"I've played a lot of games, but today I felt really daunted," Yang Hyo-jin, an 18-year veteran of Hyundai Engineering and Construction, said.

Hyundai Engineering and Construction players shed tears after winning the last regular season match of the 2023-2024 regular season against Pepper Savings Bank at Pepper Stadium in Gwangju on Sunday. Veteran Yang Hyo-jin and almost all other players hugged each other and cried.

After overcoming terrible misfortune, Hyundai E&C went straight to the championship game for the first time in 13 years. Hyundai E&C ranked first in the regular league in 2019-2020 and 2021-2022 seasons, but failed to enjoy the joy as the league was suspended due to the COVID-19 pandemic and spring volleyball was not held during the season. Although it won the title of first place, it was in a position where it was unable to enjoy the festival. Last season, it lost the first place to Heungkuk Life Insurance due to a lack of endurance. This season, it also finished in first place until the fourth round, but entered the final round with a reversal again.

Hyundai E&C needed three points. Two points were meaningless. However, it was a crisis from the first set. Before the match, Hyundai E&C coach Kang Sung-hyung said, "The first set is important," but the first set was taken away as feared. From now on, if we give up just one more set, we will not be able to win first place.

Pepper Savings Bank's counterattack continued in the third and fourth sets, although it leisurely brought in the second set. Pepper Savings Bank put pressure on Hyundai Engineering & Construction at the end of each set with a scary mindset. With 4,000 spectators cheering, Pepper Savings Bank seemed to be exerting all its might to achieve a successful conclusion. The last place was confirmed early on, but it was spring volleyball in terms of atmosphere. Even Coach Kang made such a fierce counterattack, saying, "I thought I would lose in the third set deuce."

Hyundai E&C was on high alert. When it reached deuce at the end of the third set, it thought Kang, players and club officials could lose. However, Hyundai E&C overcame all the crisis and secured three points in the third and fourth sets. As such, Hyundai E&C reached 80 points, beating Heungkuk Life Insurance (79 points) to rank No. 1. It achieved its long-cherished dream of going directly to the championship game for the first time in 13 years since the 2010-2011 season.

After the game ended, players expressed their emotions. "It was too difficult. After losing in the first set, I thought I could not yield anymore," Yang said. "I thought I had to win the third set no matter what. I was so desperate. Pepper players are so good these days. Yasmeen is a good player, too. We tried to do everything we could. We put in as much effort as we could in the finals." Yang added, "I played many matches, but today I felt really daunted. One season was too long. To end with just one match was tough." Yang, who advanced to the semifinals at the 2021 Tokyo Olympics, also felt the pressure from this match.

This is why Hyundai Engineering & Construction shed tears. Concerns that it may remain in second place again and the joy of overcoming pressure from Puppe Savings Bank to rise to first place made Hyundai E&C players' emotions fluctuate.  사설 토토사이트