'Yuk Seo-young's explosive 20 points' South Korea women's volleyball team reaches Asian Games semifinals for the first time in eight years! Crushes Kazakhstan 3-0, one step away from a medal [Aichi Nagoya AG]

*This content was translated by AI.

The South Korean Yeo Ja-bae-gu (CEO) team, led by head coach Cha Sang-hyun (55), has reached the Asian Games semifinals for the first time in eight years.

On the 20th, the South Korean Yeo Ja-bae-gu (CEO) team defeated Kazakhstan 3-0 (26-24, 27-25, 25-21) in the women's volleyball quarterfinals of the 2026 Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games held at Park Arena Komaki in Aichi Prefecture, Japan.

After defeating Hong Kong, Qatar, and Vietnam in sequence during the group stage to finish with three wins (9 points) and top Group D, South Korea advanced to the quarterfinals. By overcoming Kazakhstan as well, they successfully reached the semifinals of the Asian Games for the first time in eight years.

At the heart of the victory was Yuk Seo-young. She exploded for a team-high 20 points, including two service aces and one block point. Jung Ho-young (Heungkuk Life) added 10 points, and Lee Da-hyun (NEC Red Rockets) contributed 9 points, providing strength from the middle as well. Setter Kim Da-in also shifted the momentum by recording two blocks at crucial moments.

The start was not easy. In the first set, South Korea struggled against Kazakhstan's height and fell behind to a 23-24 set point. However, Kim Da-in repeatedly blocked opponent attacks, successfully turning the score around to 25-24, and Jung So-hwi's straight attack sealed the first set at 26-24.

In the second set, South Korea fell behind early, trailing 6-12. But after Park Eun-seo entered as a substitute, she injected energy into the offense. Yuk Seo-young, Jung Ho-young, and Lee Da-hyun scored in succession to close the gap. After Jung Ho-young's bases-loaded scoring play reversed the score at 19-18, South Korea engaged in another tense deuce battle. At 25-25, Yuk Seo-young delivered a powerful service ace, and shortly after, an opponent attack error allowed them to take two consecutive sets with a 27-25 victory.

South Korea maintained focus even in the third set. Leading with Park Eun-seo's consecutive points and Yuk Seo-young's blocks, they built an early 7-3 lead. Kazakhstan fought back tenaciously to tie the score at 18-18, but Yuk Seo-young's attack soon shifted momentum again. The final blow came from Park Eun-seo's block. South Korea closed the match 25-21, securing their spot in the semifinals without dropping a single set.

On the 21st, South Korea will face the winner of the Japan-Taiwan match to compete for a place in the final. The South Korean women's volleyball team suffered a shocking comeback loss to Vietnam at the 2022 Asian Games held in Hangzhou in 2023 and was blocked by China in the quarterfinals, finishing fifth. It marked their first "no-medal" result since the 2006 Doha tournament, after 17 years.

With renewed determination in this tournament, South Korea has already climbed higher than they did in Hangzhou, once again raising hopes for a medal.

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*This content was translated by AI.