*This content was translated by AI.
Hyundai Capital, the men's professional volleyball 'defending champion', will head to the championship match (champ match). Amid the rise that dramatically quelled Woori Card's gust, they will face Korean Air in the championship match for the second consecutive season.
Hyundai Capital beat Woori Card 3-2 (22-25, 22-25, 25-18, 41-39, 15-12) in the men's playoff of Jin Air 2025-2026 professional volleyball V-League at Jangchung Gymnasium in Seoul on the 29th. Like the first game, he made another great reversal drama in which he lost the first and second sets first, but won three sets down. It was a ticket to the championship that took two hours and 48 minutes.
Both the 1st and 2nd games of the PO were close to each other in a full set, so it is a great burden of physical strength, but it is a relief to buy time to catch your breath without going to the 3rd game. Hyundai Capital coach Blanc also said after confirming his advance to the Champions League, "We need to rest physically unconditionally because we went to five sets for two consecutive games," but added, "This victory will lead to strong confidence that we will not lose to the players."
Physical fitness recovery is also a variable, but it can be an advantage in terms of the sense of play. Korean Air went straight to the championship as the No. 1 regular league player, and there has been no real game since the 19th. Heo Soo-bong (Hyundai Capital) said, "I have time to rest as I finished the PO in the second game. You can't ignore the sense of play. "The first game is the most important," he said. Director Blanc is also paying attention to Leo's rise, which showed a "hexagon" such as blocking and dig.
There is a separate maximum variable. Jose Maso (registered name: Maso), a former Cuban national team player, is the new foreign player of the opposing team. When Russell's performance fell at the end of the season, Korean Air replaced him with Maso in preparation for the championship. Some critics have criticized Korean Air's decision to replace foreign players ahead of the postseason for the third consecutive year.
Although he was first registered as an apogee spiker with No. 99, Maso is a highly utilized player who won the German League's best middle blocker award in the 2024-2025 season. Korean Air is also said to have focused on finding ways to maximize Maso's skills while preparing for the championship. Maso's V-League debut was in the first round of the championship match against Hyundai Capital. As such, Hyundai Capital has no choice but to worry about how to respond.
Coach Blanc said, "It remains to be seen whether Korean Air's blocking will be stronger than Woori Card. Of course, Jung Ji-seok blocks hard, but I don't know much about Maso. Since there is no information, of course, it will be a difficult game," he said. Heo Soo-bong also said, "I only saw Maso on YouTube. I don't know what kind of style it is, so I think that's the hardest part."
The Champ match between Korean Air and Hyundai Capital will begin at 7 p.m. on the 2nd of next month, starting with the first round of Champ at Incheon Gyeyang Gymnasium. This season's regular league showdown was tied with 3 wins and 3 losses. Hyundai Capital will try to win for the second consecutive season following last season, and Korean Air will try to win for the first time in two seasons after the 2023-2024 season.
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*This content was translated by AI.
