“Honestly, I’ve never hit 75, 85 balls in a game in my previous leagues”
Woori Card rallied to defeat Korean Air 3-2 (13-25, 32-34, 32-30, 25-18, 17-15) in the first round of the Dodram 2023-24 V-League Men’s Division at Jangchung Gymnasium in Seoul on March 25.
With the dramatic reverse sweep, Woori Card recorded its first four-game winning streak of the season and broke Shin Young-cheol’s record for most career wins in the men’s program (277).
They also swept Korean Air at home for the second time this season, extending their home winning percentage to 100%. Matei led both teams in scoring with 47 points (53.85% offensive success rate), followed by Kim Ji-han with 20 points.
Matei is the only new face in the Men’s V-League ahead of this season.
Tais (KEPCO), Lincoln (Korean Air), and Bijena (KB Insurance) have all re-signed with their respective teams, while Ahmed (Hyundai Capital) joined from other organizations last season.
Aside from Woori Card, the other six clubs have opted to go with players with V-League experience or existing players, but Woori Card has taken a chance with Matey Kok, who is making his first foray into Korea. So far, so good. After four games in Round 1, Matei is in first place overall with 120 points. In second place is Bijena (KB Insurance) with 96 points.
On the day, Woori Card played 165 minutes, breaking the record for the longest game in the men’s division. He broke the previous record of 160 minutes set by Samsung Fire and KB Insurance on November 13, 2022.
After the game, Matei walked in with a smile on his face, and when he heard that he had played the longest game in the history of the V-League, he looked surprised and repeated, “Really?” before saying, “It’s hard. It’s hard.
The Woori Cards have won four straight games to start the 23-24 season, surpassing their first three-game winning streak. “I think the key is that we didn’t make too many errors, we played well, and we did the easy things without missing,” Matej said. “We missed a few easy things today, but overall, our serving, blocking, and breaking points were efficient, and our center play was good.”
Matej was also informed of Shin’s all-time men’s record in the press conference room, and when asked to describe the kind of coach he is, he said, “He has set a really great record. “He has more experience and knowledge than anyone else,” he said, “and I think it’s great that he’s on the first list. I think that’s what makes the players accept it well, and I think I’m improving as well.”토스카지노 도메인
Despite his inexperience in the Korean League, even he has never attempted more than 70 attacks in his career, having previously played for clubs in Slovenia, Poland, and Austria. On the day, he attempted 78 attacks and converted 42. “For the most part, I’ve never faced more than 75 to 85 balls in a game. I’ve never scored more than 35 runs in a game, and today was my highest score.”
It’s a high-pressure position. On the day, his attacking percentage was 50.98%, meaning he was responsible for more than half of the team’s offense. This is the role of a foreign mercenary in a domestic league. “To be honest, it’s a lot of pressure,” Matei said. However, I’m well aware of the role of foreigners in the Korean League, and I don’t mind the pressure because it’s appropriate for the position.”
The Woori Card will look to make it five wins in a row against the KEPCO at the Suwon Indoor Gymnasium on April 29.
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