Hyundai Rallies to Defeat Samsung

Playing for the Samsung Fire Insurance Blue Fangs, Yeo Oh-hyun is the best libero (specialist defensive position in volleyball) in the country, despite his short height (175cm). Samsung coach Shin Chi-yong says, “I wouldn’t exchange Yeo for Leandro, who is second to none in attacking.” As of February 10, he is recording a receive-success rate of 73.4 percent, leading this category.

As the game was coming to an end, he had to shake his head in despair.

On February 11, the two archrivals in Korean volleyball, the Hyundai Capital Skywalkers and the Blue Fangs, met at Yu Gwan-sun Gymnasium in Cheonan City. While defending, libero Yeo kept making bitter smiles. The attacker on the opposite side of the court who disgraced Yeo was Hyundai’s rookie right hitter Park Chul-woo.

In the early phase of the game, Samsung won the first two sets and there were few who doubted that the game would end up Samsung’s, just the way they did in the two previous encounters this season.

Ahead of the third set, Skywalkers coach Kim Ho-chul decided to let Park play, substituting Hu In-jung for him, as he thought that a loss was a given and it would be better to use the rest of the match to test his young players. The setter was also changed from Kwon Yeong-min to Song Byeong-il.

Then an unexpected reversal suddenly began to take place. With their young spirit, Park (22) and Song (24) had no fear. Song made bold tosses and Park spiked them down on the opposite court with full swings.

When they were leading the third set 10-8, Park reaped two aces in a row. It happened again in the same set when the Skywalkers were leading 22-16. In an upbeat mood, Hyundai won the third and fourth set and brought the match to its final stage.

Thanks to the vigorous performance of Sean Rooney who scored five points in the fifth set alone, the Skywalkers defeated the Blue Fangs 15-11, concluding the match in a come-from-behind 3-2 victory (22-25, 23-25, 25-16, 25-21, 15-11). To see the game, 8,925 spectators were in attendance at Yu Gwan-sun Gymnasium, which is capable of only handling 6,700 official spectators, setting a record for the season.

uni@donga.com