Seven men’s teams received their first-round report cards after Korean Air’s match against OK Financial Group on Sunday.
Samsung Fire was at the top of the list, followed by Woori Card. Both teams finished with a 5-1 record and tied for 14 points, but were evenly matched in set point percentage, with Samsung Fire posting a 3.200 to Woori Card’s 2.500.
Both Samsung Fire and Woori Card have been disappointed with their first-round rankings in the last three seasons, but this season they have turned the tables on the men’s side and are leading the way.
Samsung Fire dreams of rebuilding its franchise. After being ranked sixth in the 20-21 season, fifth in the 21-22 season, and seventh in the 22-23 season as of the first round, the Samsung Fireballs are now ranked first in the new season. This comes on the heels of their runner-up finish at the 2023 Gumi Dodram Cup professional volleyball tournament in August.
In the team rankings by division at the end of the first round, Samsung Fire ranked second in total offense among the seven clubs with an offensive success rate of 54.17%. The team is also ranked second in back-row attacks (59.65% success rate) and open attacks (46.54%), showing that they are a much different team than they used to be, boasting an average of 13.48 set wins per set, good for third in the category.
At the center of Samsung Fire’s dominance is an evenly matched group of players. First, the team’s ace, Cuban outside hitter Yosvani, led the team in scoring with 161 points during the first round, while also ranking first in open attack with a 56.18% success rate. He is also the team’s main gun, ranking third overall in attack with a 55.81% success rate and fourth in service with 0.33 service points per set.
Outside hitters Kim Jung-ho and Park Sung-jin, who form a trio with Yosubani, are also contributing. Kim is tied for first in the conference with a 100 percent success rate on timed attacks, while second-year pro Park Sung-jin is second in the conference with a 67.5 percent success rate on behind-the-back attacks. Middle blocker Kim Jun-woo also anchors the middle with 0.48 blocks per set.
Meanwhile, in the non-scoring categories, libero Lee Sang-wook is solidly anchoring the back row, ranking second in the category with 5.62 defensive successes per set, while setter Noh Jae-wook, the team’s captain, allows the attackers to attack to their heart’s content with his savvy game management.
Despite finishing second to Samsung Fire in set losses, the Woori Card also ended their hot start to the season. After finishing fifth in the first round in each of the last three seasons (20-21, 21-22, and 22-23), the team rebounded this year. In particular, their five-game winning streak after the start of the league was the longest opening streak in the franchise’s history.
The Woori Card leads the team standings in every scoring and non-scoring category at the end of the first round. They rank first in service aces per set (1.1), second in blocks per set (2.57), and third in both scoring and offense with 507 points and a 52.21% offensive success rate. They are also third in quick offense (56.43% success rate) and trailing offense (57.34% success rate). In the non-scoring categories, they are first in reception (47.85% reception efficiency), digs (11.14 per set), and defense (20.14 per set), second in sets (13.81 per set), and second in errors (114) among the seven teams.
Woori Card also has a balanced lineup of players 메이저토토사이트 across positions. Outside hitter Apojit Matei has been the team’s mainstay, averaging 0.43 digs per set and ranking fourth in scoring with 149 points on a 53.17% attack percentage (4th).
Outside hitter Kim Ji-han adds to the team’s versatility in various scoring categories, while middle blocker Park Jin-woo is a solid wall for Woori Card with 0.57 blocks per set (5th).
In the non-scoring categories, second-year pro field commander Han Tae-joon leads the way with 12.76 set wins per set, beating out a number of senior setters, while veteran libero Oh Jae-sung anchors Woori Card’s defense with 3.53 digs per set (1st).