Hyundai Capital have struck back with their first victory after dropping the opening two games of the men's professional volleyball championship series (best-of-five).
Hyundai Capital swept Korean Air 3-0 (25-16, 25-23, 26-24) in Game 3 of the Jin Air 2025-2026 V-League men's division championship finals at Cheonan Yugwansun Gymnasium on Tuesday. Having lost Games 1 and 2 on the road, Hyundai Capital claimed their first win of the series on home court. The two teams will play Game 4 at the same venue on Thursday.
Ahead of the match, Hyundai Capital head coach Philippe Blain said he could not accept the out-of-bounds call on Leonardo Leyva Martinez's (registered name Leo) serve in the fifth set of Game 2. "We will use our anger as a catalyst and fight for our lives on the court," Blain said. Hyundai Capital could have won Game 2 had Leo's serve been ruled a point, but it was called out and the team lost after a deuce battle. Hyundai Capital filed an appeal with the Korean Volleyball Federation, calling the decision unacceptable, but the federation upheld the original ruling as a "correct reading" before Tuesday's match.
True to Blain's words, Hyundai Capital showed overwhelming attacking power in the first set. The team posted an 80% attack success rate — a figure rarely seen in professional play — while libero Park Kyung-min threw his body across the court relentlessly. Heo Su-bong added two blocking points, and Leo hammered a serve along the exact same trajectory that had sparked the Game 2 controversy, this time earning the point before celebrating toward the crowd.
