Red Sparks come from behind against Pink Spiders to take Championship series down to the wire
Published: 06 Apr. 2025, 17:47
Updated: 06 Apr. 2025, 17:51
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- PAIK JI-HWAN
- [email protected]
![The Daejeon Jung Kwan Jang Red Sparks celebrate after a 3-2 win over the Heungkuk Life Insurance Pink Spiders in their fourth game of the 2024-25 V League Championship at Chungmu Gymnasium in Daejeon on April 6. [YONHAP]](https://koreajoongangdaily.joins.com/data/photo/2025/04/06/9dff7e02-58fe-47c3-aa48-77e72a321848.jpg)
The Daejeon Jung Kwan Jang Red Sparks celebrate after a 3-2 win over the Heungkuk Life Insurance Pink Spiders in their fourth game of the 2024-25 V League Championship at Chungmu Gymnasium in Daejeon on April 6. [YONHAP]
The Daejeon Jung Kwan Jang Red Sparks grabbed a thrilling 3-2 victory over the Heungkuk Life Insurance Pink Spiders in the fourth game of the best-of-five V League Championship series on Sunday, tying the series score at 2-2 and leaving the final game on Tuesday to decide the winners.
The lead changed hands constantly at Chungmu Gymnasium in Daejeon, with the Red Sparks making the game competitive throughout the five sets.
The Red Sparks grabbed the first set 25-20 and lost the second set 26-24, but showcased resilience in the third, winning it after taking the score all the way to 36-34.
With the Pink Spiders winning the fourth set 25-22, it came down to the final fifth set, which the Red Sparks won 15-12 to force the final fifth game of the championship series.
If the Red Sparks win the final game, they will become the second team to win the championship after coming from two games behind.
Gimcheon Korea Expressway Corporation Hi-Pass was the first team to achieve the feat in the 2022-23 season against the Pink Spiders.
For the Pink Spiders, losing this year’s championship would be repeating their run in the 2022-23 campaign during which they lost the series to Hi-Pass after winning the regular season title.
Losing the championship again would be a disappointment in the final chapter of Pink Spiders ace Kim Yeon-koung’s storied 20-year career. Kim announced earlier this year that she would fully retire at the end of this season.
The volleyball star began her career with the Pink Spiders in 2005 and played in multiple countries before rejoining the Incheon side in 2020 for one season.
She rejoined the Pink Spiders ahead of the 2022-23 season after a stint with Shanghai Bright Ubest Women's Volleyball Club.
Throughout her career with the Pink Spiders, Kim has won the league five times — in 2006, 2007, 2008, 2023 and 2025 — and the championship three times — in 2006, 2007 and 2009.
The final game of the 2024-25 V League Championship at Incheon Samsan World Gymnasium in Incheon on Tuesday will decide whether she will cap off her career with one more coveted championship trophy.
BY PAIK JI-HWAN [[email protected]]
with the Korea JoongAng Daily
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