Korea achieves dramatic victory against Turkey in women's volleyball

Kim Yeon-koung, center, captain of Korean women's volleyball team, spikes the ball during an Olympic quarterfinal against Turkey at Ariake Arena in Tokyo, Wednesday. Yonhap

Korea advances to semis; Captain Kim exudes charismatic leadership with 28 points

By Lee Min-hyung

The Korean women's volleyball team secured a spot in the Olympic semifinals, Wednesday, after clinching a dramatic 17-25, 25-17, 28-26, 18-25, 15-13 victory against Turkey.

The surprise win against the world's fourth-ranked team has brought Team Korea closer to a long-awaited Olympic medal in the sport ― the country won a bronze back in 1976.

Both teams remained neck-and-neck throughout the five-set competition. But Captain Kim Yeon-koung's final spike on the left side tilted the seesaw battle in favor of Korea, giving the country a 15-13 win in the fifth set.

This win has allowed Korea to move directly into the competition for gold for the first time in nine years. The country narrowly failed to clinch a medal at the 2012 Olympics, after losing to Japan in the bronze medal competition.

As was widely predicted, Kim turned in an exceptional performance with 28 points. The 33-year-old volleyball icon also stood out as a captain, exuding her charismatic ability in encouraging and organizing team members from start to finish.

The volleyball superstar pledged to put all her energy into the Olympic competition, as these Games will be her last appearance on the national team for an Olympics.

“Before the opening of the Olympics, no one would have ever expected Korea to advance to the semifinals, but we are pleased to have done so as a team,” she told reporters after the match against Turkey.

The women's team is the world's 13th-ranked, and was widely considered an underdog entering the match. Korea has so far achieved only two wins, along with seven losses, against Turkey before the quarterfinal encounter.

The Korean women's volleyball team members celebrate their victory against Turkey in the Olympic quarterfinal at Ariake Arena in Tokyo, Wednesday. Yonhap

The morale of the women's volleyball team was also marred by a recent scandal surrounding two star players who were kicked out of the Olympic squad earlier this year, due to their involvement in school bullying.

But head coach Stefano Lavarini has since focused on filling the void and reorganizing the team ahead of the Games.

The newly-formed squad is on track to prove its resilience with its astonishingly strong team spirit.

Two other athletes ― Park Jeong-ah and Yang Hyo-jin ― also shone throughout the quarterfinals, forming a strong attacking lineup along with the captain. Park and Yang each scored 16 and 11 points, respectively.

Park has been a sensation following a preliminary match against Japan. Back then, she played a game-changing role in the final set by scoring multiple points, helping Korea advance to the quarterfinal.

She continued her outstanding performance in the competition against Turkey, turning the third-set around with her blocking.

Yang placed her name among the top three scorers during the quarterfinal. She picked “well-preparedness” as the key reason behind the surprise victory against Turkey, saying the national team thoroughly prepared in all areas ― blocking, attacking and defense ― ahead of the match.

After the match, she reiterated the team's strong willingness to keep its spirits up until winning a medal.

“Our team members have a strong sense of craving and having passion for victory,” she said. “We prepared well for the Olympics. I think our opponents are strong, but we never think about losing any matches. We will win a medal.”

The women's volleyball team will vie for a spot in the final Friday when it will compete against the winner from the quarterfinal between Brazil and the Russian Olympic Committee.