‘Volleyball prodigy’ Bae Yuna’s Gimcheon heat like a solo concert, Roadworks defeats Heungkuk Life to escape 6th straight defeat
A full house of 4,375 people attended the third round match between Korea Expressway Corporation and Heungkuk Life at Gimcheon Indoor Gymnasium on Sunday.
It was a cold day, but the heat from the crowd heated up the court. It was reminiscent of the third and fourth games of last season’s championship finals.
The season opener between the two teams on October 14 drew 3,491 fans to the gym. It wasn’t a full house, as 온라인카지노 Heungkuk Sinsaeng smiled with a 3-0 sweep.
The two teams met in the second round on November 25 at Samsan World Gymnasium in Incheon, where Heungkuk Sinsang also won 3-0. The game was attended by 4,552 fans.
The third round match was a different story. Korea Expressway Corporation came out of the tunnel after six straight losses with a 3-2 victory in a close final set.
Heungkuk Life was desperate for three points against the lower-ranked team as they were in a tight race for first place with Hyundai E&C, but they only managed one point. They failed to regain the lead. The goal of winning the overall title this season is becoming increasingly blurred.
Bae Yuna was the star of the victory. With her 25-point performance, she broke her own record for most points in a single game in the professional stage.
Especially on this day, foreign player Vukiric had a slight shoulder pain, so Bae Yoo-na stepped up to the plate at crucial moments.
A technician, Bae had a clear view of the top, bottom, and left side of the opponent’s court from the center and hit the ball to the target of her choice in the moment, sometimes soothingly, sometimes hard.
Her performance in the 20-point clutch was tongue-in-cheek. Heungkuk Life relentlessly stepped up their blocking in front of Bae Yoo-na and made changes to their defense, but every time they did, she won the battle.
This was the driving force behind Roadworks’ victory. Bae finished with 25 points, including 20 attacks (21.8% share, 50% success rate), four blocks, and one serve. She also had eight effective blocks.
For Roadworks, Vukiric contributed 21 points and Tanacha 17, while Moon Jung-won and Lee Myeong-ok contributed to the team’s victory with stable reception and defense.
Heungkuk Life, on the other hand, was low on stamina after a hard-fought final set against IBK on Thursday. Kim Yeon-kyung lifted the team’s spirits with a strong performance in the middle and late stages of the match, despite an attacking success rate in the low teens. However, Yelena was nowhere to be seen at crucial moments, and her tosses, connections, and receptions were shaky.
The match ended with a victory for Korea Expressway Corporation in front of a full house. Among the players, Bae Yuna shone the brightest.
On December 17, 2023, the Gimcheon Indoor Gymnasium was like a solo concert for Bae Yoo-na, who proved why she is an irreplaceable player and a volleyball genius.