The Korean women’s national volleyball team has suffered its 16th consecutive defeat in the Volleyball Nations League (VNL).
The Korean Women’s National Team, led by head coach Cesar Hernández González, suffered a shutout defeat against Thailand in the fourth match of the FIVB Volleyball Federation 2023 VNL Week 1 on 4 April at the Antalya Sports Hall in Antalya, Turkey, with a set score of 0-3 (17-25 26-28 21-25).
With the loss to Thailand, the Koreans finished their four-match Week 1 schedule with an undefeated record. They did not win a single set during their 12-set losses, all of which came in shutout fashion. After losing to powerhouses Turkiye, USA, and Canada, they were swept by fellow Asian nation Thailand. Of the 16 nations competing, only South Korea and Croatia failed to win a single set.스포츠토토
The blocking disadvantage against the stronger teams continued against Thailand. They were 5-13 in the blocking department, not far behind the Thais. They also had almost as many errors (14) as Thailand (15).
Captain outside hitter Park Jung-ah led the way with 14 points, including three blocks, but no other player had more than 10. Substitute apogee spiker Moon Ji-yoon followed with nine points. Middle blocker Lee Ju-ah had eight points, including one serve and one block, while middle blocker Jung Ho-young added seven points with one serve and one block.
For Thailand, setter Ponpun Gedpard led the way with a seasoned performance. Ponpun is a ‘reserve foreign player’ and will be travelling to Korea soon. He participated in the Asian Quarterly Draft, which was introduced in the V-League this year, and was selected first overall by IBK and will play in the 2023-24 season. Wipawi Sithong, the second overall pick of Hyundai E&C, also came off the bench to score five points against the Koreans.
After a tough Week 1, the schedule for Week 2 is even tougher. The Korean team will travel to Brazil for the second week of competition. They will face Japan, Croatia, and Germany, starting with Brazil on the 15th.
By Seung-yoon Cha chasy99@edaily.co.kr