'Little Kim Yeon-koung' Son Seo-yeon soars again! South Korea's U17 women's volleyball team advances to the World Championship quarterfinals with a 3-0 sweep of the Philippines

*This content was translated by AI.

The South Korean 17-and-under (U17) Yeo Ja-bae-gu (CEO) team has advanced to the quarterfinals of the World Championship.

Led by coach Lee Seung-yeo, South Korea decisively defeated the Philippines 3-0 (25-21, 25-19, 25-14) in the Round of 16 match at the 2026 International Volleyball Federation (FIVB) World Championship held in Los Andes, Chile on the 13th (Korean time).

Ace and captain Son Seo-yeon (Seonmyeong Girls' High School), who played only one set and rested during the final group stage match against Algeria the previous day, led her team to victory with a team-high 19 points, including three blocks and three service aces.

Ahn Min-seo (Hanbom High School) also contributed 15 points, while other players such as Jang Su-in (Gyeongnam Girls' High School ·10 points) and Choi Min-ju (Gyeonghae Girls' Middle School·7 points) made their presence felt evenly.

South Korea will face Turkey, which previously defeated Japan 3-0, in the quarterfinals on the 15th at 9 a.m. to compete for a spot in the semifinals.

South Korea took an early lead with a 25-21 victory, thanks to Ahn Min-seo's six points in the first set and Son Seo-yeon's five points, including two blocks.

In the second set, South Korea fought fiercely against the Philippines' determined comeback but began pulling ahead with consecutive scores after the midway point, seizing control of the match. With Son Seo-yeon directly securing the set point through her focused digging efforts, the team moved one step closer to victory. Son Seo-yeon alone accounted for eight points in the second set.

Momentum on their side, South Korea seized the flow from the early stages of the third set with attacks that caught the opponent off guard. Although the Philippines launched a late counterattack when cornered, South Korea remained unshaken.

Moreover, when leading 9-5, Son Seo-yeon secured two consecutive service aces to solidify their advantage. Responding to the opponent's determination to close the gap, South Korea countered with diverse attack routes, gradually widening the lead and ultimately capping off their first tournament match with a decisive victory.

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*This content was translated by AI.