The biggest tournament for college sports club, Korea University Sports Federation (KUSF) Club Championship, whistled its start for the year in March. Applicants gathered from all parts of the country. Ewha Voice met some athletes from Ewha’s volleyball and basketball teams who got winning tickets for the finals. The KUSF Club Championship holds regional rounds from March to September and is currently sorting out winning teams that will be playing in the final games. Champion teams are to be made from the final matches in November between the winning teams from the regional rounds.
EFS, the 2016 and 2017 defending champion of KUSF Club Championship
Founded in 2008, Ewha Free Style (EFS) is a basketball club and also a champion team of the 2016 KUSF Club Championship. By achieving successive glory in the 2017 Club Championship, EFS gained the title of Defending Champion. This year, EFS leads League A women’s basketball, scoring first place in the first round and second place in the second round. “The third round of women’s basketball is to be held at Ewha,” said Shin Na-ra, the captain of EFS and a junior in Division of Human Movement Studies. “We are looking forward to maximizing our home ground advantage to win the game.” Shin expressed great ambition to win the championship as it is the biggest competition that EFS will attend this year. “We won’t lose the title of Defending Champion,” Shin said. “We believe our strength is teamwork; we try to make a deep bond by participating in educational volunteering annually.” As the final round of the championship is right around the corner, they are currently working on dribbling and shooting to maximize their performance. “Basketball is a fun sport; however, there is always a great risk of injuries,” said Jeon Chaeyoung, the manager of EFS and a sophomore in Division of Human Movement Studies. “Considering that two members of EFS had to quit due to cruciate ligament ruptures, I hope EFS can play safely and avoid any further injuries.”
EAVC, the Triple Crown winner of the Prime Minister’s Cup, participates in the KUSF Club Championship
Founded in 1987, Ewha Amateur Volleyball Club (EAVC) is well known for its history and strong performances. EAVC is the Triple Crown winner of the Prime Minister’s Cup from 2016 to 2018. This year, EAVC decided to participate in the 2018 KUSF Club Championship for the first time. “It is such an honor to be the Triple Crown winner,” said Choi Hae-rang, the captain of EAVC and a junior in Division of Human Movement Studies. “We have a lot of pride about this title, and we hope to keep the winning tradition alive.” Following the Prime Minister’s Cup, EAVC participated in the 2018 KUSF Club Championship. However, Choi mentioned that it was not an easy decision: the KUSF club championship is a long-term tournament, so applicants must practice during vacations and even in exam periods. Through hard practice, EAVC scored second in the regional rounds of the championship. They won every set in the first and second round but lost in the third round against team DIG from Yonsei University. “Our members tend to think of team DIG as our rival,” Choi commented. “There was Yongin University’s Cup before the 2018 KUSF Club Championship. We lost against team DIG in the quarterfinals in that Cup, so we were very eager to win KUSF against team DIG. We wanted to do our best; however, that mindset led to mistakes.” Still, Choi expressed deep gratitude for the result and that EAVC members were satisfied with gaining the tickets for the finals. “Volleyball is all about mood,” Choi said. “As volleyball is a team sport, it is very easy to be carried along by the atmosphere when the mood is spoiled. We won’t let that happen in the finals.” Choi further mentioned that EAVC was open to any exchange students. “What we pursue is joy,” Choi said with a smile. “We don’t care about nationality as long as you can enjoy playing with us. Moreover, we believe that enjoying the game is more valuable than winning. My small wish for today is that EAVC will enjoy the finals of KUSF.”