*This content was translated by AI.
"Ace" Jung Ji-seok (31) put Korean Air back in the lead. It was all the more meaningful because it was a revenge battle for KEPCO, which gave him a loss in his return match.
Korean Air won the set score 3-1 (25-18 25-20 20-25 25-14) in the men's fifth round of the "Jin Air 2025-2026 V-League" against KEPCO at Incheon Gyeyang Gymnasium on the 7th.
Korean Air, which has won three consecutive games, dropped Hyundai Capital (51 points) to second place with 53 points (18 wins and 8 losses) and rose to the lead.
Jung Ji-seok perfectly led Korean Air's attack. He scored 23 points, the most in the team, including four blocks and two serve aces. The attack success rate also reached 65.4 percent.
At the press conference after the game, Jung Ji-seok felt both relief and confidence. He said, "As soon as I returned, I was completely defeated 0-3, so I felt heavy. I didn't want the team to suddenly change just because I came back, but I was disappointed in myself for not performing anything," he said, adding, "I really sharpened my teeth and prepared during the All-Star break. Today's game is more meaningful than any other game," he said.
Jung Ji-seok was very active in both offense and defense. In particular, KEPCO's blocking ability to block the opponent's attack was outstanding at the point of pursuit. Jung Ji-seok said, "In the fourth round, I allowed a lot of attacks because I was ahead of my motivation and my body was not following me, but today it was different," adding, "I thoroughly analyzed to prevent the opponent's foreign striker." "As I thought, the game was released and I succeeded in blocking, so I gained confidence, and this also helped block other routes such as center and pipe attacks," he explained.
Korean Air coach Henan Dal Joto praised Jung Ji-seok as "the most complete player of my coach's career." Jeong Ji-seok, who heard this, lowered himself, saying, "It's too much praise." "It's good to hear the compliment, but on the other hand, I just think I should play harder to repay that belief," he said, expressing responsibility.
In the midst of fierce competition for the lead, Jung Ji-seok acted as a "link" to take the center stage of the team. "Whether Russell, who has the best offense in our team, works out or not, I have to support him from behind to energize the whole team," he stressed. He also expressed his willingness to ease the burden on veterans, including Han, who led the team during the injury.
Korean Air was sluggish with one win and five losses in the fourth round. However, Jung Ji-seok saw this as an opportunity for growth. "I think it's a process where the ground hardens after the rain," he said. The winning streak was cut off and the hard time became a medicine, he said. "Just as I grew up looking at my brothers' backs, I want to instill winning DNA in young players now. If they grow, the team synergy will be tremendous," he predicted.
Finally, he told his fans, "I will never lose again as helplessly as I did in the fourth round," adding, "I will show you the 'jumbos' volleyball that fans knew."
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*This content was translated by AI.
