Two V-League matches where the late phase of each set decides things. KB Stars and Busan OK are both rebuilt, but one side has a fixed six that has played three official matches together and the other is still changing its wings. In the women's game, Hungkuk's single-finisher closing runs into a Daejeon side whose spread attack already kept sets level against this same core. In both, the question is who can still close a set after 20, not who has the bigger names.
KB Stars vs Busan OK. KB play through their German opposite Linus, who scored 26 in the opener, but they made 30 errors against Samsung and let leads slip late in the first two sets. Their Asian-quota outside hitter was released two days before that match and has not been replaced. The coach himself said they could not stop the opponent's outside hitters. OK bring a new 21-year-old setter but an unchanged six, with Russell's serve, Payze in the middle and two outside hitters who can score, Kim Jung-ho and captain Jeon Kwang-in. That six came back from two sets down to beat Samsung in the cup. KB lost at home to that same Samsung. OK's outside hitters attack exactly the weakness KB's coach named, and their block can read a KB attack that leans on one man. KB may well start fast at home while OK shake off 13 days without a match, but the tight endings should go OK's way more often. That's why I'm siding with Busan OK to win on the road.
Hungkuk vs Daejeon JKJ. Hungkuk close sets through Kindelan, who scored 34 against JKJ in the cup, with a rebuilt group around her that still makes plenty of errors. In that cup meeting JKJ had no foreign player and still won the first set 25-18, then took two more sets deep into the 20s and to deuce. Hungkuk's only straight-sets wins this season came against a depleted SOOP, while IBK and GS each took two sets off them. Now Bukiric returns for JKJ. She may not be fully fit, but she gives them the late-set outlet they lacked. Rust after 20 days off is mostly a first-set question, and the first set was JKJ's best in the cup meeting. That's why I expect JKJ to take at least one set and the match to run past three.
