Liputanku, JAKARTA – News has emerged regarding Megawati Hangestri Pertiwi, the Indonesian volleyball star who played for the Red Sparks in the South Korean Volleyball League. While her impressive performance during the 2024-2025 season was undeniable, reports indicate she won’t be renewing her contract for the upcoming season.
A Red Sparks official, Jung Kwan Jang, stated, “We fully support Mega’s decision to pursue new challenges. We hope there will be opportunities for us to collaborate with her again in the future,” as reported by Naver Sport on Wednesday.
He described Megawati not only as an exceptional athlete but also as a positive individual who easily adapted to her teammates and coaching staff.
“She is a highly dedicated and hard-working player,” he added.
Liputanku also reports that Megawati’s inability to extend her contract is primarily due to her desire to be closer to her mother, who is experiencing health issues.
Although her next move remains uncertain, Megawati is reportedly considering playing in the Indonesian domestic league or joining a team in a Southeast Asian league, such as Thailand or Vietnam.
Megawati’s agent revealed that the athlete was very happy during her two years with the Red Sparks and genuinely wanted to renew her contract. However, the pressing need to care for her ailing mother forced her to make the difficult decision to not continue her career in the Korean Volleyball League.
During the 2023-2024 season, Megawati delivered impressive results. She ranked seventh in league scoring, topping her team with 736 points, and placed fourth in successful attack ratio (43.95 percent). Furthermore, she contributed significantly to her team’s third-place finish in the regular season.
This athlete from Jember, East Java, also ranked third in overall points (802 points) and led in total attacks with a 48.06 percent success rate. Her dominance extended to open attacks, time difference attacks, and counter-attacks, showcasing her versatility.
Known as “Megatron,” she led her team to the championship round after securing two wins and one loss in the playoffs against Hyundai Construction, who held the second position in the regular season.
Megawati played a crucial role in Red Sparks’ offense against the Pink Spiders in the Korean Volleyball League finals of the 2024-2025 season. The intense match spanned five games, ultimately won by the Pink Spiders 3-2.
In that match, Megawati Hangestri Pertiwi scored a high of 37 points, but unfortunately, she couldn’t lead the Red Sparks to victory against the Pink Spiders in the 2024-2025 Korean Volleyball League championship.
Liputanku reports that in the fifth leg, Red Sparks conceded defeat to the Pink Spiders in a hard-fought battle, losing 2-3 (24-26, 24-26, 26-24, 25-25, 13-15).
Despite losing the first two sets, Megawati and her teammates put up a strong fight, evening the score before ultimately succumbing in the deciding set.
Both teams traded points early in the first set, with the score tied 3-3 and then 6-6. Red Sparks pulled ahead after the first technical timeout, maintaining the lead until 19-14.
However, the Pink Spiders, playing in front of their home crowd, clawed their way back to a 22-21 lead. Megawati scored crucial points, forcing a tie at 24-24, before the Pink Spiders secured two points to win the set 26-24.
The intense competition resumed at the start of the second set before Red Sparks again took control, scoring 8-4. However, consecutive errors by Ko Hee-jin’s team allowed the home team to gradually close the gap to 11-12.
Red Sparks widened the gap to four points at 16-12. However, strong attacks from Kim Yeon Kioung and Tutku Burcu Yuzgenc enabled the Pink Spiders to steadily reduce the deficit to 19-21.
Megawati then pulled Red Sparks ahead 24-21. Yet, the Pink Spiders relentlessly pushed back, tying the score at 24-24 and then taking the lead to win the second set 26-24.
Red Sparks’ resurgence came in the third set as they scored consecutive points to lead 7-1. The Pink Spiders tried to catch up, reducing the score to 3-8.
Red Sparks maintained their lead, but the point difference narrowed as the Pink Spiders closed the gap to 20-21. The competition intensified near match point, but Vanja Bukilic secured the third set for Red Sparks with a score of 26-24.
Megawati and her teammates continued their dominance in the fourth set, extending their lead to 8-3. They maintained their advantage until 19-11. The Pink Spiders almost turned the tables, catching up to 23-24, but a powerful spike from Megawati secured the fourth set for Red Sparks 25-23.
The fierce battle continued into the fifth set, with both teams exchanging points from the start. The Pink Spiders took an 8-7 lead, but Megawati scored to tie it 8-8.
The Pink Spiders regained the lead but were constantly challenged by Red Sparks, who fought back to 13-14. However, an unstoppable final spike by Tutku secured the fifth set for the Pink Spiders 15-13, clinching the Korean Volleyball League championship for the 2024-2025 season.
