The Korean women's volleyball team, ranked 28th by the International Volleyball Federation, is set to seek redemption at the 2026 Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games after a disappointing no-medal performance in Hangzhou three years ago.
Under the guidance of head coach Cha Sang-hyun, Korea will open its Group D campaign on September 16 at 4 p.m. against Hong Kong, ranked 127th, at the Komaki Park Arena in Aichi Prefecture. The team will also face Qatar (107th) on September 17 at 1 p.m. and Vietnam (32nd) on September 18 at 4 p.m.
A total of 14 teams are competing in the women's volleyball event, divided into four groups of three to four teams each. The top two teams from each group will advance to the quarterfinals.
Korea's goal for this tournament is to win the gold medal. The last time the team secured a gold in women's volleyball at the Asian Games was during the 2014 Incheon Games, marking a 12-year drought. The last medal of any kind was a bronze at the 2018 Jakarta-Palembang Games.
Performing well in the group stage is crucial for Korea's path to the gold medal. If they finish second in their group, they will likely face the first-place team from Group B, which is expected to be China, currently ranked 7th by the FIVB, 21 spots ahead of Korea.
The pivotal match will be against Vietnam on September 18, which is essentially a showdown for the group lead.
Vietnam is the team that dealt Korea a painful loss at the last Hangzhou Games, where Korea was defeated in their opening match of the group stage. This loss contributed to Korea's failure to reach the semifinals, finishing in 5th place overall. This marked the second time in history that Korea left the Asian Games without a medal, the first being in 2006 in Doha.
The team is determined to avenge that loss against Vietnam. Captain Kang So-hwi of Korea Expressway Corporation expressed her resolve, stating, "I can never forget the humiliation of losing to Vietnam. This time, we will definitely seek revenge."
Korea has a favorable recent record against Vietnam, having won both encounters earlier this year.
Coach Cha noted, "The first major challenge of this tournament is the group match against Vietnam. We have won both matches against them this year, so we will prepare thoroughly to ensure victory."
Korea's recent performance has shown improvement. After struggling last year and failing to remain in the Volleyball Nations League (VNL), the team rebounded by winning the AVC Cup in June, defeating Taiwan 3-0 in the final and finishing the tournament with a perfect record. This success also improved their world ranking from 40th to 31st, securing a spot in next year's FIVB World Cup.
However, they have struggled against top-tier teams. In the East Asian Championships, they finished third after losing to Japan, and at the Asian Championships in August, they ended up 6th after being eliminated in the quarterfinals by Thailand.
For Korea to contend for a medal in this tournament, the performance of returning star Kang So-hwi will be vital. She missed the East Asian Championships due to a left thigh muscle tear but returned for the Asian Championships, where her attack success rates were 20.8% against Japan and 14.71% against Thailand in the quarterfinals, falling short of her usual performance.
Kang stated, "I feel much better now. We have had disappointing results in international competitions, but I want to achieve a good outcome this time."
There will also be changes in the middle blocker position, as Jung Ho-young will fill in for Lee Joo-ah of IBK Industrial Bank, who is sidelined with a shoulder injury.
Coach Cha commented, "Jung Ho-young is in good condition, and since she has spent considerable time working with the team setters, we have no issues with team cohesion."
The women's volleyball medal matches are scheduled for September 22.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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