Last-place KB Insurance snapped a six-game losing streak in the men’s professional volleyball men’s league with a win over a road-bound Korean Air. On the women’s side, the bottom teams revolted as sixth-ranked Korea Expressway Corporation beat IBK for the first time this season.
KB Insurance ended a six-game losing streak with a 3-1 (25-14 29-27 14-25 25-22) set victory over Korean Air in the fourth round of the Dodram 2023-24 V League at Uijeongbu Gymnasium on Monday. With three points, KB Insurance remained in seventh place with a record of 17 (4-18).
KB Insurance’s foreign player Andres Biyena scored a game-high 30 points (63.5 percent shooting) for both teams. Hong Sang-hyuk (13 points) and Korean Min (9 points) also contributed in the win, which snapped a six-game losing streak.
Korean Air (38-12 W-10 L) failed to add to its win total and remained in third place behind Samsung Fire (38-12 W-10 L). Lim Dong-hyuk (29 points), Jeong Jeong-yong (18 points) and Jeong Ji-seok (10 points) gave a fighting effort, but it was not enough to prevent the loss. Korean Air surpassed 34,000 career offensive points for the first team in the V-League, but it was overshadowed by the loss.
KB Insurance took a commanding lead in the first set thanks to the efforts of Bijena, Hong Sang-hyuk, and Korean Min. Leading 7-5, Bijena’s high-flying bomb scored four straight points. They then scored five straight points at 19-12 to easily take the first set.
KB Insurance came from behind in the second set. With the score at 22-24, Bijena and Hong Sang-hyuk tied the set at deuce. With the set tied at 27-27, KB Insurance took the set 2-0 when Bijena’s open attack succeeded following an opponent error.
After conserving their energy in the third set, KB Insurance pulled within four points at 13-13 in the fourth set with a kill by Bijena, a block by Hwang Kyung-min and a service ace by Bijena. The victorious KB Insurance created match point at 23-22 with a back-attack by Bijena and then capitalized on an attack error by Daehan Hankong’s Lim Dong-hyuk to end the match.
On the women’s side, Korea Expressway Corporation pulled off a 3-1 (24-26 25-17 25-14 25-17) come-from-behind victory over IBK at Hwaseong Indoor Stadium. It was the first win against IBK this season.
After snapping a two-game losing streak, Doosan (7-15, 22 points) is sixth in the V-League. Roadworks’ foreign players Vanya Vukiric (registered name Vukiric – 35 points) and Bae Yuna (21 points) combined for 56 points in the win.
After losing their second straight game, KEB Hana (11-11, 32 points) remains in fourth place. IBK’s Brittany Abercrombie (real name Abercrombie – 19 points) and Seung-ju Pyo (14 points) played well, but couldn’t get the win for their team.