Throughout February, the V-League was hot with rumors of the retirement of ‘Volleyball Empress’ Kim Yeon-kyung (35, Heungkuk Life Insurance). After leading the team’s victory against Pepper Savings Bank, which participated on the 15th, he said, “It is true that I am worried, and it would be better to step down when I am in the highest position.”
Kim Yeon-kyung also left room for the extension of his career as a player. He added that he was organizing his thoughts and needed to talk with clubs and associations. At the same time, regarding his retirement, he said, “I will reveal it before the end of this season.”
Since then, Heungkuk Life Insurance’s game has focused more attention on whether or not Kim Yeon-kyung will announce his retirement than winning or losing. Volleyball fans who opposed his retirement also poured out.
It seems that this situation was burdensome for Kim Yeon-kyung, the person involved in the issue. After the Korea Expressway Corporation (Expressway Corporation) match on the 23rd, when a related question came up, he said firmly, “There are too many words about my retirement. I hope you don’t talk about that anymore.”
The road construction match was the V-League debut match for new Heungkuk Life coach Marcello Abondanza, whose appointment was announced on the 19th. In a game where attention should have been focused on the operational strategy or vision of the new command tower, his decision to retire drew more attention, and as a chaotic atmosphere continued on and off the court, he drew a line with the message “I will not comment for the time being.” 메이저사이트
Even if you have already decided to retire, Heungkuk Life Insurance will play the remaining regular league and postseason games. Kim Yeon-kyung is concentrating on the ranking competition in front of her eyes. He said, “First of all, it is important to finish this season well. A new coach (Abon Danza) has arrived, and he talks a lot about the team. I really want to win.”
As of the 27th, Heungkuk Life Insurance marked 70 points (23 wins, 8 losses) and is maintaining first place, 6 ahead of second place Hyundai Engineering & Construction (22 wins, 9 losses). However, in the first match of the 6th round against GS Caltex on the 26th, it was defeated by a set score of 2-3. GS Caltex was an opponent who struggled with two losses (three wins) in the preceding five games this season.
The 6th game of the season was directed by coach Abondanza, who was recognized for his leadership on the European stage, but the performance did not improve significantly. A new manager cannot change a team in a matter of days.
On the other hand, Hyundai E&C ended its 5-game losing streak by winning the match against IBK Industrial Bank on the 25th after a full set. League No. 1 middle blocker Yang Hyo-jin recorded 8 blocks and showed a performance that matched that of the team’s main players. Hyundai Engineering & Construction is a team that has won 15 consecutive wins this season. The team struggled throughout the 5th round due to injuries to key players, but it is a team with potential.
Finally, Heungkuk Life Insurance and Hyundai E&C meet in the final match of the regular league (March 19). Before that, if the difference in points between the two teams is narrowed to 1-2, the winning team may change depending on the result of the last game. Korea Expressway Corporation, KGC Ginseng Corporation, and IBK Industrial Bank, which are competing for third place, also go all-out in the 6th round. A difficult match is inevitable in every game. Heungkuk Life’s No. 1 Mercury begins in earnest from now on.
‘Championship Contractor’ Kim Yeon-kyung is well aware of this situation. He believes that providing good performance and victory is more important than the time or method of announcing his future or retirement.
He said, “We have to win as many games as possible before confirming the championship. Unfortunately, we will face Hyundai E&C in the final game of the season. It would be nice if we confirmed (the championship) before that. We will do well with our colleagues.”