Only three shutout matches in 12 games, low-ranking teams stand out,
nothing is set from first to last place. The competition for the V-League men’s division is fiercer than ever.
As of the 14th, Korean Air (19-8, 56 points) is still in the lead, and second place Hyundai Capital (17-10, 52 points) is closely pursuing. Korean Air, which maintained a solo system throughout the season, recently fell into a quagmire of four consecutive losses, putting a brake on its upward trend.
Three teams jumped into the competition for third place. The gap between 3rd place Woori Card (14 wins, 14 losses, 41 points), 4th place KEPCO (13 wins, 15 losses, 41 points), and 5th place OK Financial Group (13 wins, 15 losses, 39 points) is not that big, and 6th place KB losses Insurance (11 wins, 16 losses, 32 points) and the lowest place Samsung Fire & Marine Insurance (9 wins, 18 losses, 27 points) are also unusual.
After the All-Star break, the fever heats up starting from the 5th round All-Star break, which is fluctuating . From the match between Woori Card and KB Insurance on January 31st to the match between KEPCO and Woori Card on February 12th, there are only three games in which one team has won a 3-0 shutout victory by a set score. In other words, there are very few games that have ended unilaterally.
The full set (3-2) close match reached 5 games. In particular, Korean Air-Samsung Fire & Marine Insurance on the 7th (2-3), OK Financial Group-Woori Card on the 8th (3-2), and KB Insurance-Korea Electric Power (3-2) on the 9th for three consecutive days. A scene of lengthening was produced. Excluding Hyundai Capital last week, they have experienced five sets at least once.
Another thing that stands out is the contrasting atmosphere between the top and bottom teams. Not only the leading Korean Air, but also Woori Card, which seemed likely to enter the spring volleyball stability zone, recently faced a crisis with 5 consecutive losses. Let alone pursuing the second place, even the third place Mercury is in a precarious situation.
On the other hand, KEPCO, which stayed in the lower ranks, boosted its momentum by beating Woori Card on the 12th, following consecutive defeats of Korean Air and Hyundai Capital in the 5th round. KEPCO, which ended its losing streak in the 4th round of the Woori Card match, was reborn as a completely different team from before the losing streak.
KB Insurance (Andres Viyena) and Samsung Fire & Marine Insurance (Ahmed Iqbairi), which are gaining strength thanks to the performance of foreign players, are no longer easy teams. The two teams won all 3 games in the 5th round, holding back the ranking teams. In the case of KB Insurance, the gap with the 3rd place Woori Card is not large, so you can continue your hopes for spring volleyball.
Each game is a game on thin ice… You have to go to the end to know.
The difference in power between the teams has greatly decreased, so the leaderboard does not have to be of great importance for the rest of the season. Rather, at this point, it feels more difficult to meet lower-tier teams. This is why no team can let go of the tension in every game. 스포츠토토
In particular, as the season neared its end, big and small variables such as injuries to key players and condition management came to mind. Leading Korean Air had to be pursued fiercely by Hyundai Capital while Kwak Seung-seok and Lincoln Williams suffered from calf injuries and enteritis, respectively. In addition, OK Financial Group, which is struggling alone with Leonardo Leyva Martinez, is not meeting the expectations of domestic players.
According to the league rules, if the difference between 3rd and 4th places is less than 3 points, a semi-playoff will be held. It is a ‘single game’ in which the team that advances to the playoffs is determined by a single game. Unless the gap widens further, if the current trend continues, it is likely to play spring volleyball from 4th place. It is also a part that can act as a ‘box-office factor’ in the V-League, which is nearing its end.
The men’s division, which has a 5-round schedule until the 23rd, will start the 6th round the next day (24th). With about a month left until the final match of the regular season (Samsung Fire & Marine Insurance-Korean Air Match on March 19), attention is focused on which team will survive the competition.