Hillstate forced to wait for V League title as Covid outbreak continues

Volleyball

Published: 03 Mar. 2022, 16:24

Hillstate forced to wait for V League title as Covid outbreak continues

Yang Hyo-jin of Hyundai Hillstate, center, celebrates with her teammates during a the match against Korea Expressway Hi-pass on Tuesday at Suwon Gymnasium in Suwon. [YONHAP]

A health official disinfects the Pepper Stadium in Gwangju on Feb. 24 after a match between the GS Caltex Kixx and Pepper Savings Bank AI Peppers. [YONHAP]

Suwon Hyundai Engineering & Construction Hillstate's showdown against GS Caltex Kixx that was originally scheduled on Friday has been postponed due to five more Hillstate players testing positive for Covid-19.

After beating Korea Expressway Hi-pass 3-2 on Tuesday, Hillstate were just one win away from securing their season title, but that coronation will have to wait another week as Hillstate are unable to field the required 12 players for Friday’s match.

A total of eight players have now tested positive for Covid-19, including three Hillstate players that had already tested positive on Monday.

The Korean Volleyball Federation (KOVO) announced Thursday that Hillstate's next three matches against the Kixx, Pepper Savings Bank AI Peppers and Pink Spiders will all be postponed.

This is not the first time that KOVO has postponed matches due to Covid-19. On Feb. 12, the women’s V League had to take a one-week break due to surging cases among the teams. The men’s V League also took a 13-day break in February with two clubs, the Korean Air Jumbos and Hyundai Capital Skywalkers, unable to field the minimum 12 players.

For Hillstate, the postponement comes as a disappointment as they were just one win away from securing their season title.

Hillstate are looking to win the V League for the first time in 11 years. The last time the team took home the trophy was in the 2010-2011 season, when they won 20 out of 24 matches.

Hillstate missed out on their chance at winning in the 2019-2020 season, which was cut short after the first five rounds. They had topped the table that season after winning 20 matches and losing seven.

Last season, Hillstate finished at the bottom of the table, winning only 11 of their 30 matches.

BY YUN SO-HYANG [yun.sohyang@joongang.co.kr]