"It will help the team run."

Korean Air, led by head coach Tommy Tilikainen, will play the first round of the men's championship match against Dodram 2023-2024 V-League postseason OK Financial Group at Gyeyang Gymnasium in Incheon on the 29th.

Korean Air went straight to the championship game as No. 1 in the regular season. Despite facing a crisis in the middle of the season, it gradually increased the number of wins in the fifth and sixth rounds. Having successfully reversed the mood, Korean Air has achieved its regular season No. 1 ranking for the fourth consecutive year with 23 wins and 13 losses (71 points), beating second-ranked Woori Card (23 wins and 13 losses, 70 points) by one point.

Korean Air could hardly afford to let go of its tension until the final game of the season. After sweeping KB Insurance 3-0 on Friday, it had to watch the outcome of the match between Woori Card and Samsung Fire & Marine Insurance on Wednesday last week, but Woori Card lost to Samsung Fire & Marine Insurance 2-3 and ended the regular season with No. 1 Korean Air and No. 2 Woori Card. The award ceremony for the top-ranked team in the regular season took place before the game on Saturday.

Before the match, Korean Air coach Tommy Tilikainen said, "I focused on recharging my physical and mental capacity. The players had more opportunities to work together. We prepared for the championship game by emphasizing that we longed for victory," adding, "As both our team and OK Financial Group know each other well, we prepared to keep it as simple as possible rather than tactical. There is no problem (about the actual sense). I am not worried."

Now, Korean Air is seeking its fourth consecutive win in the history of consolidation (ranking first in the regular league and winning the championship title). Previously, the Korean Air had three consecutive wins from the 2020-2021 season to the last season. It was the second win in the history of the V League. If the Korean Air acquires the championship title this year, it will make history for the first time.

Korean Air, which had to restructure itself for two weeks, made a winning move in the process of preparing for the championship game. On the 23rd, it replaced foreign player Murad Khan (registered name Murad) and recruited a substitute foreign player, Maxim Zigalov (registered name Maksim). After Lincoln Williams (registered name Lincoln) and Murad, who were replaced due to injuries during the season, the Korean Air has come to meet the third foreign player, including Maxim.

Maxim, a Russian national, was active in the Police Union in the Qatar League and played in various overseas leagues, including Poland and the United Arab Emirates. Before coming to Korea, he boasted outstanding attack and technique in the Qatar League, ranking first in score tally and second in serve.

After getting on a plane bound for Korea on Tuesday, he arrived in Korea on Tuesday and played with Korean players for a week. "It's been a week since I joined the team. Maxim's style is a good match for our volleyball, so there will be no big difficulties, and it will be very helpful for the team's management in the championship game," Tilikainen said of the recruitment of Maxim.

"We are a team that plays speed volleyball, and I think we fit in best with Maxim in that area. As such, I have a lot of experience, and I have a very high understanding of certain situations through experiencing several overseas leagues," he added

Korean Air will play against OK Financial Group, the winning team of the playoffs. OK Financial Group (20 wins, 16 losses, 58 points), the third-ranked team in the regular season, beat Hyundai Capital (18 wins, 18 losses, 55 points) in the semi-playoff, and advanced to the championship stage by winning two consecutive games against Woori Card, the second-ranked team in the regular season.

In this season's showdown, Korean Air had a slight advantage with four wins and two losses. However, in terms of the latter half of the year (rounds 4-6), OK Financial Group won the fourth round 3-0 and the sixth round 3-2 to gain the upper hand with two wins and one loss. OK Financial Group, which recorded three consecutive losses in the Korean Air match at the beginning of the season, boosted its confidence through showdowns in the second half.

OK Financial Group, which will be its third championship game since 2014-2015 and 2015-2016, is aiming for the first championship trophy in eight years. OK Financial Group coach Masah Ogino said, "I played the full set twice in the post-season, and I took a break due to players' fatigue. I prepared for the championship game by watching the video."

"I was surprised when Korean Air replaced a foreign player just before the championship game. I don't know much about it, so I think I will have to play the game to find out. I think it will come out as a double switch, but I prepared it by watching the video of the game," Ogiino said. "Korean Air has a thick lineup of players, and I think they practiced a lot."

The most important thing the head coach emphasized to his players is receiving. "I think it would be good if (setters) allocate balls to various players as in the second playoff game against Woori Card. To do so, I emphasized receiving to my players because sub receiving needs to be supported," Ogiino said.

The winning team in the first round of the championship series has a 72.2 percent chance of winning the championship title (13/18). "I don't care much about the probability as it is in the past. I will play with the mindset of a challenger. I hope that the players will display 100 percent of their capabilities while enjoying the game," said Ogino, who is taking part in the championship series as a challenger.

https://www.totositesafe.com/