GS칼텍스 Triumphs: How the Underdog Team Secured a Shocking V-League Championship Victory

Coach Lee Young-taek – Silva / Photo = Ahn Seong-hoo

[Jangchung=Sports Today reporter Shin Seoyoung] GS Caltex head coach Lee Young-taek was overcome with emotion after clinching the title.

On April 5 at Seoul’s Jangchung Gymnasium, GS Caltex beat Korea Expressway Corporation 3-1 (25-15, 19-25, 25-20, 25-20) in Game 3 of the 2025-2026 Jin Air V-League women’s finals (best-of-five) on their home court.

Having already taken the first two games on the road (3-1 and 3-2), GS Caltex finished the series with a three-game sweep and lifted the championship trophy.

The title is GS Caltex’s fourth overall and their first since the 2020-2021 season, when the club completed a treble — five years ago.

GS Caltex, which finished the regular season third (19-17, 57 points), pulled off a stunning upset over top-seeded Korea Expressway (24-12, 69 points). With this season introducing the league’s first-ever play-in round, GS Caltex became the first No. 3 seed to win the championship after advancing through the play-in and playoffs.

A No. 3 regular-season team has won the finals only three times before — GS Caltex in 2007-2008, Heungkuk Life in 2008-2009, and Korea Expressway in 2022-2023 — making this the fourth instance. This is the first time a No. 3 seed has captured the championship with an undefeated finals performance.

After the game, Lee told reporters, \”It feels like a dream. This is the position I set out to reach when I started coaching, and I owe it all to the players.\” He added, \”I’m grateful to the players. Maybe I’m getting older — I kept tearing up. Seeing them brought me to tears.\”

Silva was the series’ standout, piling up an astounding 104 points across three matches. She scored 33 in Game 1, 35 in Game 2 and 36 in Game 3 to carry the team to the title. She clutched her knee multiple times during the third set and visibly battled through pain, yet delivered when it mattered most. Silva was also named the finals MVP.

Lee heaped praise on his star: \”She’s incredible — words can’t fully describe her. I saw her struggle with knee pain in the third set and felt bad that I couldn’t take her out, but she fought through it on her own. She’s truly remarkable.\”

GS Caltex’s outlook looked bleak at midseason. \”We never expected to win,\” Lee admitted. \”Our first goal was simply to reach the spring playoffs. Practices were fine, but early-season injuries kept forcing us to change plans.\”

He added, \”We were aiming for about 20 wins but fell one short. The regular season was so tight that everyone, including the players and myself, was under constant stress. The last game decided our playoff fate. With an ace like Silva, I believed short series would be our chance — and she delivered.\”

Lee credited the team’s resilience: \”The players were exhausted and there was always the fear that losing one game could derail us, but they held on and won. This result belongs to the players.\”

Asked which player showed the most improvement, he said, \”Overall, everyone grew a lot. Captain Yoo Seoyeon had a career year. Kwon Minji filled both middle blocker and outside hitter roles and did her part. Choi Ga-eun became a starter from Round 5 and contributed throughout the postseason. It’s too hard to single anyone out — they all improved this season.\”

On the past two seasons, Lee reflected, \”What is there to evaluate? Last season I was a coach who barely escaped last place. I’m glad we were able to play until the end this year. From the play-in onward we played the most games, and the players overcame the difficulties.\”

Finally, Lee said he will continue working to retain Silva and vowed to be active in the free-agent market if the team needs reinforcements.

[Sports Today reporter Shin Seoyoung sports@stoo.com]
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