Despite a good showing, the team still lost. The South Korean women’s volleyball team has suffered its second straight defeat.
The team, led by head coach Cesar Hernandez, lost to Poland in three sets (22-25, 26-24, 21-25, 9-25) in the second match of Group C of the Paris 2024 Olympic Qualification Tournament in Łódź, Poland, on Aug. 18 (KST). It was the second consecutive loss for the team, which had beaten Italy the day before.
Kang So-hwi (GS Caltex) scored a team-high 16 points, while Pyo Seung-ju (IBK) added 15 points. Lee Ju-ah (Heungkuk Life) and Chung Ho-young (Jung Kwan-jang) also contributed with three blocks apiece.
Korea was evenly matched with Poland in the first set. At 19-23, Lee Ju-ah and Kang So-hwi scored back-to-back goals to keep the lead alive. Although Poland scored late in the set to take the first set, Korea was able to raise their spirits.
In the second set, the Koreans remained tenacious. Trailing 18-21, Kang So-hwi’s open attack and back-to-back errors tied the score at 21-21.
With the momentum in their favor, they took the lead at 23-21 with a block by Lee Ju-ah. Poland rallied to tie the score at 24-all, but Pyo Seung-ju scored back-to-back points to end the second set.
However, South Korea’s stamina issues became apparent after that. They lost a close third set and collapsed in the fourth, scoring just nine points.바카라사이트
It was their second straight loss in qualifying, and while their chances of advancing to the main draw were diminished, they didn’t go down without a fight. South Korea, ranked 36th in the world, didn’t go down without a fight against the ninth-ranked Polish powerhouse, taking a set.
South Korea is in Pool C with Italy, Poland, Germany, the United States, Colombia, Thailand, and Slovenia. They need to finish in the top two of the eight teams to qualify for the Paris Olympics.