Korean women's volleyball team survives biggest test in pool stage of AVC Women's Continental
As pool-stage results determine the tournament bracket, Korea's match against Vietnam was effectively a decider for second place behind heavily favored Japan.
The Korean national team celebrates after defeating Vietnam at the AVC Women's Continental 2026 in Tianjin, China, on Aug. 22.FIVB
Korea beat Vietnam 3-1 in Tianjin, China, on Saturday, opening the AVC Women’s Continental 2026 with a win over a rival that has overtaken the team in Asia’s volleyball pecking order in recent years.
Coach Cha Sang-hyun’s squad won 25-18, 22-25, 25-21, 25-17 in the Pool C opener at Tianjin Olympic Center Gymnasium. Outside hitter Kang So-hwi led the way with 20 points, followed by opposite hitter Na Hyun-soo with 14 and middle blocker Lee Da-hyeon — on loan to Japan’s NEC Red Rockets — with 13. Korea finished second in the pool behind Japan, which beat Hong Kong 3-0 on Friday.
Korea briefly lost the lead early in the first set, but Yuk Seo-young’s powerful hits and tip shots helped the team regain control, as did Kang’s blocks, attacks and service ace. Vietnam countered with ace Tran Thi Thanh Thuy, who plays professionally in Japan, but Korea’s middle blockers dominated the net.
Korea carried its momentum into the second set and seized control early thanks to Kang’s strong serve disrupting Vietnam’s receive. This opened the door for a string of solid defensive plays.
Na and Lee also broke through offensively, with Lee blocking a hit from Vietnamese rookie Pham Quynh Huong as Korea built a 5-1 lead. But Vietnam steadied its receive and clawed back, using quick and shifting attacks to tie the set at 20-20. Vietnam then relentlessly targeted serves at Yuk and ultimately overtook Korea to win the set.
The third set was tightly contested throughout, but Korea’s substitutions paid off. A service ace from Park Eun-seo tied the set at 14-14, and Lee Ye-lim, who came in for Yuk, blocked a transition attack from Thanh Thuy to help Korea take the lead. As Korea’s blockers closed in, Vietnam’s mistakes piled up, handing Korea the set.
Korea national team captain Kang So-hwi plays during an AVC Women's Continental 2026 match in Tianjin, China, on Aug. 22.FIVB
With Lee Ye-rim steadily receiving the ball, Korea also took control of the fourth set and pulled away during Kim Hyo-im’s serving run. Park Eun-jin’s blocks and setter Kim Da-in’s and Kang’s scores then extended the lead to 22-15, and a point from Park Eun-seo closed out the match and secured Korea’s three championship points.
Kang did not play at the recent Asian Eastern Zonal Women’s Volleyball Championship because of a calf injury — not a major one, but serious enough for Cha and assistant coach Lee Sook-ja to have her rest ahead of the more important AVC Women's Continental 2026. Kang repaid the coaching staff’s trust on Saturday.
During the Pool C match, Lee Ye-rim, who led Korea in scoring against Vietnam at June’s AVC Women’s Volleyball Nations Cup, again showed her knack as a “Vietnam killer,” and Park Eun-seo came off the bench to register three service aces.
The tournament features 12 countries, with the top two teams from each pool and the two best third-place finishers advancing to the quarterfinal round. Because pool-stage results determine the tournament bracket, every match carries weight — and with Korea grouped alongside Japan, Hong Kong and Vietnam, the Vietnam match was effectively a decider for second place behind heavily favored Japan.
Vietnam has established itself as Asia’s clear No. 4 team behind Japan, China and Thailand in recent continental competitions, repeatedly reaching the semifinals of major tournaments. Korea, however, has slid down international governing body FIVB's rankings, at one point falling outside the top 40 behind Vietnam.
But the mood has shifted since Cha took over this year. Korea beat Vietnam in the semifinals of the AVC Women’s Volleyball Nations Cup en route to the title, and Saturday’s win avenged a pool-stage loss to Vietnam three years ago. Korea has also placed ahead of Vietnam again in the world rankings.
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.
