Hillstate take 2-0 lead in V League Championship series

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Hillstate take 2-0 lead in V League Championship series

Suwon Hyundai Engineering & Construction Hillstate's Laetitia Moma Bassoko, right, attacks during a 2023-24 V League Championship game at Suwon Gymnasium in Suwon, Gyeonggi on Saturday. [NEWS1]

Suwon Hyundai Engineering & Construction Hillstate's Laetitia Moma Bassoko, right, attacks during a 2023-24 V League Championship game at Suwon Gymnasium in Suwon, Gyeonggi on Saturday. [NEWS1]

 
V League winners Suwon Hyundai Engineering & Construction Hillstate are one win away from becoming the overall 2023-24 champions, with the team beating the Heungkuk Life Insurance Pink Spiders 3-2 in a second championship game on Saturday.  
 
It was another repeat performance for Hillstate, who beat the Pink Spiders 3-2 in the first game on Thursday last week.  
 

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Saturday’s game at Suwon Gymnasium in Suwon, Gyeonggi was a fierce contest with both sides winning sets alternately.  
 
Hillstate lost the first set 25-23, but won the second 25-21. Hillstate then lost the third set 25-21 and grabbed the fourth set 25-17, forcing a last set to decide the winner.  
 
Hillstate’s attack, led by aces Laetitia Moma Bassoko and Yang Hyo-jin, found a breakthrough in the final set to win it 15-13 for a 3-2 victory.  
 
Moma was the hero of the game, scoring 34 points alone as the top scorer. Yang also recorded 19 points during the game.  
 
The Pink Spiders’ efforts fell short despite three players recording over 20 points — Kim Yeon-koung with 28 points, Willow Johnson with 25 and Reina Tokoku at 22.  
 
One more loss in the best-of-five championship will mean a trophyless season for the Pink Spiders, who finished as league runners-up this year.  
 
Another championship loss will also mean losing the tournament for the second time in a row for the Pink Spiders, having won the league last season and lost the championship after allowing Gimcheon Korea Expressway Hi-Pass to come from two games behind to take the title.
 
For Hillstate, this year is a chance for them to walk away with both the league and championship titles for the first time since 2011.  
 
The Suwon side last won the championship in 2016, but were unable to claim the championship titles in 2019-20 and 2021-22 seasons despite winning the league, as the postseason was canceled due to the Covid-19 pandemic.  
 
The third championship game between Hillstate and the Pink Spiders will take place at Incheon Samsan World Gymnasium in Incheon on Monday at 7 p.m.  

BY PAIK JI-HWAN [[email protected]]
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