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Members of the South Korea women's national volleyball team celebrate after securing a 3-0 sweep against Qatar in their second Pool D preliminary match of the 2026 Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games at Park Arena Komaki in Aichi Prefecture, Japan, on the 17th. / Yonhap

The South Korea women's national volleyball team notched its second consecutive win at the 2026 Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games, rising to the top of its pool.

Led by head coach Cha Sang-hyun, South Korea secured a commanding 3-0 set victory (25-6, 25-6, 25-10) against Qatar in its second Pool D preliminary match held at Park Arena Komaki in Aichi Prefecture, Japan, on the 17th. Following a 3-0 sweep against Hong Kong the previous day, South Korea reached 6 points with this victory, overtaking Vietnam (1 win, 3 points), which has played only one match, to claim provisional first place in the pool.

Ranked 28th in the world, South Korea seized momentum early against 106th-ranked Qatar, scoring 10 unanswered points from an 11-4 lead in the first set on the back of Park Eun-jin's attacks and four service aces. After cruising through the second set 25-6, South Korea wrapped up the final third set with a 15-point margin, led by Park Eun-seo's strong showing on both offense and defense.

Jung Ho-young spearheaded the victory with a match-high 15 points, while Park Eun-jin added 14 points and Park Eun-seo contributed 10 points.

Coach Cha prepared for the final pool-stage showdown against Vietnam on the 18th by managing the stamina of key players, starting Jung Ho-young instead of middle blocker Lee Da-hyeon and resting captain Kang So-hwi in the second set to deploy Yuk Seo-young.

                                                                                                        Cho Seong-jun