Korean Air, the champions of the 2025-2026 men's professional volleyball season, kicked off the new season with a commanding victory over runners-up Hyundai Capital.

On October 31, Korean Air defeated Hyundai Capital 3-0 in the opening match of the first round of the 2026-2027 HK Heungkuk Financial V-League men's division held at Gyeyang Gymnasium in Incheon.

New foreign player Xander Ketrzynski (registered as Ketrzynski) led the attack with a match-high 19 points and an attack success rate of 75.00%. Jung Ji-suk added 12 points, while Im Dong-hhyuk and Kim Kyu-min contributed 6 points each to secure the win.

For Hyundai Capital, Zhang Chuan and Leonardo Leyva Martinez (registered as Leo) each fought hard with 15 points, and Huh Su-bong added 12 points, but the team suffered defeat after committing 25 unforced errors.

Korean Air and Hyundai Capital traded points from the early stages of the first set, engaging in a tight seesaw battle that brought the score to 19-19 late in the set.

Korean Air took the lead at a crucial juncture thanks to Jung Ji-suk's open attack and an opponent error, reaching the 24-point mark first with Ketrzynski's back-row attack and Kim Kyu-min's quick attack.

Leading 24-22, Korean Air claimed the first set 25-22 after Hyundai Capital's Huh Su-bong was called for a four-hit violation.

In the second set, Korean Air again widened the gap past the midway point, but Hyundai Capital rallied with consecutive points from Leo and a service ace by Huh Su-bong to turn the game around at 22-21.

A shaken Korean Air quickly reclaimed the lead with a service ace from Im Dong-hhyuk and an open attack by Kim Min-jae, setting up set point at 24-22.

At 24-23, Im Dong-hhyuk's back-row attack was blocked by Leo, but the ball bounced off Im's body and dropped fortuitously into the Hyundai Capital court for a lucky point, allowing Korean Air to capture the second set 25-23.

Trailing Hyundai Capital from the early stages of the third set, Korean Air turned the game around late in the set at 20-18 by capitalizing on opponent errors and a back-row attack by Ketrzynski.

Tied at 21-21, Han Sun-su and Choi Jun-hyuk sealed the momentum by successfully blocking consecutive attacks from Hyundai Capital's Huh Su-bong.

Then, at match point 24-22, Jung Ji-suk closed out the match with a powerful spike service ace.

(Photo: Provided by Korea Volleyball Federation, Yonhap News)