GS Caltex defeated Korea Expressway Corporation by a score of 3 to 2 (25-19, 23-25, 22-25, 25-19, 15-13) at the opening match of the women’s team at the 2024 Tongyeong-Dodram Cup Volleyball Championship held at Tongyeong Gymnasium on Sunday. Lee Young-taek, the head coach of GS Caltex, won his first match.
It was a cup competition held amid the evaluation that the team’s power was leveled up due to the movement of FA big fish such as Kang So-hwi, Lee So-young and Lee Ju-ah, and the Asian quarter, and interest was high because it was a good opportunity to see a proper record ahead of the regular league.
Korea Expressway Corporation, which recruited FA Kang So-hwi, formed a triangular formation of Uni and foreign player Nikolo Baro in the Asian quarter to strengthen its offense and quickly emerged as a favorite. GS Caltex, where Kang So-hwi left, renewed its contract with foreign player Silva under the direction of new coach Lee Young-taek, and brought in a tall outside heater Wyler (Australia) of 1m95 to reinforce its height in the Asian quarter. Kwon Min-ji was appointed as the new domestic main gun, announcing a new start. Coincidentally, as Kang met with GS Caltex, his former transfer, it became an even more interesting game with a “Kang So-hwi match.”
The biggest reason GS Caltex won, which was considered inferior, was blocking. It had well-equipped blocking walls from the first set, and had 18 blocks to catch the Korea Expressway Corporation’s attack, showing a big difference from the Korea Expressway Corporation with only seven. Wyler made six blocks, Kwon Min-ji made four, and Silva and Oh Se-yeon made three blocks, raising expectations for this season.
In the first set, which was a tight race, GS Caltex won by blocking. Trailing 15-17, GS Caltex tied the score at 17-17 with Silva’s back attack and blocking, and Kwon Min-ji blocked Nicolova’s back attack, succeeded in a quick open attack, and immediately turned the game around 20-17, blocking Kim Hyun-jung’s moving attack again. Nicolova and Kang So-hwi made mistakes, reaching 24-19 before GS Caltex took the first set with 25-19 due to Silva’s spike.
In the beginning of the second set, KGC’s pace: Nikolova’s powerful serve shook the opponent’s receiving line, and Bae Yuna’s fastball worked to lead the game to 10-4. However, GS Caltex made rapid maintenance and chased after Silva and Weiler, and Silva’s spike tied the game at 16-16, bringing the game to square one. In a tight race that followed, the team won by blocking. Leading 24-23 with Nikolova’s spike, KGC secured its victory by blocking Bae Yuna’s spike.
After overcoming the crisis of reversal in the second set, Korea Expressway Corporation succeeded in turning the tables by winning the third set. In an early close game, Nikolova blocked Wyler’s spike and then Wyler made an attack mistake, leading 13-10, and Korea Expressway Corporation did not miss the lead afterwards, and Kang So-hwi’s spike made it 25-22.
However, GS Caltex did not give up. With Silva at the forefront, they won the fourth set 25-19, and as soon as they started the fifth set, they scored five points to keep the momentum going. Wilder blocked Nicolova’s spike to score one point, and after Silva’s consecutive attacks, Wilder blocked Nicolova once again. Then even Oh Se-yeon blocked Kang So-hwi’s attack, instantly reaching 5-0. Then, as Wilder blocked Nicolova again, GS Caltex’s atmosphere soared into the sky.
However, Korea Expressway Corporation followed suit. At 1-7, they chased Nicolova with her spike, opponent team’s Bum-sil, and Lee Ye-eun’s serve ace, before Jeon Sae-an blocked it to make it 7-7. However, GS Caltex had a big shot Silva. Silva made it 8-7 with a powerful spike, then immediately added a serve ace, and made it 10-7 by himself, making it a back attack. And as Wyler blocked Nicolova to make it 11-7, it seemed as if she was actually going to win. However, KGC also tied the game 11-11 again with Nikolova’s powerful serve, and Bae Yuna blocked Wyler to come from behind to win 12-1. However, Silva’s third consecutive back attack resulted in a 14-12 reversal. At 13-14, Jeon Sae-an’s serve was out, and GS Caltex laughed. 토토사이트 모음
GS Caltex scored 39 points with Silva achieving a triple crown, Wyler scored 23 points and Kwon Min-ji scored 17 points, showing good performance in the triangular formation. The Korea Expressway Corporation scored 31 points as Nicolova achieved a triple crown in her debut match in Korea, while Kang So-hwi added 16 points and Uni added 11 points.