Debut Ends in Heavy Defeat

Megawati Hangestri Pertiwi finally made her official debut for Hyundai Hillstate in the 2026 KOVO Cup. Unfortunately, the debut of the player nicknamed Megatron did not end sweetly. In the Group B match at Jinnam Gymnasium in Yeosu, South Korea, on Wednesday (14/10/2026), Hillstate had to concede a 0-3 defeat (17-25, 16-25, 18-25) to Korea Expressway Hi-Pass.

The defeat made Hillstate's path in the KOVO Cup preseason tournament even harder. Hi-Pass, last season's Korean V-League runners-up, looked far more solid in both attack and defense throughout the match. The negative result left Hillstate bottom of the Pool B standings.

Megawati Hangestri's Hillstate Debut: 14 Points, 0-3 Loss
Illustration: Megawati Hangestri Pertiwi, Indonesia's star in the Korean V-League. (Source: Inspirasi Nusantara)

14 Points and the Coach's Praise

Amid her team's defeat, Megawati delivered a promising individual performance. The player from Jember contributed 14 points with an attack success rate of around 35 percent, making her Hillstate's second-highest scorer. She trailed only American foreign player Jordan Wilson, who recorded 15 points with a 34.15 percent attack efficiency. Hi-Pass foreign player Laetitia Moma Bassoko finished as the match's top scorer with 18 points.

Hillstate coach Kang Sung Hyung still praised Megawati's and Wilson's performances. But the coach judged the team's main problem to be attacking combinations that had not fully clicked with setter Kim Da In. Statistics showed Hillstate committed 17 errors, while Hi-Pass made only 7.

The performance was a positive signal given that Megawati had only recently returned to full training with the team after undergoing appendix surgery before the tournament. Her physical condition was said to be not yet fully recovered when she played in the debut match.

Contrast With Red Sparks Debut

Megawati's Hillstate debut contrasted with the start of her journey in Korean volleyball. When she debuted for the Red Sparks on October 17, 2023, Megawati led her team to a convincing 3-0 win over IBK Altos. Back then she recorded 21 points and made history as the first Indonesian player in the Korean volleyball competition.

Megawati returned to Korean competition after missing one season due to knee injury recovery. In the 2023/2024 and 2024/2025 seasons, she was the Red Sparks' scoring machine and one of the most watched foreign players in the Korean V-League.

Ahead of the Korean V-League tipping off on October 31, Hillstate are scheduled to face GS Caltex in their second 2026 KOVO Cup match. That game is a chance for Megawati to keep building competitive form and adapt to her new team's system.