Hillstate coach praises Megawati but flags setter coordination after defeat
Megawati scored 14 points on her Hillstate debut as Hi Pass won 3-0 in the opening match of the 2026 KOVO Cup.
Hillstate coach Kang Sung Hyung praised Megawati Hangestri Pertiwi’s attacking performance after the team lost to Hi Pass at Jinnam Gymnasium on 14 October. He said coordination between setter Kim Da In and new arrivals Megawati and Jordan Wilson was not yet fully established.
Hi Pass took the opening 2026 KOVO Cup match 3-0, with set scores of 17-25, 16-25 and 18-25 from Hillstate’s perspective. Megawati finished her debut with 14 points and a success rate of 35 per cent. Foreign outside hitter Wilson contributed 15 points, with a success rate of 34.15 per cent.
Kang said both players had attacked well, but the match exposed problems the team had already anticipated. Hillstate committed 17 errors, compared with seven by Hi Pass. The coach acknowledged that the opposition had performed better in attack and defence.
Following changes to its squad, Hillstate struggled to block a Hi Pass attack featuring Laetitia Moma Bassoko, Kang So Hwi and Mami Uchiseto. Strengthening the middle-blocker line remains a task for Kang ahead of the 2026/2027 Korean volleyball league season, after Yang Hyo Jin’s retirement this season weakened that position.
