Korea extends winning streak at FIVB Volleyball Girls' U17 World Championship

Korea extended its winning streak to four matches and tightened its grip on first place in the pool stage of the FIVB Volleyball Girls’ U17 World Championship on Monday.

Korea defeated the Dominican Republic 3-1 in its fourth Pool D match in Los Andes, Chile, on Monday. Continuing her strong performance in the previous matches, captain and outside hitter Son Seo-yeon led the offense with 23 points.

Outside hitters Eo Min-seo and Jang Su-in scored 12 and 14 points, respectively, and middle blockers Lee Da-yeon and Choi Min-ju added 10 and eight, respectively. Lee was particularly effective at crucial moments, scoring four points each on blocks and serves to halt the Dominican Republic’s momentum.

Korea faced persistent pressure from the Dominican Republic early in the opening set. The teams took turns earning points until midway through, when Korea scored a string of points to close the set.

Korea’s teamwork briefly faltered at the start of the second set, and the team conceded three straight points. Head coach Lee Seung-yeo quickly called a timeout to settle the players, but Korea still failed to slow the Dominican Republic’s momentum and lost the set, leveling the match 1-1.

Having already built confidence with three consecutive wins, including one over powerhouse Italy, Korea was unfazed by losing a set. Past the midpoint of the third set, the team capitalized on a string of Dominican errors to retake the lead.

Korea then controlled the fourth set from start to finish, never surrendering the lead and steadily widening the gap before sealing the match by eight points.

Momentum can swing quickly in youth volleyball, and Korea has faced difficult stretches in several matches, including Monday’s. But head coach Lee’s quick tactical decisions and the players’ ability to encourage one another have helped the team weather every crisis.

The players have also energized themselves with their signature celebratory jumps after key service aces and blocks. Setter Lee Seo-in and libero Yeo Won in particular boosted morale throughout the tournament with their steady moves.

Korea previously beat Puerto Rico, Taipei and Italy by identical 3-1 scores in its first three Pool D matches. Its strong fundamentals and organization have resulted in a relatively low error count compared to its opponents.

Korea will face Algeria in its final pool match on Tuesday. If it finishes first within Pool D, it will meet the fourth-place team from Pool B in the Round of 16 on Wednesday. A second-place finish would set up a match against Pool B’s third-place team. Pool B consists of China, the Philippines, Peru, Venezuela, Mexico and Tunisia.

The biennial U17 Girls’ World Championship launched in 2024, with China winning the inaugural tournament. Korea qualified for this year’s competition as the reigning FIBA U16 Asia Cup champion, having won the title last November.

 BY CHANG HYE-SOO [[email protected]]