‘Kindelan’s 34-point explosion’ Heungkuk Life defeats ‘Kwon Soon-chan-led’ Jeonggwanjang 3-1 in comeback win, securing first victory at KOVO Cup [Yeosu on-site]

*This content was translated by AI.View Original

Women’s professional volleyball team Heungkuk Life defeated Jeonggwanjang to record their first win in the Cup tournament.

Heungkuk Life, led by head coach Yoshihara Tomoko (Japan), secured a 3-1 (18-25, 25-23, 25-16, 27-25) comeback victory over Jeonggwanjang in the Group A first match of the 2026 Yeosu·NH Nonghyup Cup Professional Volleyball Tournament held at Yeosu Jinnam Gymnasium on the 11th.

With this win, Heungkuk Life started the tournament’s group stage with a ‘1-0’ record, alongside IBK Industrial Bank of Korea, which had previously crushed SOOP.

In this tournament, in which seven teams participate, the women’s division is split into two groups to play the group stage, after which the top two teams from each group advance to the quarterfinals to determine the champion.

Heungkuk Life last reached the top of the Cup tournament at the 2010 event, which was both their first and final title. Through this tournament, they are challenging for their second championship overall and their first in 16 years.

Head coach Kwon Soon-chan, who previously led Heungkuk Life before being dismissed for unclear reasons and returned to the sidelines after three years and nine months to take charge of Jeonggwanjang, experienced a bitter defeat in his debut match against his former team.

Heungkuk Life and Jeonggwanjang will play their respective Group Stage second matches against IBK Industrial Bank of Korea and SOOP on the 13th.

Jeonggwanjang took control in the first set. In a situation tied at 6-6, they seized the lead with a service ace by Park Hye-min. Adding attacking points from Jong Hui and Park Hye-min, along with a service ace by Lee Sun-woo, they pulled ahead to 17-12.

Heungkuk Life also launched a counterattack led by Kindelan and Pyo Seung-joo. However, Jeonggwanjang crushed their pursuit with consecutive points from Park Hye-min and blocks by Lee Sun-woo. Ultimately, Jeonggwanjang comfortably took the first set 25-18.

In the second set, Heungkuk Life immediately changed the momentum. They established early flow led by Justice and Kindelan. However, Jeonggwanjang also shifted the atmosphere with a service ace from Yeom Hye-sun and a point from Park Hye-min that came after a fierce rally.

In a situation of 15-18, Jeonggwanjang narrowed the gap by adding a quick open attack from Jong Hui and a block by Lee Ji-soo. Continuing their pursuit, Jeonggwanjang tied the score at 21-21 with two consecutive blocking points from Park Eun-jin.

Thereafter, the flow continued where whenever Heungkuk Life pulled ahead, Jeonggwanjang immediately tied the score again. Heungkuk Life was superior in final concentration. In a situation leading 23-22, they leveled the match with an open attack by Jeong Ho-young and others.

Heungkuk Life’s momentum carried over into the third set. In a situation tied at 3-3, they widened the gap to 12-3 in no time by adding consecutive quick open attacks from Kindelan, a service ace from Pyo Seung-joo, and a quick open attack from Justice.

Jeonggwanjang struggled to narrow the gap, but Heungkuk Life also maintained their focus and continued to rack up points. Ultimately, Heungkuk Life took the third set as well, successfully turning the match around.

In the fourth set, Heungkuk Life, aiming to end the match, and Jeonggwanjang, trying to drag it out to a final fifth set, engaged in a fierce battle from the start. Heungkuk Life held the advantage in the early flow, but Jeonggwanjang succeeded in reversing the situation after the mid-set mark, taking a 16-13 lead.

Heungkuk Life also closed to within one point by adding a quick open attack from Kindelan and a service ace from Park Su-yeon, but Jeonggwanjang further widened the gap to 20-16 with attacking points from Park Hye-min and Shin Eun-ji, along with a service ace from Shin Eun-ji.

Not to be outdone, Heungkuk Life immediately launched a counterattack. They chased to 22-23 with a service ace from Justice and a back attack from Kindelan. Afterward, Jeonggwanjang reached 24 points with a time-difference attack by Jong Hui, but Heungkuk Life managed to create a deuce situation with a block by Pyo Seung-joo and a quick open attack by Kindelan.

In a 25-25 situation, Heungkuk Life broke the deadlock with a quick open attack by Kindelan. Subsequently, thanks to a fantastic dig by Lee Go-eun followed by a finishing point from Justice, they won 27-25, putting an end to the intense match.

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*This content was translated by AI.View Original