KEPCO VIXTORM VS KOREAN JUMBOS AIR (ROUND6)

Kyle Russell is back in Korea just in time for spring volleyball! On March 13, Korean Air lost 2-3 to Korea Electric Power, confirming their third-place finish in the regular season. Now, they'll face KB Insurance in a best-of-three playoff series starting March 26.

Russell, who replaced injured foreign player Yosvani Hernandez, played only two sets but still scored 16 points. His powerful serves shook the opponent’s defense, proving he’s still got it. Coach Tommy Tillikainen is optimistic, saying they have plenty of time to prepare before the playoffs.

Russell is no stranger to the V-League, having played for KEPCO (2020-21) and Samsung Fire (2021-22). He dominated the serving charts back then and even holds the record for 28 consecutive aces! This season, he was crushing it in Greece, ranking first in overall attack and serving.

Korean Air has won four consecutive championships, but their shot at a five-peat is now limited to just the championship series. With Russell back, they’re betting on his serve power to take down Hyundai Capital and KB Insurance. Last season, their last-minute foreign player swap (Maksim Zagalov) helped them win the championship—can Russell do the same? We’ll see if this gamble pays off!


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Kyle Russell balik ke Korea pas banget buat spring volleyball! Pada 13 Maret, Korean Air kalah 2-3 lawan Korea Electric Power, jadi mereka harus puas di posisi ketiga regular season. Sekarang, mereka bakal duel lawan KB Insurance di playoff best-of-three mulai 26 Maret.

Russell direkrut buat gantiin Yosvani Hernandez yang cedera, dan meskipun cuma main dua set, dia tetap ngegas dengan 16 poin. Servisnya bikin lawan kelabakan! Pelatih Tommy Tillikainen cukup optimis karena masih ada waktu buat persiapan sebelum playoff.

Buat yang belum tahu, Russell bukan orang baru di V-League. Dia pernah main buat KEPCO (2020-21) dan Samsung Fire (2021-22), bahkan dulu rajanya servis! Rekor 28 ace berturut-turutnya masih belum terpecahkan. Musim ini, dia juga gacor di Yunani dengan jadi nomor satu di attack dan serve.

Korean Air udah menang 4 kali beruntun, tapi musim ini mereka harus berjuang lewat championship series buat bikin sejarah lima kali juara. Dengan Russell balik, mereka berharap servisnya bisa ngerusak pertahanan Hyundai Capital dan KB Insurance. Tahun lalu, Korean Air juga pernah ngeganti pemain asing di akhir musim dan berhasil juara. Nah, kira-kira Russell bisa jadi kartu as yang bawa mereka juara lagi nggak? Kita tunggu aja!

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