won the Korean Air championship on the 3rd The 2022-2023 season V-League men’s championship match, which ended with a celebration, was no different from a ‘preview’ for the new season. Korean Air’s high flight, which has completed three consecutive seasons of combined championships with solid power, is highly likely to continue in the 2023-2024 season. Korean Air has built a solid team that is less shaken based on the harmony of national team players, including setter Han and outside hitters Jung Ji-seok and Kwak Seung-seok. Since the 2016-2017 season, three command towers (Park Ki-won-Roberto Santili-Tommy Tillikainen) have led the team, but in the meantime, all but one season (2019-2020 season) have won trophies (regular league 1st place 5 times, championship finals) 4 wins) were added.
Player Han, who won MVP for the second time only in the championship match with his skills that did not rust even at the age of 38, said strongly, “I have a goal that has not been completed yet.” He said, “What I set as a goal from the beginning was to win a combined championship for four consecutive seasons,” he said. The greed is even greater in that it is a record that no one has yet achieved. Prior to Korean Air, Samsung Fire & Marine Insurance, which was the first in the men’s division to win three consecutive championships from the 2011-2012 season to the 2013-2014 season, also achieved first place in the regular league in the 2014-2015 season, but lost to OK Savings Bank in the championship match.
There are variables. Im Dong-hyeok, who is a national team opponent but has few opportunities to play because of Lincoln Williams, the main middle blocker Cho Jae-young, and veteran backup setter Yoo Kwang-woo, are qualified as free agents (FA). Lincoln’s contract renewal has no choice but to struggle. So the offseason is more important.
In the championship match, a strong ‘challenger’ was also confirmed. Hyundai Capital, where young players such as Heo Soo-bong, Hong Dong-seon, Lee Hyun-seung, Park Gyeong-min, and Kim Myung-gwan grew rapidly, was not an easy opponent to watch. Lee Si-woo and Kim Seon-ho, who received opportunities in ‘Spring Volleyball’ as the main gun Jeon Kwang-in was injured, also exceeded expectations. Jeong Ji-seok of Korean Air, who met Hyundai Capital in the championship match for three consecutive seasons from the 2016-2017 season and experienced two defeats, warned, “I think I will be stronger next season.” 스포츠토토
Although it reached the championship match after 4 seasons, Hyundai Capital, which experienced Korean Air’s high wall, showed its will to ‘return to the throne’. Immediately after the defeat, the club’s leadership unusually appeared at the press conference. At this meeting, owner Mok Jin-won declared, “We will definitely win next season.”
Hyundai Capital, the prestigious V-League, is the most popular team recognized by others. With Cheonan, the ‘Volleyball City’ where volleyball fever is hot, he won 1st place in the regular league 5 times and won 4 championship matches. However, in the process of extensive rebuilding in the previous two seasons, their performance plummeted to the bottom of the league. At the same time, it became a team that even fans turned away from. Ahead of the 2021-2022 season, the team’s operating subject was moved from Hyundai Card to Hyundai Motor Company, and investment in the volleyball team was greatly reduced.
Lee Kyo-chang, general manager, gave full support, saying, “Looking at this championship match, I think I have laid the foundation for good results next season. I will prepare well for next season and give pleasure to Hyundai Capital fans.” promised First of all, the breakup with Oreol Camejo, a foreigner who exposed weaknesses in physical strength due to his age despite his high level of performance, was confirmed. Director Choi Tae-woong said, “The generational change at Hyundai Capital is now starting in earnest.”