Heungkuk Life Pink Spiders' Kim Yeon-koung (37) decorated her last match as a player with a championship win.

Heungkuk Life achieved victory against Jeonggwanjang Red Sparks with a set score of 3-2 (26-24, 26-24, 24-26, 23-25, 15-13) in the fifth game of the 'Dodram 2024-2025 V-League' championship held on the 8th at Incheon Samsan World Gymnasium. With a series record of 3 wins and 2 losses, they finally succeeded in their 5th championship. This is the fourth time they have achieved a unified championship, including a regular league win.

Kim Yeon-koung, who announced her retirement from active play this year, recorded 34 points (attack success rate 42.6%) and led the victory in the fifth game. In the five championship series games, she scored 133 points, leading Heungkuk Life to its 5th championship and 4th unified championship. In the MVP voting for the championship series, she received 31 votes, earning a unanimous MVP award for the second time in history.

Kim Yeon-koung debuted in professional volleyball with Heungkuk Life in the 2005-2006 season and has excelled as a world-class outside hitter for an impressive 21 years until now. Having played in various overseas leagues in Japan, Turkey, and China, she returned to her original team, Heungkuk Life, in the 2020-2021 season and continued to be a top player in the league up to this season.

Having won consecutive championships in her debut and second seasons, Kim Yeon-koung won three championships in Korea (2005-2006 season, 2006-2007 season, 2008-2009 season) before going overseas. However, since returning to Korea in the 2020-2021 season, she has not won the championship finals even once. Although she successfully reached the championship finals three times, she was thwarted at the last hurdle each time.

Kim Yeon-koung, who challenged for the championship finals for the last time, won both the first and second matches and seemed poised to finally achieve her long-desired victory. However, after losing both the third and fourth matches in closely contested full sets, the championship finals extended to a fifth match. Naturally, the nightmare of being swept with three consecutive defeats, allowing the first reverse sweep in V-League history, resurfaced.

However, Kim Yeon-koung did not give up even after winning the first and second sets in the fifth match and losing the third and fourth sets. She saved the ball with great effort until the very end, and this fighting spirit ultimately led to victory. This marks her fourth championship title in the V-League finals.

In a post-match interview, Kim Yeon-koung said, “I didn’t think it would be easy from the first match, but I never imagined we would lose the third and fourth matches like that. I felt like a huge challenge came to us. Approaching retirement, I thought, ‘Why are these adversities coming back to me?’ I kept trying to overcome them and talked a lot to unite the players. It was a short time, but the entire team worked really hard. I’m so grateful to the players for this wonderful ending today.”

Kim Yeon-koung, who said, “I think today’s match will stick in my memory,” added, “I reached the finals four times since coming to Korea, each against different teams. I secured the regular league championship twice, and now I finally earned a star. Recently, I’ve thought a lot about how difficult it is to earn that star,” as she discussed the tough times following the third and fourth match losses.

Kim Yeon-koung, who said, “I actually felt relieved during the fifth match,” explained, “I thought of it as the last game, and the players felt that way too. Since it was my home court, I believed we would show good performance. I think even dramas wouldn’t be able to script such a scenario. It feels really good,” while smiling.

Jeonggwanjang coach Ko Hee-jin noted, “In the end, Kim Yeon-koung's one defensive play, where she threw herself, created the victory. It was that desperate. Without that dig, we wouldn’t have known the game's outcome. Kim Yeon-koung was amazing, and the players of Heungkuk Life were also outstanding.” Kim Yeon-koung responded, “Coach Ko Hee-jin said, ‘Yeon-koung, that defense won us the championship.’ Jeonggwanjang also showed great performance. I’m glad we could showcase good volleyball in the finals. Since sports have no ties, when someone wins, someone else has to lose. This aspect is unsettling. Jeonggwanjang worked hard as well, but in the end, we got to smile. I want to convey my respect to the Jeonggwanjang players for creating such a great match.”

As the final match of the championship series concluded, Kim Yeon-koung, who played her last game as an active player, reflected, “I still feel like I’m dreaming. I think I’ll either move to Daejeon tomorrow or have another game in Incheon. It doesn’t feel real. Once I’m home alone and a few days pass, maybe it will feel more real. Today will be a memory that stays with me.”

When asked if she has any things she wants to do now, Kim Yeon-koung expressed, “I want to have a proper gathering with the team. I’ve been abstaining from alcohol for a long time. I do enjoy drinking, but I’ve been sober for a while this season. I think I’ll spend time with the players, sharing stories and having fun together. And now, I just want to rest,” she said with a smile.

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