Despite Strong Performance, Team Suffers Close 3-2 Defeat

Courtesy of FIVB

The South Korean women’s volleyball team lost 3-2 to Bulgaria in their first game of the second week of the 2024 Volleyball Nations League (VNL) on Wednesday, ending their brief respite from a 30-game losing streak earlier this month.

The VNL is an international tournament featuring 16 countries competing across various global locations. The South Korean squad, under new head coach Fernando Morales, resumed play in the United States after concluding the first week of the tournament on May 19 with one win and three losses.

Korea lost the first set 25-23 but recovered to win the second set 25-20 and the third set 26-24. Bulgaria then won the fourth set 25-21, leading to a decisive fifth set. The final set was closely contested, with the score tied at 8-8 before Bulgaria pulled ahead to win 15-11, sealing a 3-2 victory.
 

▲ Korea's Kang So-hwi attacks during a 2024 Volleyball Nations League game against Bulgaria in the United States on Wednesday / Courtesy of FIVBDespite the loss, five South Korean players scored in double digits for the first time in this year’s VNL. Kang So-hwi led with 23 points, followed by Lee Da-hyeon with 17, Park Jeong-ah with 16, Jeong Ji-yun with 12, and Lee Ju-ah with 11. Bulgaria had two players in double digits: top scorer Merelin Nikolova with 28 points and Miroslava Paskova with 13.

South Korea was scheduled to play Poland in the United States on Thursday, with upcoming matches against Turkey and Canada later in the second week of the VNL. Following their game against Canada on June 3, the team will head to Japan for the third week of competition from June 11 to 16.

Sayart 

Blue YIM, yimyoungseo1010@naver.com