After failing to reach the quarterfinals for the first time in its 48-year history at the Asian Championships, the South Korean women’s volleyball team (ranked 37th in the world) defeated Australia (53rd) in the final match of the quarterfinal round.

Korea defeated Australia 3-0 in straight sets (26-24, 25-13, 25-14) in Pool E of the quarterfinal round of the 2023 Asian Volleyball Championship in Nakhon Ratchasima, Thailand on Thursday (July 4).

With the win, Korea finished the quarterfinal round in third place in the group. They will play Group F bottom-ranked India (67th) on Friday for the fifth to eighth place match with a win and a fifth place match on Saturday and a seventh place match with a loss.

Outside hitter Park Jung-ah (Pepper Savings Bank) had a team-high 21 kills, including three blocks.

South Korea faced a crisis in the first set when they were down 17-14 and facing a 23-24 deficit, but a successful attack by Lee Han-bi (Pepper Savings Bank) and back-to-back points in the deuce battle gave them a 26-24 lead. In the second set, the Aussies came out on top.

Korea’s hopes of qualifying for the quarterfinals were dashed the previous day (March 3) when they lost to Thailand in straight sets 0-3. They were still reeling from their shocking 2-3 upset loss to Vietnam in Pool C. China-Japan (Group F) and Thailand-Vietnam (Group E) have been finalized as the final four teams.

This is the first time the Korean women’s volleyball team has failed to reach the quarterfinals at the Asian Championships. South Korea first participated in the Asian Championships in 1975. They have reached the quarterfinals 20 times in a row, with the exception of the 2021 edition, which they missed due to the COVID-19 pandemic and difficulties in assembling a national team shortly after the Tokyo 2020 Games. After reaching the quarterfinals of the Tokyo Olympics, South Korea’s dominance in Asia has completely faded in just two years.

South Korean women’s volleyball handed back the flag to Kim Yeon-kyung (Heungkuk Life) and Yang Hyo-jin (Hyundai E&C) after the Tokyo Olympics. Since then, Cesar has taken the helm and 카지노사이트 has been dealing with a dismal record as the program undergoes a generational change. When Cesar took the helm, South Korea was ranked 14th in the FIVB rankings, but after the loss to Thailand on March 3, it dropped to 37th.

The team rebounded with an embarrassing win over Australia, but there is a growing sense of urgency ahead of the Paris Olympic qualifiers and the Asian Games.