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Will Ko Hee-jin's dream come true. Jeong Kwan-jang also reached the final of the Tongyeong Dram Cup, which marks the beginning of the new season. It is the third time in the team's history and the first attempt to win a cup in six years since 2018.
Jeong Kwan-jang advanced to the final by winning the set score 3-2 (23-25, 25-20, 23-25, 25-17, 15-) at the Tongyeong Dodram Cup semifinal GS Caltex held at Tongyeong Gymnasium in Gyeongnam on the 5th.
In the case of Jeong Kwan-jang, it is a season with coach Ko Hee-jin's aim. He advanced to the playoffs last season, his second year in office, and gave spring to Daejeon for the first time in seven years since the 2016-2017 season.
Lee So-young was sent off this year, but he added Pyo Seung-joo as a compensation player and Lee Ye-dam as a trade. With the Asian quarter mega in good shape, he selected Bukirich, who played for the Korea Expressway Corporation last season as a foreign player, and made an unconventional choice to take charge of the outside heater.
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As Bukirich moved his position, the attack was further ignited. Last year, the Korea Expressway Corporation made its first professional debut, and it is a possible choice because it is Bukirich who has been living in Korea for 2 years only. The senses are good, but the severe ups and downs in the offense and defense are a concern.
GS Caltex underwent the biggest change in the offseason. The squad changed significantly as Jung Dae-young and Han Soo-ji retired and Kang So-hwi and Handa Hye and Choi Eun-ji moved to FA at once.
Still, Apogit is the best striker in the league, Silva. On top of that, Wyler was selected in the Asian quarter to establish a tall double gun system. Choi Ga-eun, who was brought in as a reward player, and Oh Se-yeon, Kim Ji-won, and Han Soo-jin, who have been raised dearly, formed the main lineup. We need a stable reception from Wyler.
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Both teams focused on targeting the opponent's foreign serve outside heater. However, while Jeong Kwan-jang believed in Bukrich and led him, GS Caltex made the choice to make up for his weakness by actively utilizing Kim Joo-hyang when Wyler was shaken. It was a choice that could be made because there was a clear main gun, Silva.
GS Caltex won the first set after a fierce battle. At the beginning of the game, GS Caltex's Kim Ji-won and Jeong Kwan-jang's Yeom Hye-sun both setters actively used the center, including fastball and time difference. Jeong Kwan-jang led 12-9, 17-11, 22-19, showing off a high blocking wall.
However, Silva's fierce width and Bukirich's ups and downs coincided and suffered an upset loss. Wyler's push, Bukirich's error and Silva's serve ace tied the score 23-23, giving up the first set with Wyler's finish following Bukirich's error.
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The second set is Jeong Kwan-jang's counterattack. Wyler's concentrated attack worked. As Wyler's receiving continued to falter, GS Caltex tried to change the flow by replacing Kim Joo-hyang from the middle of the set, but failed to reverse the game. In addition to the main gun mega, Jeong Kwan-jang showed outstanding performance of Pyo Seung-joo at every crisis.
Jeong Kwan-jang was always dominant in the third set, but allowed a turnaround. By the middle of the set, Mega and Bukirich had been outscored 14-10, 21-15.
However, while consecutive mistakes were poured out, GSD Caltex Oh Se-yeon allowed a 21-23 reversal by blocking and speeding up the ball, and lost as it was.
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The articles of association did not collapse as it was. The persistent team color, which was strengthened by coach Ko Hee-jin's hard training, created a reversal drama.
Mega, which had been somewhat sluggish in this tournament from the fourth set, began to explode in earnest. In particular, the choice to increase the utilization of Pyo Seung-joo by replacing Lee Sun-woo instead of Bukrich, who often made mistakes, was effective. Jung Ho-young, Mega, and Lee Sun-woo's high blocking wall also showed their power. Jeong Kwan-jang, who had time, won the set with Lee Sun-woo's serve ace following Park Eun-jin's mobile attack.
Jeong Kwan-jang, who gained momentum, won even five sets to confirm his advance to the finals. Bukirich, who returned, took the lead in the beginning, and Ahn Ye-rim's serve ace and GS Caltex's position faults and mistakes continued in the middle of the set with a 7-5 lead, solidifying the victory by leading 10-5.
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It was a game where I couldn't let my guard down until the end. Jeong Kwan-jang was once chased to 12-9, but after his opponent's decisive mistakes, Bukirich and Jung Ho-young blocked Silva perfectly and reliably managed the game.
Chung will face the winner of Hyundai Engineering & Construction Co. and IBK Industrial Bank of Korea in the final. It is the first time in six years that he has won a cup championship since 2018. Prior to this tournament, Jeong Kwan-jang won all of the full set matches with Heungkuk Life Insurance and Industrial Bank of Korea.
lunarfly@sportschosun.com
