Korea's U17 women's national volleyball team salutes the national flag ahead of a FIVB Volleyball Girls’ U17 World Championship match against Algeria in Los Andes, Chile, on Aug. 11.FÉDÉRATION INTERNATIONALE DE VOLLEYBALL
Korea advanced to the Round of 16 at theFIVB Volleyball Girls’ U17 World Championship in Los Andes, Chile, after sweeping all five of its pool-stage matches on Tuesday.
The national under-17 (U17) girls’ volleyball team, led by head coach Lee Seung-yeo, cruised past last-place Algeria 3-0, winning 25-10, 25-17 and 25-18 in its fifth and final pool match. The victory gave Korea a perfect 5-0 record and 15 points, securing the top spot in Pool D.
Korea previously defeated Puerto Rico, Chinese Taipei, Italy and the Dominican Republic by identical 3-1 scores to remain unbeaten throughout the pool stage.
Korea will next face the Philippines, which finished in fourth place in Pool B, in the Round of 16 at 8 p.m. on Wednesday local time, or 9 a.m. on Thursday in Korea, for a spot in the quarterfinals. The Philippines ranked fourth in its pool with a 2-3 record and seven points after losing 3-2 to Venezuela in its final pool-stage match on Tuesday.
On Tuesday, Korea made quick work of Algeria in just one hour and two minutes, conceding only 45 points across three sets. Algeria finished at the bottom of the pool without a win across five matches.
Outside hitters Jang Su-in and Eo Min-seo led Korea’s offense — Jang with 13 points, and Eo with 12.
Captain Son Seo-yeon, Korea’s leading scorer in each of its first four pool-stage matches, played only in the first set on Tuesday. She scored six points before watching the remaining two sets from the bench. She nevertheless leads the tournament in both total points and attack points, with 97 and 82 points, respectively.
Head coach Lee Seung-yeo, right, makes a plan during a FIVB Volleyball Girls’ U17 World Championship match against Algeria in Los Andes, Chile, on Aug. 11.FÉDÉRATION INTERNATIONALE DE VOLLEYBALL
The best result that Korea’s women’s volleyball teams have achieved in age-group world championships is a championship title, won three times. Korea won the FIVB Women’s U21 World Championship in 1977 and 1981, back when the age limit was under 20, and the FIVB Volleyball Girls’ U19 World Championship in 1991. The men’s team’s best result is a runner-up finish at the under-21 championship in 1987.
The biennial girls’ U17 championship was launched in 2024, making this year’s tournament its second edition. China won the inaugural tournament.
Korea qualified for this year’s tournament by winning the AVC Girls’ U16 Volleyball Championship in November last year.
This article was originally written in Korean and translated by a bilingual reporter with the help of generative AI tools. It was then edited by a native English-speaking editor. All AI-assisted translations are reviewed and refined by our newsroom.
