Megawati Hangestri's Momentum to Fight to the Last Point

The journey of the second season for Indonesian women's volleyball player, Megawati Hangestri Pertiwi, in South Korea has reached its final stage. Megawati, along with Daejeon Jung Kwan Jang Red Sparks, needs just one more victory in the final round to claim the championship title that has been long awaited. There is no reason not to fight until the very end.

Megawati's struggle to lead Red Sparks to rise in two home matches has borne sweet results. They now have one last opportunity to work hard and prove that they deserve to be champions after a 13-year wait. The team, coached by Ko Hee-jin, will challenge Heungkuk Life Insurance Pink Spiders, who will play in front of their home crowd at Samsam World Gymnasium, Incheon, on Tuesday (8/4/2025).

Although playing on the opponent's home ground in the fifth match of the final round, Megawati and her teammates need not be intimidated. Moreover, history actually favors them. The experience of the Red Sparks in previous seasons serves as a valuable asset.

Red Sparks has won the Korean Volleyball League, or V League, three times. This occurred in the 2005 season, 2009-2010, and 2011-2012. What is interesting is that all three championship titles were achieved whenever Red Sparks reached the finals. In other words, they always emerged as champions whenever they managed to compete in the pinnacle phase.

The issue that haunts and could potentially become an obstacle for Red Sparks in replicating a similar story in the 2024-2025 season is the physical condition of the players. The players, including Megawati, are beginning to experience fatigue after playing almost non-stop since the end of September. A significant number of players are also starting to suffer from injuries.

"After a long season, after the playoffs, and now the championship (finals), my physical condition is not good," said Megawati, quoted from South Korean media, Osen.

Before competing in the V League, Megawati and Red Sparks first participated in the KOVO Cup from late September to early October. They then embarked on the V League season with a match schedule every three to five days within a week. V League teams only get a slightly longer break after the New Year.

In 35 regular season matches, Megawati was only absent once. Starting from the playoff phase which lasted for three matches, plus the final round which has rolled four matches, Megawati has always appeared to strengthen the Red Sparks.

Coach Ko Hee-jin repeatedly stated that his players were exhausted and not in their best physical condition during the final round. Specifically for Megawati, the player nicknamed "Megatron" by fans was also fatigued and experiencing pain in her right knee.

However, Megawati continued to play through the pain. The player from Jember, East Java, even scored 40 points and 38 points in the two home games of the final round to keep the Red Sparks' chances of winning alive.

"I pushed myself to the maximum level. Not only me, but all the players also felt pain (due to injury). However, we were able to win because we did our best," said Megawati after defeating Pink Spiders in the fourth match, Sunday (6/4/2025), as reported by STN Sports.

"I was so moved that I cried. I think my teammates and I tried our best because we didn't want to lose," he said again.

Megawati understands that her physical condition is not as good as usual. However, the 25-year-old player is confident that her steely determination will overcome the pain in her body.

After last season only being able to make it to the playoffs and failing to qualify for the finals, it is natural that Megawati does not want to waste the opportunity in her second season. She wants to break through the limits again, fighting to the end.

"Even though my physical condition is not good, I am still determined to do my best until the end. If I have a strong mentality and positive thoughts, then my body will respond," said the Best Opposite Spiker of the 2023 Asian Women's Volleyball Challenge Cup.

Megawati is also waiting for a new history, especially after successfully ending her second season in the "Land of Ginseng" with a championship win. She will be the first Indonesian volleyball player to win the Korean Volleyball League.

Ko Hee-jin also expressed a similar determination in the upcoming final match. "I want the team to play great. Despite the injury, the team is determined to perform great until the end. I want to work hard so that everyone can applaud in the final match in the V League," he said.

While the Red Sparks have a good record despite the players' not being in top form, the Pink Spiders are haunted by the trauma of the last two seasons. The conditions in the 2022-2023 season are almost the same as what the Pink Spiders are experiencing this season.

Pink Spiders directly qualified for the final after winning the regular phase. They lead the regular phase standings with a convincing advantage, namely 8 points from the second-placed, Suwon Hyundai Hillstate.

In the final round, Pink Spiders met Gimcheon Hi-pass who was ranked third in the regular season. Hi-pass' position is the same as Red Sparks this season, who were able to qualify for the final after defeating the second-place team in the playoffs.

Facing Hi-pass, Pink Spiders immediately took the lead in the first two matches. However, Pink Spiders were forced to continue the final round until the fifth match after losing the next two matches.

It was the same as what the Pink Spiders experienced in the final round this season. After beating the Red Sparks in their first two games, they lost the next two. A 2-2 aggregate forced the match to go to a decider to find the best team to win a total of three games.

At that time, bad luck befell Pink Spiders. In the last match, Pink Spiders had to admit Hi-pass' superiority after a 2-3 defeat. The championship title then drifted into Hi-pass' hands.

Pink Spiders coach Marcello Abbondanza, who also coached the team that season, was reluctant to discuss the bitter memories further. Abbondanza wanted to focus on his current team and improve their performance in the final match.

"In a final, small choices make a big difference. Our character was not strong enough at the crucial moment. We have to show a better performance in the next game," said the Italian coach.

"I don't want to talk about two years ago. Our team is a different team now. Even if the final score is the same as two years ago, there is no match for it," he said again.

Now, only the battle in the arena will answer whether what is repeated is the bitter trauma of the Pink Spiders or the beautiful memories of the Red Sparks? While players, like Megawati, are ready to challenge the limits of their bodies and destiny for one final victory.

Amidst the pain and exhaustion, Megawati's spirit will become an unquenchable flame, illuminating the Red Sparks' path to glory. This is a moment that demands everything—soul, body, and the courage to endure to the very end.