‘Volleyball Empress’ Kim Yeon-kyung (35, Heungkuk Life Insurance) finally did it. He overcame the club’s internal troubles, such as the hardship of the manager and general manager, and succeeded in putting the team in first place.
Heungkuk Life Insurance won a set score of 3 to 0 (25-17, 25-18, 25-19) in a home game against Pepper Savings Bank in the 5th round of the Dodram V-League Women’s Division in the 2022-2023 season held at Samsan World Gymnasium in Incheon on the 15th. By accumulating 63 points, they overtook Hyundai E&C (61 points) and took the lead.
Kim Yeon-kyung played a perfect role and led the team to leap forward. He was responsible for 19 points, the most in the team, and the attack success rate reached a whopping 63.33%. It looked so close to perfection that there was only one room.
Kim Yeon-kyung, who returned to the V-League after two years after living abroad, is leading the challenge for Heungkuk Life Insurance to win. Kim Yeon-kyung ranked 5th in scoring this season (530 points), 3rd in open offense (41.56%), 4th in quick open (45.55%), and 1st in time difference (61.15%), ranking first in various offensive categories and ranking first overall in attack ( 46.02%) are running.
It is only 106 days since November 1, 2022, at the beginning of this season, that Heungkuk Life Insurance reclaimed first place in the regular season. After the 2018-2019 season, we are one step closer to winning the regular season for the first time in four years.
It is the same that Kim Yeon-kyung is thirsty for victory. Before challenging the overseas stage, he is looking forward to winning the regular season for the first time in 15 years since the 2007-2008 season when he played for Heungkuk Life Insurance. If you lift the championship match trophy here, it has been 14 years since the 2008-2009 season.
Such Kim Yeon-kyung revealed that she was contemplating retirement after the Pepper Savings Bank match that day. Nothing has been decided yet, but it seems that he will convey a clear intention during the season.
The saying ‘Leave when you clap’ is used regardless of field. In sports, when the prerequisite is to win, the impression is multiplied. It is an expression that fits well with the current situation Kim Yeon-kyung is in. 메이저사이트
Heungkuk Life Insurance suffered a severe internal disaster last month. Former coach Kwon Soon-chan, who led the team’s upward trend, was suddenly fired after eight months in office. In the process, controversy over the club’s involvement in the selection of players came to the surface and received strong criticism from fans.
In addition, he was criticized for not being smooth until the appointment of the next command tower. Head coach Lee Young-soo, who took over as acting head coach after Kwon’s departure, expressed his gratitude after only one game, and Seonsun Girls’ High School head coach Kim Ki-joong, who was nominated as the new head coach, also declined the coaching job feeling the burden of the cluttered atmosphere. In the end, he is playing the rest of the season under the acting manager system of coach Kim Dae-kyung.
However, Heungkuk Life Insurance overcame difficulties and rose to the top. At the center was Kim Yeon-kyung.
As a senior player, Kim Yeon-kyung took the lead in resolving the situation and raised his voice. He defended the team and coaching staff by opposing the club’s false explanation about the involvement of players from the top.
Even on the court, he demonstrated leadership that brought the team together. Heungkuk Life Insurance jumped to first place with a good record of 7 wins and 3 losses in 10 games, led by Kim Yeon-kyung, even after the internal conflict occurred.
Kim Yeon-kyung will become a free agent (FA) after this season. As a result, various speculations have been made about Kim Yeon-kyung’s future, and the possibility of his retirement is also being discussed.
His next move is still unknown. If he were to retire, the best-case scenario would be that he lifts his last championship trophy and walks off the court. However, Kim Yeon-kyung has already established a reputation as a world-class player and left a deep resonance in the volleyball world even after his return to the Korean stage. Whatever the conclusion, it is enough to become a legend.