Hillstate hold on to V League lead despite Red Sparks loss

Volleyball

Published: 05 Feb. 2024, 12:11 Updated: 05 Feb. 2024, 17:29

Hillstate hold on to V League lead despite Red Sparks loss

Suwon Hyundai Engineering & Construction Hillstate's Laetitia Moma Bassoko, right, attacks during a V League game against the Gwangju AI Peppers at Suwon Gymnasium in Suwon, Gyeonggi on Jan. 31. [YONHAP]

V League leaders Suwon Hyundai Engineering & Construction Hillstate stayed six points clear at the top of the league table despite ending their seven-game winning streak with a loss to the Daejeon Jung Kwan Jang Red Sparks last week.

The V League teams were back in action after the one-week All-Star break that ended on Jan. 27.

League leaders Hillstate faced last-place Gwangju AI Peppers at home on Jan. 31 and won the game 3-1 to add three points, but they only earned one point from Sunday’s 3-2 loss to the Red Sparks in Daejeon.

In the V League, the margin of victory determines how many points a team takes from the game, with a 3-0 or 3-1 win earning three points. If the score ends 3-2, the winning team takes two points and the losing team also earns one point from the game.

Sunday’s game between Hillstate and the Red Sparks was fiercely contested, with each team winning sets alternately.

The game went all the way to the deciding fifth set, and the Red Sparks found a breakthrough to win 15-10, ending the Hillstate’s chance of winning an eighth straight game.

Hillstate’s Laetitia Moma Bassoko scored 36 points alone as the top scorer in the game, but was still unable to save the team.

Second-place Heungkuk Life Insurance Pink Spiders are six points behind the Suwon side, but they displayed improvements in attack last week with the addition of new signee Willow Johnson, daughter of MLB legend Randy Johnson.

In the Pink Spiders’ two 3-0 wins against Gimcheon Korea Expressway Hi-Pass and GS Caltex Seoul Kixx last week, Johnson scored 36 points in total. She was even the team’s top scorer in Friday’s game against Kixx with 19 points.

Heungkuk Life Insurance Pink Spiders' Willow Johnson, second from left, celebrates with her teammates during a V League game against Gimcheon Korea Expressway Hi-Pass at Gimcheon Gymnasium in Gimcheon, North Gyeongsang on Jan. 30. [NEWS1]

As there is still over a month left to go until the end of the regular season, the Incheon side could still snatch the top position from Hillstate like they did last season.

Over in the middle of the table, the Kixx stayed in third place after that 3-0 loss to the Pink Spiders.

With only two points separating the capital side and fourth-place Red Sparks as of Monday, the so-called “semi-playoffs” could take place this season. The semi-playoffs take place when the point gap between the two is three points or less. The winner then reaches the playoffs.

Fifth-place Hwaseong IBK Altos, meanwhile, failed to secure a single point last week with Thursday’s 3-1 loss to the Red Sparks.

Sixth-place Hi-Pass earned three points after Saturday’s 3-0 win over the last-place Peppers, but they still stayed in their position on the table.

No sign of improvement was visible from the Gwangju side, with the team recording their 19th straight loss of the season.

The Peppers are just one loss away from tying league record loss streak, at 20 by Daejeon KGC in the 2012-13 campaign, now called the Red Boosters.

The V League will continue this week, with the Peppers facing the Kixx at home on Tuesday at 7 p.m.

Hi-Pass will then take on the Altos in Gimcheon, North Gyeongsang the following day.

BY PAIK JI-HWAN [paik.jihwan@joongang.co.kr]