Korean Air, which is aiming for its fifth consecutive championship win, lost the first match.
Under the leadership of head coach Tomi Tiilikainen, Korean Air lost to Hyundai Capital with a set score of 1-3 (20-25, 26-24, 22-25, 23-25) in the first match of the Dodram 2024-2025 V-League championship final series (best of five) held at the Cheonan Yu Gwan-sun Gymnasium on the 1st.
The probability of winning the championship for the team that wins the first match in the men's championship final is 73.7% (14 out of 19 times), making it a significant game, but they were overpowered by regular-season champion Hyundai Capital. Russell scored a team-high 27 points but self-destructed with 33 errors, 9 more than Hyundai Capital. It also appeared that there was some physical burden from playing up to the third match of the playoffs against KB Insurance.
After the game, Tiilikainen said, "I congratulate Hyundai Capital for winning first. We had our chances, but we didn't seize those opportunities. Still, the positive thing is that our players fought until the end without giving up. The atmosphere is good. This is the atmosphere of a final. We will not give up and will overcome this."
Although there was a physical burden from playing up to the third match of the playoffs, Tiilikainen shook his head. He said, "I don't think stamina issues are to blame for today's loss," adding, "If we had converted more errors into points, there would have been opportunities. Looking at the big picture, the second match will not be significantly different from today. We must seize opportunities when they come."
Korean Air will take a day off and aim for revenge in the second match of the championship final, which will be held at the same location on the 3rd.
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