Hillstate extend league leading winning streak to eight games

Just three weeks into the 2022-23 volleyball season, Suwon Hyundai Engineering & Construction Hillstate is looking like the team to beat, extending their winning streak to eight games after beating the Industrial Bank of Korea Altos 3-0 on Sunday.

Yassmeen Bedart-Ghani of Hyundai Hillstate attacks during a the match against Korea Expressway Hi-pass on Sunday at Suwon Gymnasium in Suwon. [YONHAP]

Just three weeks into the 2022-23 volleyball season, Suwon Hyundai Engineering & Construction Hillstate is looking like the team to beat, extending their winning streak to eight games after beating Hwaseong Industrial Bank of Korea Altos 3-0 on Sunday.

Compared to the tough five-set match last week against Daejeon Korea Ginseng Corporation, Hillstate breezed through this week’s fixtures, smashing through bottom club Gwangju Pepper Savings Bank AI Peppers in three straight sets, 25-15, 25-17, 25-13, then also outplaying Industrial Bank of Korea in three straight sets, 25-21, 25-22, 25-21.

Yassmeen Bedart-Ghani of Hyundai Hillstate was once again the highest scorer of the match on Sunday, scoring 22 points alone. The next-best scorer was Yang Hyo-jin of Hillstate, scoring 15 points.

For Hillstate, the start of this season looks a lot like last season. In the 2021-22 season, Hyundai Hillstate recorded the longest winning streak in the history of the V League, at 15 games.

Hillstate was able to set the new record on Feb. 22 after beating the Industrial Bank of Korea Altos at Suwon Gymnasium with a set score of 3-1, beating the previous record of 14 consecutive wins set by Seoul GS Caltex Kixx in the 2009-10 season.

Not only did they win 15 matches in a row, but they also won 45 sets, conceding only 10 in total, meaning that they pulled off a 3-0 complete shutout in seven of their matches and had to play only two five-set matches.

Hillstate will this season have their eyes fixed on the title after missing out on the trophy for two years despite topping the standings.

Last season, with Hillstate just one win away from winning the trophy, the Korean Volleyball Federation (KOVO) canceled the remaining scheduled games of the 2021-22 V League season and the postseason as the number of Covid-19 cases was climbing at the time.

The premature end to the season meant that for the second time in the last three years, Hillstate were unable to win the V league title despite dominating for the entire season and being just one win away from winning the trophy.

Hillstate also failed to win in the 2019-20 season, which was cut short after the first five rounds. They had topped the table that season after winning 20 matches and losing seven.

While Hillstate gets to keep their lead for another week, the Incheon Heungkuk Life Pink Spiders are hot on their heels, beating Korea Ginseng Corporation in three straight sets on Friday.

The Pink Spiders will be looking to close the gap on Hillstate on Tuesday when they face Korea Expressway Corporation Hi-pass.

The big showdown between the No. 1 Hillstate and No. 2 Pink Spiders is scheduled to be held at Samsan Stadium in Incheon on Friday, and will determine whether the Suwon club will get a firmer grip on their lead or the Incheon club will get closer to pole position.

BY YUN SO-HYANG [yun.sohyang@joongang.co.kr]