.jpg) Samsung BlueFangs wing attacker Gavin Schmitt celebrates after scoring on a serve against Hyundai SkyWalkers in Game 2 of the V-League second round playoff series in Cheonan, South Chungcheong Province, on March 24. The Canadian is the BlueFangs’ key scorer. He scored 57 points in the game, the highest in league history since 2005. / Yonhap |
By Yoon ChulThe aspiring young Korean Air Jumbos are seeking to clinch the first V-League title against the veteran Samsung BlueFangs.
The BlueFangs will defend their title against the regular season champion the Jumbos in the best-of-seven series in Incheon from Sunday.
It is their second postseason meeting. In 2009 the BlueFangs defeated the Jumbos in the second round of the playoffs.
Since Korea’s professional volleyball league started in 2005, the champion series has always been contested by the BlueFangs and Hyundai SkyWalkers.
The BlueFangs have huge experiences in the final round as they have reached the champion series since the team was founded in 1995.
Their biggest concern lies with the fitness of import attacker Gavin Schmitt, as the club relies heavily on him. During the regular season the team set the ball for Schmitt 48.7 percent of the time and it has increased during the postseason. In the first round against the LIG Greaters it was 58.1 percent and rose to 66.2 percent in the second round against archrivals the SkyWalkers.
In Game 2 of second round playoff, Schmitt set a new league record pounding 57 points.
The BlueFangs also have powerful attacker Park Chul-woo, who excelled for the SkyWalkers last season. But he is not performing at the same level and is expected to miss the opening games with a torn palm.
In a well-organized team Schmitt is now the lone focus but he has been suffering from fatigue. Small consolation is he earned some time to rest as the best-of-five second round was won in three games on Saturday.
For the Jumbos, import attacker Evan Patak and Kim Hak-min will lead the attack with assistance from setter Han Sun-soo.
Patak is fifth in the scoring standings. The 2.04-meter tall attacker also had the most aces with 47 this season.
Kim’s attack success rate was 55.65 percent, the league’s best.
In the 2010-11 head-to-head results the Jumbos lead the BlueFangs 4-1.
But the BlueFangs have been crowned champions 12 times over the last 14 years while none of the Jumbos have final-round experience.
“The Jumbos are ahead of us but we have enourmous championship series experience,” BlueFangs head coach Shin Chi-yong said.
“If the series goes to Game 6 or Game 7, it will be hard to win. We will try to end the series by Game 5.”
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