Megawati and Milana on the attack as Red Sparks charge ahead

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Megawati and Milana on the attack as Red Sparks charge ahead

Published: 12 Dec. 2023, 15:25

PAIK JI-HWAN
paik.jihwan@joongang.co.kr

Megawati Hangestri Pertiwi, left, and Giovanna Milana [KOVO]

The Daejeon Jung Kwan Jang Red Sparks’ attacking duo of Megawati Hangestri Pertiwi and Giovanna Milana are the core of the team this season. And they're fighting to lead the Red Sparks to the postseason for the first time in seven years.

The duo joined the team ahead of the 2023-24 V League and quickly made their mark, winning four of their first six games of the season.

Mega has been the most impactful player of the Asia Quota draft — a new system adopted this year through which teams can add an extra foreign player to their squad from selected Asian countries — having scored 332 points as of Dec. 11 as the fifth top scorer.

The Indonesian opposite hitter's remarkable stats are not just because of good form, but also because of the cohesion with Milana.

Versatile outside hitter Milana supports Mega on the frontline and also helps out the team’s defense, allowing Mega to focus solely on the attack — exactly what Red Sparks head coach Ko Hee-jin intended when signing the duo.

The Red Sparks struggled after their first six games, recording a five-game losing streak from Nov. 9 to Nov. 24.

The duo’s attack had become less effective, as other teams had begun to analyze its pattern and counter. Those results left the team disappointed, but it spurred the Red Sparks to make changes on the court.

Head coach Ko increased the amount of training during that losing spell, which Mega found helpful.

“I can’t deny that a lot of training time has helped me improve,” Mega said during an interview with the JoongAng Ilbo in November. “I also got nervous because of the losses. My cohesion with other players bettered as I got along with them, went to cafés together and shared our own thoughts about each other and training.”

Milana found the extra training tough, but she also acknowledged that it was all necessary. She said that the team had no choice but to make changes to bounce back.

The Red Sparks’ efforts showed on the court, cutting their losing streak with a 3-1 victory over the Gwangju AI Peppers on Nov. 28 and securing another 3-1 win against the Gwangju side on Dec. 8.

Mega and Milana both played key roles during the game on Dec. 8, with the Indonesian opposite hitter scoring 23 points alone as the game’s top scorer and Milana managing 19 points and showing solid form in defense as well.

“Milana and Mega are really nice and they are diligent players,” Ko said. “I feel really thankful as head coach.”

Even off the court, the two players have become close friends who depend on each other during tough times.

“They always spend time together and they get along well,” Red Sparks translator Kim Yoon-sol said.

The duo’s good cohesion on the court may be the Red Sparks’ key to reaching the postseason, which the Daejeon side has failed to do so for the past six years.

The Red Sparks now sit in fifth-place on the seven-team table and will seek to continue their climb as they face Hi-Pass on Wednesday at Chungmu Gymnasium in Daejeon.

BY KIM HYO-KYUNG [kjdsports@joongang.co.kr]