Women’s professional volleyball’s “living legend” Yang Hyo-jin (33, Hyundai E&C) is entering her 17th season in the V-League this season (2023-24). In that time, she has scored 7,100 points and made 1,468 blocks. Both are the top records in the women’s division.
Yang retired her Korean flag at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics in 2021. Currently, the national team’s middle blocker (center) is being replaced by Park Eun-jin, Jeong Ho-young (Lee Sang-kwan-jang) and Lee Da-hyun (Hyundai E&C).
Now in her mid-30s. Yang Hyo-jin is still dominating the game. A case in point was the first round home match against Korea Expressway Corporation (KEC) at Suwon Indoor Gymnasium on March 25. She scored 23 points that day, more than any other foreign player, even Apogee Spiker (Lite) Moma Basoko (registered name Moma). Hyundai E&C dropped the first set 19-25 due to the momentum of the road team, but rallied to win sets two through four.
Yang Hyo-jin led the fightback with seven points, including two blocks in the second set. In the decisive fourth set, she also supported seven points with center quick-open, open, and fast attacks. Especially late in the fourth set, when a loss would have forced a fifth set, she scored a balance-breaking point at 20-20, a fast-open point at 21-20, another open point at 22-20, and an open attack for match point at 23-21.
After winning the home opener against Pepper Savings Bank, Hyundai E&C lost a five-set match against Heungkuk Life Insurance on the 18th, led by ‘volleyball queen’ Kim Yeon-kyung, but managed to take down IBK on the 21st and Korea Expressway Corporation on the 25th for their third win of the season (1 loss).온라인카지노
As of the 25th, Yang is tied for third in points (72). She is first among domestic players. She is 23 points behind the second-ranked Korean player, Kim Yeon-kyung, who has played three matches. She ranks first in open attack success rate (59.65%), fourth in fastball success rate (53.13%), and tied for first in blocks (1.00 per set).
Hyundai E&C will be without domestic attackers Jeong Ji-yoon and Ko Yerim, who are rehabbing injuries. Asia Quarterly signing Wipawi has fit in better than expected, but the team’s flanking offense isn’t the best in the league.
Hyundai’s biggest strength is in the center of the field, where Yang Hyo-jin is the mainstay. He has been able to support the development of junior Lee Da-hyun, while also leading the team to victory when it counts.
The team’s decline in international competitiveness and poor performance has raised doubts about their future in the domestic league. Now, the “legend” Yang Hyo-jin, who can only be found in the league, shows why the V-League is the place to be.