Megawati Hangestri Benched; Red Sparks Defeat Hyundai Hillstate 3-1

Daejeon, MINA – The match between Red Sparks and Hyundai Hillstate, part of the 2026-27 Korean Volleyball League season, took place on Saturday. The winner would secure their first victory of the current season.

Playing at the Red Sparks’ home venue, Daejeon Chungmu Gymnasium, Zhong Hui and her teammates defeated Megawati and the Red Sparks squad 3-1 (21-25, 27-25, 25-19, 25-19).

First Set

Hyundai Hillstate claimed the opening point through Lee Yerim. They went on to score five consecutive points—including three from Lee Yerim and a service ace—to take a 0-5 lead, eventually reaching the first technical timeout at 2-8.

An in-form Lee Yerim continued to contribute points for Hyundai, extending the lead to 7-13. However, a series of unforced errors by Megawati and her teammates allowed Red Sparks to narrow the gap to 11-13.

Red Sparks later managed to level the score at 17-17. Megawati briefly halted a two-point run by her former club to make it 17-18, but Hyundai responded with a string of points to pull ahead, 19-23.

Megawati and her team ultimately secured the first set 21-25, following an attack error by Zhong Hui. Score: 0-1.

Second Set

Red Sparks opened the second set with three unanswered points, but Megawati responded with a spike, followed by two more points to tie the score at 3-3. Hyundai reached the first technical timeout leading 6-8.

The match remained tightly contested midway through the set, with the hosts repeatedly leveling the score before taking a 19-18 lead. They added two more consecutive points to reach 21-18.

Red Sparks held a 24-23 advantage. However, an error by Park Eun Jin brought the score to a 24-24 deuce. Ultimately, Red Sparks secured the second set with a final score of 27-25. The match was tied at 1-1.

Third Set

In the third set, Red Sparks surged ahead, reaching the second technical timeout with a 16-11 lead.

With the score at 17-12, Megawati was substituted off and replaced by Na Hyun-soo. By that point, Megawati had already contributed 16 points.

Red Sparks continued to pull away, extending their lead to 20-13. Zhong Hui and her teammates eventually won the third set 25-19, following a clever feint play by Shin Eun-ji.

The score moved to 2-1 in favor of Red Sparks.

Fourth Set

In the fourth set, Megawati Hangestri remained on the bench, while Red Sparks took an early 3-1 lead.

Jordan Wilson then helped Hyundai level the score at 7-7.

After a back-and-forth exchange of points, Red Sparks pulled ahead by scoring three consecutive points to reach 16-13.

With Red Sparks leading 18-15, the coach brought Megawati back onto the court. However, her late re-entry did little to help Hyundai overcome their deficit.

Red Sparks continued to extend their lead to 21-15. After contributing two points, Megawati was once again substituted off by the coach.

Red Sparks ultimately won the set 25-19, securing a 3-1 victory in the match.

Despite scoring 18 points, Megawati ended up on the losing side against her former club.

This marks the first win for Red Sparks and the second defeat for Hyundai Hillstate. []

Mi’raj News Agency (MINA)