Kwon Young-min, the head coach of the KEPCO men’s professional volleyball team, who is riding a seven-game winning streak, expressed confidence ahead of a matchup with a strong opponent.

Fourth-ranked KEPCO (24-8, 6-6) will host third-ranked Korean Air (25-8, 6-6) at Suwon Gymnasium in Gyeonggi-do, Gyeonggi-do, on Nov. 13, before hosting first-ranked Woori Card (31-11, 4-4) three days later.

With a win, they will overtake second-place Samsung Fire (25-10 W-L) and move within three points of Woori Card.

Speaking to reporters before the game, Kwon said, “I told the players, ‘If we play at 100 percent, it doesn’t matter if we lose. But if we play at 100 percent, we will never lose,'” Kwon said.

As for Korean Air, which has lost three straight games, he said, “They are a team with no weaknesses, so we shouldn’t let our guard down.”

“We haven’t beaten Woori Card (this season), so I hope that after we win today, we can wear this outfit and beat Woori Card,” he said.

During the seven-game winning streak, Kwon has been wearing the same suit as a kind of jinx.

It started on Nov. 14 against OK Financial Group, so he’s been a “punishment gentleman” for a month now.

“I ordered the team to make fewer unforced errors, and it’s working well,” Kwon said of the victory, adding, “The increased offense of Lim Sung-jin and Seo Jae-duk has given (setter) Ha Seung-woo more places to throw the ball.”

He also expressed his gratitude to libero Ryohei Iga, whose wide receiving range eases the burden on the attackers.

Meanwhile, Korean Air’s foreign player Lincoln Williams (registered name Lincoln) has been sidelined for three consecutive matches due to back pain.

“I don’t think he’s going to be able to play for a long time,” Korean Air coach Tommi Tilikainen admitted, but when asked about the possibility of replacing the foreign player, he said, “I’m not ready to say anything yet. We have to wait and see,” he sighed. 토토