capital Wants to Beat Samsung Fire This Time

Hyundai Capital beat Korean Air and will contend with Samsung Fire for the championship of the 2004 KT&G Volleyball tour.

Hyundai Capital defeated Korean Air 3-0, thanks to the graduating high school rookie Park Cheol-woo’s timely attack points (11 points) during the second game of the men’s playoff, held at Busan Sajik Gymnasium on March 21.

With the victory, Hyundai Capital has won two in a row and will compete for the championship (3 wins out of 5 games) with Samsung Fire, who beat LG Fire with 2 consecutive wins.

Since the coach of Hyundai Capital, Kim Ho-cheol, had a tough game, allowing the first two sets in the previous day, he put Park Cheol-woo in as a winning-shot instead of Hu In-jeong in the right attacker position. Coach Kim believed that more powerful Park would be suitable since Korean Air has low but accurate blocking and a stable defense.

Kim’s choice was right. From the beginning, Park’s precise spikes made quick center attacks and left attacks more effective. As a result, Center Bang Shin-bong earned 10 points including 5 blockings and Left Baek Seung-heon won 14 points

Hyundai Capital increased the lead to 15-11 due to Bang’s blocking and quick attacks and the blocking of a setter, Kwon Young-min, against Jang Kwang-kyun’s spike, finishing the set 25-18 as Park Cheol-woo succeeded in three straight spikes.

During a second set, a tight one-point rally continued because of the drive of Korean Air’s Yoon Kwan-yeol (21 points, 8 points in second set). But gaining-confidence, Hyundai Capital made a 24-24 deuce with a clever attack by Baek Seung-heon and points by Song In-seok and Lee Seon-kyu, concluding with a 26-24 score through Lee Seon-kyu’s quick attacks and Bang’s blocking.

Hyundai Capital topped Korean Air 25-18 in the 3rd set and seized the ticket for champion.

Coach Kim mentioned, “My first goal was to just enter the big four and I am overwhelmed to go to the final,” adding, “I want to beat Samsung Fire at least once.”

▽ Results on March 21

△ Men’s playoff

Hyundai Capital 3-0 Korean Air

(2 wins) (2 losses)

▽ Results on March 20

△ Men’s playoff

Samsung Fire 3-0 LG Fire

(2 wins) (2 losses)

Hyundai Capital 3-2 Korean Air

(1 win) (1 loss)

Sang-Ho Kim hyangsan@donga.com