KEPCO’s handsome outside hitter Lim Seong-jin (24) has taken a step toward becoming the next-generation ace.
KEPCO won Woori Card with a set score of 3-1 (25-19, 25-18, 18-25, 25-22) in the Dodram 2022-2023 V-League Men’s Semi-Playoff single game held at Jangchung Gymnasium in Seoul on the 22nd. did. With this, KEPCO, which was in 4th place in the regular league, beat Woori Card, which was in 3rd place for 2 consecutive years, to play the 2nd place Hyundai Capital, which will start on the 24th, in a best-of-three playoff stage.
One of the decisive factors that made the difference between the two teams on this day was the presence of a third striker. Agamez-Na Gyeong-bok (Woori Card)메이저놀이터and Thais-Seo Jae-deok (KEPCO), which the two teams are proud of, scored 42 points and 40 points, respectively, on this day as well. However, unlike KEPCO, where Lim Seong-jin scored 11 points and Shin Young-seok scored 9 points, Woori Card’s Lee Sang-hyeon and Song Hee-chae failed to support them with a total of 10 points.
Among them, Lim Seong-jin, who rose to the second option from the 4th set, was dazzling. Lim Seong-jin scored 6 points in the 4th set and relieved the burden of tired Seo Jae-deok and Thais. In particular, with KEPCO leading 23-22, KEPCO coach Kwon Young-min longed for the scene where he tried a strong spike against two Woori Card blockers and pulled out a touch-out.
In a pre-interview on the V-League Postseason Media Day held on the 20th, coach Kwon expressed regret, saying, “Kim Ji-han (who taught in the past) is greedy on the court and is full of fighting spirit, but Lim Seong-jin is weak in that area. It would be nice to mix the two.” had expressed Heaven can’t do anything like that. Lim Dong-hyeok (Korean Air), who has been with him for 14 years since the 4th grade of elementary school, also certified, saying, “I have never had a fight with (Lim) Seong-jin for 14 years. He is really nice and a really good friend.” But underneath his timid and good-natured personality, there was a stronger sense of responsibility.
At the time of the media day pre-interview, Seong-jin Lim said about the great match in Jangchung with his friend Kim Ji-han this season, “I feel that men’s volleyball has declined in popularity these days. said. In the official Media Day interview that followed, he showed a spirit that was not like him, saying, “The coach said he would like a crazy player to appear, but I will try to be that crazy guy this time.” As a male volleyball player, as a member of KEPCO, it was a statement that was filled with responsibility.
And in the end, he kept his promise. From the 4th set under coach Kwon’s direction, a lot of work began to go to Lim Seong-jin, and he hit the river spike without hesitation. Im Seong-jin, who made a match point in the 4th set and roared, was an awakened ace who had shed a shell.
After the game, Lim Seong-jin said, “I just thought I had to finish it in the 4th set somehow. (Seo) Jae-deok and Tais took a lot of share until the 3rd set, so I felt that my stamina had fallen, and I thought I had to do it.” (23-22 Back Attack Situation) Even then, I thought (Ha) Seung-woo hyung wouldn’t be able to float it, but he came up and hit me with the thought of “all or nothing.”
In response, team senior Seo Jae-deok said, “The coach usually evaluated (Lim) Seong-jin as being a bit timid, but today I didn’t see that part. Rather, there was a part where I leaned on Seong-jin at the end of the game. I have developed a lot, and I feel that I have grown much more than last year,” he proudly said.
Coach Kwon also expected, “I think (Lim) Seong-jin will grow even more thanks to today’s game. He gained confidence in the semi-playoffs, so I think he will do better in the playoffs.”