'Combined for 37 points' Heo Su-bong, Leo, and Shin Ho-jin explode! Hyundai Capital defeats KEPCO 3-1 in comeback win → Rematch against Korean Air in championship final materializes [KOVO Cup Semifinal Review]

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Hyundai Capital Skywalkers, led by the trio of Heo Su-bong (28), Leonardo Reiva (38, registered name Leo), and Shin Ho-jin (25), will face Korean Air again in the cup tournament final for the championship title. The two teams are set to meet after Korean Air inflicted pain on Hyundai Capital in last season's championship finals.

Hyundai Capital defeated KEPCO 3-1 in sets (18-25, 25-20, 25-15, 25-17) in the men's semifinal of the 2026 Yeosu NH Nonghyup Cup Professional Volleyball Tournament held at Jinnam Gymnasium in Yeosu, South Jeolla Province, on the 24th.

With this victory, Hyundai Capital, which advanced to the semifinals as the second-place team in Group A (2 wins, 1 loss), defeated KEPCO, the top seed from Group B, to secure a spot in the final. The team will challenge for its sixth cup tournament title overall and its first since 2024. Their opponent in the final is Korean Air. In the earlier semifinal, Korean Air crushed Woori Card 3-0, advancing to the final with four consecutive wins following their perfect record of three wins in the group stage.

The matchup between the two teams also drew attention as a rematch of last season's V-League championship finals. At that time, first-place Korean Air and second-place Hyundai Capital engaged in a fierce battle that went all the way to a decisive fifth game in the championship series. Although Korean Air took an early 2-0 lead, Hyundai Capital won both the third and fourth games at home by scores of 3-0 to tie the series. However, Korean Air won the final fifth game 3-1 to claim the overall title.

The rivalry between the two teams continues in the cup tournament as well. Hyundai Capital defeated Korean Air in the 2024 cup tournament final to take the top spot, but this year they suffered a complete defeat against Korean Air in the group stage with a score of 0-3 (21-25, 19-25, 20-25). They have secured an opportunity for revenge in the final just three days later.

In this semifinal, Hyundai Capital's attacking trio demonstrated their power. Heo Su-bong recorded a team-high 17 points, including one block and two service aces. Leo added 16 points, and Shin Ho-jin contributed 14 points, with the three players combining for 47 points. In particular, Shin Ho-jin showcased high decisiveness with an attack success rate of 73.68% and an attack efficiency of 68.42%.

Setter Lee Jun-hyup (25) also stood out. He recorded 5 points, including four blocks, while Choi Min-ho (38) and Kim Jin-young each recorded 7 and 5 points respectively, providing strength from the middle. Hyundai Capital led KEPCO with 46 to 37 in attack points and 9 to 3 in blocks. Their attack success rate was also higher at 55.86% compared to the opponent's 45.79%.

On the other hand, KEPCO's foreign star Sharon Vernon-Evans (28, registered name Show) erupted for a tournament-high 20 points across both teams, but could not secure a victory. Usman Fayad Ali (27, registered name Usman) recorded 14 points and Yoon Ha-jun 12 points, both achieving double-digit scoring, but the team failed to maintain the momentum from the first set.

KEPCO started well. From the early stages of the first set, they pressured Hyundai Capital with attacks led by Show and Usman. With Shin Young-seok's blocks adding to their offense, they pulled ahead 16-12 and subsequently extended the gap to 19-12 with consecutive points. Although Hyundai Capital attempted a comeback, KEPCO took the first set 25-18.

However, the atmosphere changed from the second set onward. Hyundai Capital head coach Philippe Blain made changes to his attacking lineup to launch a counterattack. Shin Ho-jin began scoring in earnest in place of Zhang Chuan, and Heo Su-bong, who had been sluggish in the first set, also came alive.

Shin Ho-jin scored 7 points and Heo Su-bong 6 points in the second set alone, shaking KEPCO's blocking. Although KEPCO fought back led by Show, they could not stop Hyundai Capital's attacks. Ultimately, Shin Ho-jin succeeded on the final attack, allowing Hyundai Capital to tie the match at 25-20.

In the third set, Hyundai Capital's firepower intensified further. Leo and Heo Su-bong led the attacks from the wings, while consistent scoring continued from the middle. KEPCO countered with Show and Usman but fell behind in attack efficiency, allowing the point gap to widen.

In particular, as Hyundai Capital's blocking also came alive, they effectively blocked KEPCO's attacks. They ultimately took the third set by a margin of 10 points, 25-15, to take a 2-1 lead in sets.

Riding high, Hyundai Capital did not relinquish control in the fourth set either. They maintained their lead with balanced attacks from Heo Su-bong, Leo, and Shin Ho-jin, while KEPCO attempted a comeback centered on Show but failed to close the widening point gap.

Hyundai Capital completed their comeback victory by taking the final fourth set 25-17. Although KEPCO had shown resilience in the group stage by coming back from a 0-2 deficit against Woori Card to win 3-2, they could not overcome Hyundai Capital's attacking power in the semifinal.

The final between the two teams will be held at Jinnam Gymnasium in Yeosu at 1:30 p.m. on the 25th.

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*This content was translated by AI.View Original