Daejeon ties Samsung Fire, Chung to play spring volleyball together for first time in 10 years

 The Daejeon-based men's and women's professional volleyball teams are on the verge of joining forces for the postseason. While the women's team has already qualified for spring volleyball, the men's team, Samsung Fire, is in the final stretch.

The Fire swept GS Caltex 3-0 (25-13 25-21 25-19) in three sets in the Dodram 2023-2024 V-League women's home match at the Daejeon Chungmu Gymnasium on March 7.

With their seventh consecutive victory, Jungkwanjang secured third place in the regular season with a 20-14 record and 61 points. With the victory over fourth-place GS Caltex, Chung Kwan-jang returned to spring volleyball for the first time in seven years after the 2016-2017 season. The team will face the league's second-place team in the playoffs.

After missing the postseason last year by a single point, the team has come full circle in one season.

Now, the team is hoping to reach the championship game for the first time in 12 years. The team made the playoffs in the 2013-2014 and 2016-2017 seasons, but never reached the championship game. The last time he reached the championship match was in the 2011-2012 season, when he won the title with Colombian Montaño, Han Yumi, Jang Ji-yeon, Kim Se-young, and others.

While Chung Kwan-jang is making headway in spring volleyball, the men's Samsung Fire, who share the Daejeon Chungmu Gymnasium as their home court, 스포츠토토 are also trying to make a run at the postseason.

As of the morning of the 8th, Samsung Fire is in fourth place in the league with 18 wins, 15 losses, and 48 points. They are seven points behind third-place OK Financial Group (55 points). Fifth-place KEPCO and sixth-place Hyundai Capital are tied for fifth with 47 points.

In the V-League, the fourth-place finisher qualifies for the postseason. However, the semi-playoffs between the third- and fourth-place teams will only be held if the difference between the two teams is three points or less. If the goal difference exceeds three points, the third-place finisher goes directly to the playoffs. For Samsung Fire, they need to close the gap with OK Financial Group to within three points in their remaining matches.

The semi-finals are urgently needed for Samsung Fire. Once the most decorated franchise in the entire men's league with eight championships, the Fire have fallen from grace since the departure of head coach Shin Chi-yong. The team hasn't made it to spring volleyball since 2017-2018.

Last year, the team finished in seventh place, the lowest in the league, but this season, thanks to the strong play of foreign player Yosubani and the contributions of domestic players, Samsung Fire jumped to the top. Although the team has slumped since the middle of the season, they still have a chance to make the postseason.

Samsung Fire will host longtime rival Hyundai Capital on their home court on the afternoon of the 8th for their final regular season matchup. With a 4-1 head-to-head record this season, a win would allow Samsung Fire to close the gap on third-place OK Financial Group by four to five points.

After Hyundai Capital, the team will face KEPCO and Woori Card. They need to earn as many points as possible in these matches to secure their spot in the spring volleyball season.

If Jung Kwan-jang and Samsung Fire advance to the postseason, Daejeon volleyball fans will be able to enjoy a spring festival for the first time in a decade. The last time both men's and women's Daejeon-based teams competed in the postseason was in the 2013-2014 season.

Samsung Fire and Jung Kwan-jang have not moved since the inception of professional volleyball in 2005. With the support of the loyal Daejeon volleyball fans, it will be interesting to see if both teams can finish the season with a satisfactory performance.