Team training for a week → 20 points

 

He only had one week to work with his teammates. However, Maxim Zigarov registered as Maxim, a new foreign player of Korean Air, quickly became involved in the team and made a strong impression even after his debut in the V-League.

Korean Air, led by head coach Tommy Tilikainen, won the first round of the men's championship match against Dodram 2023-2024 V-League Postseason OK Financial Group at Gyeyang Gymnasium in Incheon on the 29th with a set score of 3-1 22-25 25-22 25-20 25-18.

Korean Air, which has had more than two weeks of reorganization since the final regular league match against KB Insurance on the 14th, threw a game-winner to replace foreign players. He left Murad Khan registered name Murad, who had been recruited instead of Lincoln Williams registered name Lincoln, and recruited Maxim, who was playing in the Qatar League.

Maxim, a Russian national, has played in many overseas leagues, including Poland and the United Arab Emirates. Before joining Korea, he boasted outstanding attack and technique in the Qatar League, ranking first in score tally and second in serve.

Maxim, who got on the plane to Korea after the game on the 20th, entered the country on the 22nd and worked with Korean players for a week. "There are many areas where Maxim's style fits well with our volleyball, so there will be no big difficulties, and I think it will help the team run in the championship game," coach Tilikainen said about recruiting Maxim before the game. "We are a team that plays speed volleyball, and I think we are the best suited to Maxim in that area. As such, we have a lot of experience and a very high understanding of certain situations through experiencing several overseas leagues."

The start was a bit shaky. Maxim only scored five points in the first set. His success rate in offense also stood at 34.8 percent. Compared to Jeong who was the only one who scored nine points, the figure was regrettable.

However, Maxim completed the warm-up by scoring six points in the second set, then scored four points in the third set and five points in the fifth set, contributing to his team's victory. He scored 20 points, the second most in his team after Jeong 31 points, and his attack success rate was 44.4 percent.

After the game, Maxim said, "I've been waiting for the game for a week. I've prepared well and worked with the players while training. In fact, I was nervous as it was to make a new history of Korean Air four consecutive wins in men's division, but I think we played a good game," adding, "I and my teammates also enjoyed the game and the atmosphere was good. Many fans came to the stadium, and I felt that everyone liked volleyball."

"Until I came to Korean Air, I knew what kind of volleyball this team was and what kind of speed volleyball it was," Tilikainen said. "As a speed spiker, I was not new to him as he played speed volleyball. During the training, I worked with setter Han and Yoo Kwang-woo in areas that were connected. I had expectations that the more I trained, the better my breathing would be."

"I only trained for a week, but today's game was not bad. I think it would be even better if we keep up with each other. During the game, all the players kept coming up and talked about the connection, and I think the coach is right. I think I am the right player for this team. I think good relationships with the players are also important," he added.

Now, Korean Air has only two wins left until its fourth consecutive loss. As he started off well, he was able to prepare for the second round with a lighter mind on the 31st. "In fact, I didn't know the importance of this championship match until I came to the team, but I knew it had an important meaning after joining the team. When a game begins, if you focus on every moment, rally, and score while staying true to the present, rather than history or anything like this, those things can happen on your own as a team," Maxim said.

Maxim also said, "I think if you enjoy it, you can get good results in the future. The most important thing is that the two best teams met in the championship match. I don't know much about the previous situation, but I had a lot of fun and fun playing in the championship match like this. Jung Ji-seok was so good, and everyone was so good in connection and breathing on the court."

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