Korean Air is now just one win away from claiming the men's professional volleyball championship title in the best-of-five finals series.
Korean Air defeated Hyundai Capital 3-2 (25-23, 25-18, 24-26, 18-25, 18-16) in Game 2 of the Jin Air 2025-2026 V-League Championship Finals at Gyeyang Gymnasium in Incheon on Sunday.
Having won both home games in Games 1 and 2, Korean Air needs just one more victory to lift the championship trophy for the first time in two years since the 2023-2024 season, when the team completed a four-consecutive-title sweep. A championship win would also complete a "treble" this season, following the club's cup tournament title and regular season first-place finish.
Korean Air's new foreign player Jose Masso (registered as Masso) led the team to victory with 14 points, following his 18-point performance in Game 1. Jeong Ji-seok and Lim Dong-hyuk also contributed double-digit scoring. Hyundai Capital, meanwhile, dropped both away games.
Korean Air and Hyundai Capital, which battled for the top regular-season spot until the final stretch, traded leads through the middle of the first set. The momentum shifted in Korean Air's favor late in the set. At 23-22, Hyundai Capital star Leo's back-row attack sailed out of bounds, giving Korean Air set point.
The second set remained closely contested, but Korean Air powered through in the closing stages. Hyundai Capital mounted a fierce comeback in the third set, winning a deuce battle 26-25 to claw back a set. Riding that momentum, Hyundai Capital took the fourth set as well, pushing the match to a decisive fifth set. Korean Air, however, held off Hyundai Capital's charge in a deuce rally in the fifth set to seal the win.
In the 20 championship series played in league history, teams that won both Games 1 and 2 have gone on to win the title all 11 times, a perfect 100% record.
The two teams will meet for Game 3 at 7 p.m. on May 6 at Yu Gwan-sun Arena in Cheonan, South Chungcheong Province, Hyundai Capital's home court.