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| Kwon Min-ji – Silva / Photo = Shin Seo-young, Sports Today |
[Jangchung — Sports Today reporter Shin Seo-young] Cuban speedster Giselle Silva (registered as Silva) powered GS Caltex to the championship.
On April 5 at Seoul’s Jangchung Gymnasium, GS Caltex beat Korea Expressway 3–1 (25–15, 19–25, 25–20, 25–20) in Game 3 of the 2025–26 V League women’s championship final, a best-of-five series.
GS Caltex had already taken Games 1 (3–1) and 2 (3–2) on the road. The team closed out the finals with three straight wins to lift the trophy.
The title is GS Caltex’s first in five years — since their treble in 2020–21 — and the fourth in club history.
Entering the postseason as the No. 3 seed (19–17, 57 points), GS Caltex pulled off an upset against top-seeded Korea Expressway (24–12, 69 points). With this season’s introduction of a play-in round, GS Caltex became the first No. 3 team to advance through the play-in and claim the championship.
This is only the fourth time a No. 3 regular-season team has won the title, following GS Caltex (2007–08), Heungkuk Life (2008–09) and Korea Expressway (2022–23). It’s also the first instance of a No. 3 seed sweeping the finals.
Silva dominated the series, totaling 104 points — 33 in Game 1, 35 in Game 2 and 36 in Game 3. She grimaced and clutched her knee several times in the third set but pushed through the pain to lead her team to the championship.
Silva earned Finals MVP honors, receiving 33 of 34 votes from the press panel, with one abstention.
After the match, Silva struggled to sum up the moment. “It’s hard to put this feeling into one word,” she said. “I’m so happy to finally achieve what I’ve dreamed about for three years. We played really well on the court. I can only say I’m happy. I’m so proud of this team.”
On her knee issues, she called it “a chronic problem.” She added, “This season was difficult in many ways, but I finished without any major setbacks. A couple days’ rest should make it better. I’m not the only one feeling pain — everyone has something bothering them. That’s why I couldn’t and wouldn’t give up. Sometimes I wanted to sigh, but when I looked at my teammates, I thought, ‘Let’s fight to the end.’ I kept pushing myself and stayed mentally strong.”
Silva also praised the training staff. “Without them, we might not even have been able to take the court,” she said. “They did an outstanding job from the start of the season through the end. They managed our tight schedule — play one day, rest the next — and often had even less recovery time than we did. I’m very grateful for their care.”
On the topic of re-signing, she said, “I don’t know yet. It’s hard to answer right now,” but was firm about retirement: “I’m not thinking about retiring. I think I can play another two or three years.”
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| Silva’s daughter Siana / Photo = Ahn Seong-hoo |
Before the match, Silva got an emotional boost when her daughter, Siana, delivered the ceremonial first serve. Under her mother’s watch, Siana cleared the net and drew applause from the crowd.
“She couldn’t clear the net in practice yesterday, so as a mother I’m so proud she did it today without practice,” Silva said. “Performing in front of so many people must have been pressure, but she pulled it off and I’m so proud.”
She laughed when asked about Siana’s future. “Until yesterday I would’ve said she liked dancing and acting, but today I can say 100% she has talent for volleyball. I’ll help her find a path in the sport,” she said with a smile.
On plans for downtime, Silva said she wants to spend time with her daughter and enjoy a traditional Cuban black rice dish — something her maternal grandmother makes because her mother isn’t a great cook.
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| Kwon Min-ji / Photo = Ahn Seong-hoo |
Meanwhile, Kwon Min-ji, who finished with 15 points, was visibly emotional. “It feels like a dream come true,” she said. “Everyone wanted this and hoped for it together. I don’t think we’ll ever forget today.”
About her celebration — grabbing her jersey after a score — she smiled, “I wanted fans to feel with me that I’m GS.”
Asked to rank where this match sits in her career, Kwon said she doesn’t want to set limits on herself. “If I had fixed limits, I could rank it, but I don’t want to set limits. If I keep challenging myself, better days will come. It’s hard to rank this one.”
On coach Lee Young-taek, she praised his energy and calm: “He brings fighting spirit and motivation, and that came through to the players. As we played more playoff games, he reminded us to stay composed. Because of him, I think we approached every match with confidence.”
[Sports Today reporter Shin Seo-young sports@stoo.com]
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