The South Korean women's volleyball team, aiming for its first Asian Games medal in eight years, secured a convincing victory in its opening match of the group stage.
Under the guidance of head coach Cha Sang-hyun, South Korea (ranked 28th by the International Volleyball Federation) defeated Hong Kong (ranked 127th) in the first match of Group D on September 16 at the Komaki Park Arena in Japan, winning in straight sets with scores of 25-23, 25-12, and 25-12.
Star player Kang So-hwi (Korea Expressway Corporation) led the team with 13 points, while Lee Da-hyun (NEC Red Rockets) contributed 12 points and Lee Ye-rim (Hyundai Engineering & Construction) added 9 points.
The first set was unexpectedly competitive. South Korea initially built a lead, but late errors and strong serves from Hong Kong allowed the opponent to close the gap to 24-23. However, in a critical moment, Lee Ye-rim calmly executed a successful attack to secure the set.
With momentum on their side, South Korea took control in the second set. Kang So-hwi scored 8 points in the set, helping the team to a comfortable 25-12 win.
South Korea maintained its strong performance in the third set, extending the lead to over 10 points. Coach Cha utilized substitutes like Yuk Seo-young and Jung Ho-young to manage the stamina of the starting players. The team continued to play steadily, finishing the match with a 3-0 set score.
Having won their opening match, South Korea will face Qatar (ranked 106th) on September 17, followed by a final group stage match against Vietnam (ranked 32nd) on September 18.
In this tournament, the top two teams from each group will advance to the quarterfinals. For South Korea to secure the top spot in their group and reach the quarterfinals, they must defeat Vietnam. If they finish second in the group, they will likely face the top team from Group B, which is expected to be China (ranked 7th).
* This article has been translated by AI.
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