Women's professional volleyball Hyundai EC opened the championship match with a dramatic come-from-behind victory. Yang Hyo-jin (Hyundai EC), who had concerns about her physical condition due to a neck disk, also showed her fighting spirit.

Hyundai EC defeated Heungkuk Saengsim 3-2 (18-25 14-25 25-20 25-20 25-20 16-14) in the first set of the Dodram 2023-2024 V-League Women's Championship match at Suwon Indoor Gymnasium on Monday.

After dropping the first and second sets in straight sets, the team was on the brink of a cliffhanger, but they had the last laugh as they took the next three sets.

Hyundai EC's Ju Po Moma led the way with 37 points in the win. Yang Hyo-jin also contributed 16 points with five blocks.

One of the variables for HMC in the championship match was the health of Yang Hyo-jin. She suffered from a herniated neck disk.

Concerned about this, she emphasized rest over training while preparing for the championship after the regular season. "I rested for almost a week and didn't exercise. Since then, I've been getting better," she smiled.

Hyundai EC, which played its first game in 12 days after the regular-season finale against Pepper Savings Bank on Nov. 16, struggled to get going early on.

"I think the players' eyes were like, 'We can't be this bad,'" said Yang Hyo-jin. Instead, we pulled back after the second set. We thought, 'Let's keep matching, let's try, and let's move forward,' because the first set didn't end and there are still more matches to come," she reflected.

The majesty of the No. 1 team in the regular season began to show as their serves came alive and Moma's offense began to explode.

In addition, Heungkuk Life, which had advanced to the third round of the playoffs (2-1), began to lose stamina as the sets went on. "I wasn't paying attention to the details (of the opponent's physical strength) because I was trying to find my own condition," said Yang Hyo-jin, "but I think it would have been hard even if I was in that situation."

The dramatic come-from-behind victory could have boosted morale, but Yang was wary of that. "I think we need to stop thinking like that. It's not about wanting to win or not wanting to win. We need to focus on what role we play in the game and what more we need to do," she said.

Hyundai EC is challenging for the title for the first time in eight years since the 2015-2016 season. Yang Hyo-jin is also making her first appearance in the championship game.

"Before I came into the game, I thought about winning and enjoying myself before 먹튀검증 thinking about losing," she smiled, "so I think I need to do a little better.

The championship match is also being billed as a "best friends match" between Heungkuk Life's Kim Yeon-kyung and Yang Hyo-jin.

"I don't think it's a match between me and my sister. All the players on our team, including Moma and Wipawi, have been playing well," she said, adding, "I don't have to put any pressure on myself. We were able to win because everyone played well," she said, emphasizing the importance of her teammates.

However, the presence of Kim Yeon-kyung, whom she met as an 'enemy', was also appreciated. Kim scored a team-high 23 points on the night, following her strong performance in all three playoff games.

"Honestly, I was worried that she would have a hard time physically, but she played well again today. I thought she was great," Yang said.