The women’s volleyball team failed to advance to the final after being blocked by the wall of Brazil, the world’s second-largest powerhouse. The national team will face off against Serbia for a medal for the first time in 45 years in the 3rd place match tomorrow (8th).
Ha Sung-ryong is a reporter from Tokyo.
The national team, which reached the semifinals again in nine years after the London Olympics, faced Brazil with all their might.
Kim Yeon-kyung broke through the opponent’s high blocking wall and delivered a powerful back-up attack, and Yang Hyo-jin persistently blocked the opponent’s ace Rosamaria’s blow.
However, Brazil took the lead in strength and height.
Brazil’s main striker, Tandara, was out on a doping charge, but Garay, Rosa Maria and Gaby took turns putting in strong spikes.
In the blocking fight, the national team, who was unilaterally pushed back by 15-3, lost all of them by 25 to 16, 9 points from the first to the third set.
The team’s top scorers Kim Yeon-kyung and Park Jung-ah each scored only 10 points, but lost 3-0 in 1 hour and 22 minutes and were pushed back to the 3rd place match.
[김연경/여자배구 국가대표 : 많은 분들이 응원을 해주셨는데 너무 죄송스럽게 생각하고, 아직까지는 한 경기가 또 남아있으니까 많은 분들이 끝까지 지켜봐 주시면서 응원해주시면 보답할 수 있도록 열심히 하겠습니다.]
Brazil, which reached the final after 9 years in a chaotic atmosphere due to the ‘doping controversy’, had its athletes tested for doping targets according to IOC rules after the match, and the results have not yet been released.
The first ever advance to the final has been canceled, but the challenge of the national team is not over yet.
The national team will face off against Serbia tomorrow in a bout of fate in the bronze medal match.
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