4 sets 24-21 lead, then went down, conceded 5 goals and failed to gain points
For the first time since the launch of the International Volleyball Federation (FIVB) Volleyball Nations League (VNL), the Korean women’s volleyball team was infamous for being the bottom of the ‘defeat and no points’ preliminary round.
Korea, ranked 19th in the world, scored 1-3 (13-25 25-19 19-25) against China (3rd place) in the 12th round of the VNL Week 3 Preliminary Round held at Armitz Arena in Sofia, Bulgaria on the 3rd (Korea time) on the 3rd (Korea time). 24-26).
As a result, Korea could not avoid the shame of being the first team to win the VNL, which was launched in 2018, and to finish in the bottom of the qualifying round without even a single point.
In this tournament, Korea fell to their knees after failing to use their strength against Asian rivals China and Japan (7th) as well as Thailand (13th).
Only three sets were won in 12 matches.
Except for 2020, when the tournament was canceled due to the spread of the novel coronavirus infection (COVID-19), the country that left the worst record in the women’s preliminary round at the VNL held four times this year was Argentina in 2018 (1 win, 14 losses, 3 points). .
Until last year, the qualifiers consisted of 16 participating countries competing 15 times over 5 weeks.
This year, only 12 games will be played until the 3rd week, and the top 8 countries will advance to the final round.
Korea achieved the best performance and highest ranking (12th) in this competition with 5 wins and 10 losses (14 points) in 2018. With 10 points, they were ranked 15th, one place higher than the last.
While the ‘eldest sisters’ such as Kim Yeon-kyung (34, Heungkuk Life Insurance) returned the Taegeuk mark at the end of last year’s Tokyo Olympics, Korea, which participated in this tournament due to a generational change, reconfirmed only the marked difference in skill with the world.
Cesar Hernández González, who took over Korea as the successor of the current Polish women’s national team coach Stefano Lavarini, who achieved the myth of the quarterfinals of the Tokyo Olympics, joined the Korean national team belatedly due to the Turkish professional team schedule, and was unable to keep up with the players at VNL. I went out and experienced humiliation.
The watershed between victory and defeat was 4 sets.
Korea’s left straight bang from Kang So-hwi (GS Caltex) and China’s three offenses tied the lead to 20-16, raising expectations for winning points.
In the FIVB tournament, the team that wins with a set score of 3-0 or 3-1 gets 3 points, the team that wins 3-2 gets 2 points, and the team that loses 2-3 gets 1 point.
Even when Dahyun Lee (Hyundai E&C) exploded a sub ace that fell at the end of the court and took a 24-21 lead, it was highly likely to go to the 5th set, but after that, she gave 3 points in a row to an attack that took advantage of China’s height, and after being driven to a deuce, she received a serve. was shaken sharply, consecrated two points and collapsed.
Five players including Lee Han-bi (Pepper Savings Bank, 12 points), Kang So-hwi, Da-hyeon Da-hyeon, Park Jung-ah (Korea Expressway Corporation, above 11 points), and Lee Ju-ah (Heungkuk Life Insurance, 10 points) scored double-digits, giving hope in the final match. shot
After the tournament, the Korean national team goes home.
△ International Volleyball Federation (FIVB) Volleyball Nations League Third Week Preliminary Round 12th (3rd, Sofia, Bulgaria)
Korea (12 losses) 13 25 19 24 – 1
China (8-4) 25 19 25 26 – 3
/yunhap news
