V-League kicks off with re-match of last year's women's season championship rivals

[Anchor]

The V-League of professional volleyball has opened today.

In a season opener that felt like a championship match, Kim Yeon-koung's Heungkuk Life Insurance defeated the defending champion Hyundai Engineering & Construction.

Reporter Kim Hwa-young visited the scene.

[Report]

Volleyball fans welcoming the V-League opener filled the Suwon Gymnasium.

The excitement of fans, armed with uniforms and cheering tools, heated up even before the match began.

As much as it was a face-off between Hyundai Engineering & Construction and Heungkuk Life Insurance, the two teams that competed for last season's championship, the stands were packed with fans for both home and away teams.

[Hwang Mo-ne/Heungkuk Life Insurance Fan: "(Expected score) 3 to 0! Heungkuk Life Insurance fighting! Kim Yeon-koung fighting!"]

[Kang Yul-hee/Hyundai Engineering & Construction Fan: "Since the end of the season, I kept thinking it would be great if the league started quickly. Hyundai Engineering & Construction will win 3 to 0."]

From Hyundai Engineering & Construction's powerful blocking turning the game around, to Kim Yeon-koung's fiery spike attacks heating up the atmosphere again.

The intense exchanges combined with the passionate support from fans made the court feel like a championship decider.

["Wow~!"]

Led by Heungkuk Life Insurance's new foreign player Tutku and veteran Kim Yeon-koung, the team scored 37 points and achieved a 3 to 1 victory over the defending champion Hyundai Engineering & Construction.

[Kim Yeon-koung/Heungkuk Life Insurance: "(To the fans) I'm always grateful, and even though this was an away game, you made me feel the atmosphere of a home game, which allowed me to play comfortably...."]

In the men's division, Korean Air's Lee Jun scored a personal best of 25 points in a single match, marking a good start in their pursuit for a fifth consecutive season championship victory.

This is KBS News, Kim Hwa-young.