'Another leading scorer' Little Kim Yeon-koung Son Seo-yeon, daily 'fierce assault' at World Championships... U17 women's volleyball team secures round of 16 early

*This content was translated by AI.

'Little Kim Yeon-koung' Son Seo-yeon (16, Seonmyeong Girls' High School) soared again. This time too, she led the team with the most points overall and secured the highest point total for both teams, spearheading the Republic of Korea's U17 women's Bae Gu (CEO) team to a fourth consecutive victory at the World Championships and an early advance to the round of 16.

On the 11th (Korean time), in the fourth group stage match against the Dominican Republic in Group D of the 2026 FIVB U17 Women's World Championship held in Los Andes, Chile, Son Seo-yeon single-handedly accounted for 23 points, including one block and two service aces.

Son Seo-yeon's 23 points were not only the team high but also tied with Mondesi of the Dominican Republic as the highest point total across both teams.

She had previously led Korea to victory by being the top scorer in all four matches, including the first group stage match against Puerto Rico (28 points), the second against Taiwan (17 points), and the third against Italy (23 points). On this day against the Dominican Republic as well, she continued her fierce performance, soaring at critical moments to shoulder the team's offense.

Last year, Son Seo-yeon served as captain and ace for the under-16 (U16) Yeo Ja (CEO) team, leading Korea to its first U16 Asian Championship title in 45 years. At that time, she swept the scoring champion award, the tournament's Most Valuable Player award, and the Outside Hitter award, earning evaluation as a future leader of Korean women's volleyball following 'Queen of Volleyball' Kim Yeon-koung.

With Son Seo-yeon leading the charge, Korea raced to four consecutive victories in the group stage, securing an early spot in the round of 16 regardless of the outcome of the final match. Under head coach Lee Seung-yeo, Korea defeated the Dominican Republic 3-1 (25-18, 21-25, 25-19, 25-17) on this day. With 12 points, Korea secured a spot within the top four of the group and advanced to the round of 16 regardless of the result of the final group stage match against Algeria on the 12th.

In addition to Son Seo-yeon, Jang Su-in (Gyeongnam Girls' High School) scored 14 points, and Eo Min-seo (Hanbom High School) added 12 points. Lee Da-yeon (Jungang Girls' High School) also collected double-digit points (10), including four blocks and four service aces.

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*This content was translated by AI.