Peppers on hot streak, clinch third consecutive win in 3-1 victory over Hillstate
Published: 13 Jan. 2025, 10:38
Updated: 13 Jan. 2025, 17:25
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- PAIK JI-HWAN
- [email protected]
![The Gwangju Pepper Savings Bank AI Peppers [YONHAP]](https://koreajoongangdaily.joins.com/data/photo/2025/01/13/da773f0a-afa5-4747-b3c7-374817af1a13.jpg)
The Gwangju Pepper Savings Bank AI Peppers [YONHAP]
The Gwangju Pepper Savings Bank AI Peppers continued their best run in the V League with a 3-1 win over defending champions Suwon Hyundai Engineering & Construction Hillstate on Sunday, recording their first-ever third consecutive victory.
The Peppers started the game at Suwon Gymnasium in Suwon, Gyeonggi, on the right foot, winning the first set 25-21. The Gwangju club lost the second set 25-13 but went on to claim the third set 25-19 and the fourth set 26-24 to seal the victory.
Opposite spiker Taylor Fricano showcased a strong performance throughout the game, scoring 24 points as the Peppers’ top scorer, with Lee Han-bi adding 20 points.
“Every game is not easy, and I also learned that our team adapting [to the league] is not easy,” Lee said after the game. “As we do that, I meet many teammates and learn from them and also learn from many coaches. I try to learn well, and I think that is paying off well on the court this year.
“We have lost many games in a row, and since we are still a mid-table club, we try to focus on every game and show that on the court. Senior players are helping me with it, and younger players are doing well too.”
Sunday’s win was the Peppers’ eighth victory of the 2024-25 season, marking the club’s best season so far.
The Peppers, founded in 2021, were perennial bottom-dwellers, finishing last in the seven-team table for three consecutive seasons with a significant gap between them and older, more experienced teams.
Last season was particularly grim for the Peppers, who set the record for the longest losing streak in the women’s V League at 21 matches, later extending the record to 23. By the end of the season, the club had secured only five wins in 36 games.
However, this season the Peppers have transformed into a team capable of threatening league title favorites under new head coach Chang So-hyun. Chang secured a win in the club’s opening game this season and has led the team to more victories than in previous seasons, even though losses still outnumber wins.
![Gwangju Pepper Savings Bank AI Peppers head coach Chang So-hyun, center, instructs her players during the V League game against Suwon Hyundai Engineering & Construction Hillstate at Suwon Gymnasium in Suwon, Gyeonggi on Jan. 12. [YONHAP]](https://koreajoongangdaily.joins.com/data/photo/2025/01/13/a5827172-cb97-4c76-8212-1842c1f2c0aa.jpg)
Gwangju Pepper Savings Bank AI Peppers head coach Chang So-hyun, center, instructs her players during the V League game against Suwon Hyundai Engineering & Construction Hillstate at Suwon Gymnasium in Suwon, Gyeonggi on Jan. 12. [YONHAP]
The Peppers currently sit in fifth place in the standings with 24 points from their opening 20 games. They remain eight points behind fourth-place Hwaseong IBK Altos, who have one game in hand.
The Peppers still have the second half of the season to push for a postseason spot for the first time in their history.
In the V League, the fourth-placed team enters the semi-playoffs if the point gap between the No. 3 and No. 4 teams is three points or fewer.
Even maintaining their current fifth-place position through the end of the regular season would mark the best performance in the club’s history, as they have consistently finished at the bottom of the table since their foundation.
The Peppers can now turn their attention to facing league leaders Heungkuk Life Insurance Pink Spiders at home on Thursday, riding the momentum of their best run yet.
BY PAIK JI-HWAN [[email protected]]
with the Korea JoongAng Daily
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