7th KOVO Cup Title… Korean Air Wins Back-to-Back, Renan: "We Achieved It Together as a Team"
Korean Air defeated Hyundai Capital 3-1 in the KOVO Cup final to win back-to-back titles and their 7th overall championship. With the head coach sidelined by surgery, Coach Rafael led the team, and Ketjinski was named MVP.
Translated from Korean with AI assistance. Read the original. Sources and original publication dates are retained.
Three-Line Summary
- Korean Air defeated Hyundai Capital 3-1 in the men's KOVO Cup final on October 25 to win back-to-back titles.
- Foreign player Ketjinski, who scored 25 points in the final, was named tournament MVP.
- With Coach Renan absent due to surgery, Coach Rafael led the team to its 7th overall cup title.
"It is most important that we achieved this together as a team." Head coach Renan Dal Zotto of Korean Air said this right after the title on October 25 Sports Kyunghyang in an interview. He had undergone spinal disc surgery during this tournament and was absent from the bench. Coach Rafael Hedwitz managed the bench in the final. Korean Air once again claimed the cup title in a final without its head coach.
Korean Air Wins KOVO Cup Final 3-1… 4-Point Margin Across Four Sets
The match was held on the 25th at Jinnam Gymnasium in Yeosu. According to Sports Donga, Korean Air won by a set score of 3-1. The first set was a deuce battle from the start. Korean Air took the lead 26-24, but lost the second set 21-25, returning the match to level. The balance broke in the third set at 25-23, a two-point gap.
Final Set-by-Set Scores (unit: points)
| Set | Korean Air | Hyundai Capital | Point Margin |
|---|---|---|---|
| Set 1 | 26 | 24 | +2 |
| Set 2 | 21 | 25 | -4 |
| Set 3 | 25 | 23 | +2 |
| Set 4 | 25 | 21 | +4 |
| Total | 97 | 93 | +4 |
Adding up the scores of all four sets gives 97-93. The three sets Korean Air won were decided by margins of just 2, 2, and 4 points. The top scorer in this close match was Canadian opposite hitter Ketjinski. According to Sports Chosun, he scored in the final 25 points and was named tournament MVP. Of the 97 points Korean Air scored, 25.8% (25÷97) were his.
Coach Renan Undergoes Spinal Disc Surgery… Coach Rafael Leads as Acting Head Coach
According to Sports Kyunghyang, Coach Renan was absent during the tournament due to spinal disc surgery, and the reins were handed to Coach Rafael Hedwitz. Coach Rafael was a setter as a player. He is not the same person as Woori Card player Rafael Araujo, despite sharing the same name. He joined Korean Air as a coach in 2025 and led the team to the title as acting head coach in this cup tournament.
Coach Renan reportedly praised the coaches and players who filled in for him in his post-title interview. The phrase "as a team" mentioned earlier also came from that interview. He was a silver medalist at the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics and led the Brazilian men's national team from 2017 to 2023. A coach with that background gave credit for this trophy to the entire team.
Coach Rafael Praises Veterans, Names Kim Gyu-min, Han Sun-su, and Jung Ji-seok
In an interview on the 25th, Coach Rafael said, "I want to praise the veteran players, including Kim Gyu-min, Han Sun-su, and Jung Ji-seok." Sports Kyunghyang reported that he assessed these players as having helped lead the younger players and unite the team.
Player name spellings differ by outlet. Sports Chosun spelled the Set 1 quick-attack scorer's name as "Kim Min-gyu," Newspim wrote it as "Kim Gyu-min." The player's name will not be confirmed until the official record is checked.
KOVO Cup: 7 Overall Titles and First Back-to-Back Wins… 2-Title Gap Over Hyundai Capital's 5
According to Sports Donga's summary, Korean Air's KOVO Cup titles came in 2007, 2011, 2014, 2019, 2022, 2025, and 2026. This title is their 7th overall. On this list, the only back-to-back wins were in 2025 and 2026. The six earlier titles were spaced at least 3 years and at most 5 years apart.
Korean Air KOVO Cup Winning Years and Intervals
| Edition | Winning Year | Interval From Previous Title |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2007 | - |
| 2 | 2011 | 4 years |
| 3 | 2014 | 3 years |
| 4 | 2019 | 5 years |
| 5 | 2022 | 3 years |
| 6 | 2025 | 3 years |
| 7 | 2026 | 1 year |
According to Sports Chosun's tally, Korean Air's 7 titles are the most in the men's division. Hyundai Capital is next with 5 (as of 2026.10.25). With this win, the gap that had been 6 to 5 widened to 2 titles. It was a final between the two teams with the most overall titles, and Korean Air took the match 3-1.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q. How many overall KOVO Cup titles has Korean Air won?
Including the 2026 title, the total is 7. By Sports Chosun's count, this is the most in the men's division, and second-place Hyundai Capital has 5.
Q. Who was the 2026 KOVO Cup men's MVP?
Korean Air's Canadian opposite hitter Ketjinski. He scored 25 points in the final against Hyundai Capital.
Q. Why didn't Coach Renan lead the KOVO Cup final?
He underwent spinal disc surgery during the tournament and was absent. In the meantime, Coach Rafael Hedwitz led the team as acting head coach.
Related Official Websites
- Korea Volleyball Federation — KOVO official website
- Korean Air Jumbos — Korean Air Jumbos official team website
Representative image · Stock photo · Not an on-site photo of the current match in this article · Photo=Wikimedia Commons (hyolee2), CC BY-SA 4.0
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