KEPCO’s men’s volleyball team was full of confidence heading into the season that they could do well within the squad.
They kept most of their key players to minimize losses, and with spring volleyball under their belt last season, they were hopeful that they could reach higher this year.
However, even though it is still early in the first round, the team’s performance so far this season has fallen far short of expectations.
KEPCO’s 1-3 record has dropped them to sixth place out of seven teams.
The only consolation is that last season’s champion Korean Air is in fourth place with two wins and two losses, and runner-up Hyundai Capital is in seventh place with five wins and two losses.
KEPCO head coach Kwon Young-min admitted that the confluence of bad news has shaken the team.
Speaking ahead of the game against Korean Air at Suwon Gymnasium on Feb. 2, Kwon said, “Before the game, morale should be high, but there were rumors that (KEPCO’s club) was for sale, and I think (the players) were agitated. There were a lot of bad things in the beginning, such as Tyson Lesser Host (registered name Tys) joining the team late,” he said.
It’s not just the low ranking, but also the performance.
“I think the players are frustrated with their performance. I’m trying to keep the atmosphere good so I don’t put pressure on them,” Kwon said. “When they make a mistake, they seem to be under pressure from there. I told the players to do their part when they go in, win or lose.”
For the match, Zupo Thais will be playing as an outside hitter, a position dedicated to attacking.
Instead, Seo Jae-duk will start as an outside hitter.
“I told her to focus on defense,” Kwon said. I made the change to take some of the pressure off Tice’s receiving,” Kwon explained.
Kwon believes that once the team wins a match, they can expect a winning streak.
“The stress will be relieved by winning. I told the players that their skills are not going anywhere,” he said. “If we win, we can go on a winning streak. They are telling each other only positive things.” 파워볼사이트
