Red Sparks Advances to V-League Final, Coach Ko Hee-jin Praises Megawati Hangestri
Reporter
March 30, 2025 | 02:26 pm
TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Red Sparks has advanced to the final of the 2024/2025 South Korean Women's Volleyball League (V-League). They defeated the defending champion, Hillstate, with a score of 3-1 (26-24, 12-25, 25-19, 25-20) in the third playoff semifinal match on Saturday, March 29, 2025. Megawati Hangestri and her teammates secured their spot with an aggregate score of 2-1.
Megawati stood out in this match. The Indonesian player scored 26 points, the highest in the game.
The Red Sparks coach, Ko Hee-jin, praised her performance. "Mega is a great player. It was a high-pressure game, but she quietly did what she had to do. It's a great fortune to meet Mega," he said, as quoted by The Spike.
Red Sparks has advanced to the final for the first time in the last 13 years. They also qualified and became champions in 2011-2012.
This time, their desire to repeat that success will be tested by the Pink Spiders, who directly advanced to the final after winning the regular round. Both teams will compete in a best-of-five format. The team that wins 3-0, 3-1, or 3-2 will be the champion.
Last season, the Pink Spiders were the runner-up. They eliminated the Red Sparks in the playoffs but lost to Hillstate in the final match.
Koh Hee-jin attributed the successful advancement to the final to the support from the fans. "And I think it's because the players sweated more than anyone else during the off-season and maintained a disciplined lifestyle, allowing us to advance to the championship for the first time in 13 years," he said.
He admitted that he couldn't hold back his emotions after the match. "I'm not the type of person who can cry, but I was touched watching the players today. I was touched seeing them move desperately and show their fighting spirit for every ball, even though their bodies were not in good condition. I feel that Korean women's volleyball is still alive," Ko Hee-jin said.
He judged that the final match will be a tough game. "However, I hope the players will believe in the sweat they have shed and do their best," he said. "Because it's been 13 years since we made it to the final, we want to hold a great match with Heungkuk Life Insurance. We also want to bring joy to the Jeonggwanjang fans who will come to the stadium."
The first final match of the V-League will take place on March 31, 2025 at the Pink Spiders' home base.
Editor's Choice: Megawati Powers Red Sparks to South Korea V-League Final
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