Red Sparks tie things up to push V League playoff to third game
![Daejeon Jung Kwan Jang Red Sparks' Megawati Hangestri Pertiwi, second from right, attacks during a 2023-24 V League playoff game against the Heungkuk Life Insurance Pink Spiders at Chungmu Gymnasium in Daejeon on Sunday. [YONHAP]](https://koreajoongangdaily.joins.com/data/photo/2024/03/25/9239981a-f2ea-430a-8c36-06aad512de48.jpg)
Daejeon Jung Kwan Jang Red Sparks' Megawati Hangestri Pertiwi, second from right, attacks during a 2023-24 V League playoff game against the Heungkuk Life Insurance Pink Spiders at Chungmu Gymnasium in Daejeon on Sunday. [YONHAP]
The Daejeon Jung Kwan Jang Red Sparks tied the 2023-24 V League playoffs 1-1 after a 3-1 win over the Heungkuk Life Insurance Pink Spiders in Daejeon on Sunday.
It was payback for the Red Sparks, who lost 3-1 to the Pink Spiders in the first playoff game on Friday.
The attack led by Giovanna Milana and Megawati Hangestri Pertiwi was effective throughout the game, winning the first two sets 25-19 and 25-23. The Pink Spiders bounced back briefly to take the third set 25-20, but the Red Sparks grabbed the fourth set 25-15 for a final score of 3-1.
Milana was the top scorer of the game with 30 points, with Mega recording the second most points, at 25.
The duo’s attacking prowess was the key to Sunday’s win, as it was crucial to the team securing a place in the postseason for the first time since the 2016-17 campaign.
Mega was No. 7 on the league's top scorer table with 736 points, and Milana came in eight at 690.
Pink Spiders ace Kim Yeon-koung scored 22 points in Sunday’s contest, but her teammates’ efforts fell short, with Willow Johnson only managing 11.
The two sides will now play the final playoff game on Tuesday to vie for a spot in the best-of-five championship where they will face league winners Suwon Hyundai Engineering & Construction Hillstate.
Tuesday’s victory for the Red Sparks will make them the first-ever team to reach the championship after losing the first playoff game.
As for the Pink Spiders, a win will send them through to the championship for a second consecutive season. The Incheon side won the league last season, but they missed the championship title after allowing Gimcheon Korea Expressway Hi-Pass to come from two games behind to take the title.
The last playoff game will begin at Incheon Samsan World Gymnasium in Incheon on Tuesday at 7 p.m.
BY PAIK JI-HWAN [paik.jihwan@joongang.co.kr]
with the Korea JoongAng Daily
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