Megawati Hangestri Returns, Red Sparks Reignite

The second season of Megawati Hangestri Pertiwi in the South Korean Volleyball League, or V League, is more than just continuing her career in the "Land of Ginseng." This season, Megawati has further solidified her position as an important player for Daejeon Jung Kwan Jang Red Sparks and in the V League.

Most recently, Megawati led Red Sparks to victory in the fifth match of the sixth round of the V League 2024-2025 against Gwangju AI Peppers on Thursday (14/3/2025). Competing at Chungmu Gymnasium, Red Sparks displayed dominance and concluded the match with a score of 3-0 (27-25, 25-17, 25-19).

In the victory, Megawati scored the highest points in the club with 35 points. The Indonesian national team's opposite hitter also recorded other brilliant statistics with an attack success rate of 52.46 percent.

The match against AI Peppers was Megawati's first game after being benched by Red Sparks coach, Ko Hee-jin, in the previous three matches. In two consecutive games without Megawati's presence, Red Sparks suffered defeats.

As soon as the whistle was blown and the match began, I felt nervous. I told the coach that I was nervous, and he said it was okay.

Red Sparks lost to Hwaseong IBK Altos with a score of 0-3 (17-25, 17-25, 24-26) in a match on March 5, 2025. Four days later, Red Sparks suffered another defeat with a score of 0-3 (16-25, 16-25, and 16-25) against Suwon Hyundai E&C Hilstate.

"As soon as the whistle blew and the game started, I felt nervous. I told the coach I was nervous, and he said it was okay," Megawati said, as quoted by Korean media, The Spike.

"I think I was nervous because I haven't competed in a long time. I am also human, so I still feel nervous when I see many people among the audience," said Megawati.

Red Sparks coach Ko Hee-jin chose to field young players in the previous three matches. With Red Sparks already assured of a place in the V League playoffs, Ko Hee-jin decided to give young players a chance and rest the team's main players, including Megawati.

Meanwhile, the playoff ticket has been in Megawati and her friends' grasp since before the sixth round of the V League. This means that this is the second time Megawati has led the Red Sparks to advance to the playoffs after doing the same thing last year.

Despite being rested for three matches, Megawati admitted that she is still training hard. The 25-year-old player wants to keep the rhythm of the game so that it doesn't disappear even though she doesn't appear in the match.

"When I wasn't playing, the coach told me to do extra training. I told him that I didn't want to lose my touch, so I wanted to do ball training instead," said Megawati.

Ko Hee-jin's decision proved to be correct. Red Sparks reaped the benefits of Megawati's continuous training. When she returned to play, Megawati appeared fit and brilliant to lead Red Sparks to an important victory.

Megawati even emerged as the best player of the match. With an additional 35 points, Megawati also became the 47th player in the history of the Korean Volleyball League to successfully break through the 1,500-point milestone. She also maintained her position in the top three on the list of highest point scorers.

Thanks to Megawati's impressive performance, Red Sparks managed to climb to second place in the standings with a collection of 23 wins, 12 losses, and 63 points. They shifted Hillstate who had the same points.

If they are able to win their final match against Gimcheon Korea Expressway Hi-Pass, the Red Sparks are certain to finish the regular season as second place in the standings.

The ticket to the playoffs that will start on March 25, 2025 has indeed been won. On the other hand, the opportunity to win the regular round has also been closed considering that Incheon Heungkuk Life Pink Spiders are difficult to catch with a lead of up to 15 points.

However, wins in the sixth-round games are still important. Those games will determine the position of the Red Sparks and Hyundai Hillstate who are battling for second place to host the playoffs first.

The team that finishes at the top of the regular season will advance directly to the grand final to face the best team in the playoffs. The playoffs will be a best-of-three system. This means that the team that wins two games will advance to the final to face the regular season champion.

Meanwhile, the team that is in second place in the final standings of the regular season has the right to host first. The first round of the playoff phase is crucial because it often determines a team's journey.

If a team manages to win in the first half, their chances of advancing to the playoffs are greater. That's why playing at home in the first game is the hope of the team advancing to the playoffs.

Last season, Megawati and her friends played the first match of the playoffs at their opponent's home. The Red Sparks lost that match. Although they managed to retaliate in the second match, they lost again in the deciding match and failed to advance to the final.

Meanwhile, Megawati's performance after being rested for three matches received praise from coach Ko Hee-jin. Ko Hee-jin was surprised by Megawati's contribution which remained large despite losing her attacking partner, Vanja Bukilic, who is recovering from an injury.

"Since playing without Bukilic, Megawati has become the focus by playing an important role in attack," said Ko Hee-jin.

"On the other hand, we showed good rhythm and effective attacks against the opponent's high block. We need to prepare better for the playoffs, and fortunately, we are in good shape at the moment," he said again.