The women’s professional volleyball team GS Caltex has been hit with a major setback. The team reached the cup final but lost a key player to injury.

GS Caltex swept Hyundai E&C in three sets to one (23-25, 25-23, 25-17, 25-20) in the semifinals of the 2023 Gumi Dodram Cup Professional Volleyball Tournament at Park Jung-hee Gymnasium in Gumi City, Gyeongsangbuk-do, on Thursday. The team advanced to the final and continued its quest for a second consecutive title.

Kang So-hwi led the offense with a team-high 23 points, including four blocks, and posted a 44.19% attack percentage. Moon Ji-yoon (14 points), Yoo Seo-yeon (14 points), and Kwon Min-ji (11 points) also played well.

Despite reaching the final, the team lost a key player. During the match, outside hitter Choi Eun-ji (31-182 cm) suffered an ankle injury and was stretchered off the court. Choi sprained her ankle while landing on her feet in the second set, down 0-1 and down 5-9.

Choi has been sidelined by ankle injuries in the past. She was diagnosed with a torn left medial ligament in February and missed four weeks. She returned to action on March 9 against Pepper Savings Bank, but was only able to play three games before her season ended. 꽁머니사이트

The exact extent of the injury is still unknown, but thankfully, it was her right ankle and not her left knee, which was injured last year.

Choi, a former Sunmyeong Girls’ High School student, made her professional debut in the 2011-2012 season after being selected by IBK’s startup team. After playing for Korea Expressway Corporation and KGC Ginseng Corporation, she joined GS Caltex for the 2021-2022 season.

In his first season with GS Caltex, he played in 26 games (46 sets), scoring 60 points with a 36.24% attack success rate. Last season, he played in 21 games (54 sets), scoring 90 points with a 38.10% attack percentage.

GS Caltex, which played the remainder of the season without Choi, finished with a 16-20 record and 48 points, finishing fifth and failing to qualify for the postseason. Choi’s role as a breadwinner left a huge void.

While the start of the new season is still two months away, it’s time for her to get fit and avoid any major injuries. It remains to be seen if Choi will have the same bad luck as last season.