Korea on quest to secure first Volleyball Nations League win

Korea's Jeong Ji-yun, center, attacks during a Volleyball Nations League game against Canada at Antalya Sports Hall in Antalya, Turkey, on June 2. [FIVB]

The third week of the Volleyball Nations League (VNL) starts on Tuesday in Suwon, Gyeonggi, with the Korean women's national team looking to cut their 20-game losing streak in front of their own fans.

Having lost all 12 VNL games last season, Korea has suffered eight losses this year. They lost seven games 3-0 and only won one set in a 3-1 loss to Germany on June 18.

Korea will face Bulgaria, Dominican Republic, China and Poland this week to secure that much-needed first victory. They are still the only winless side in the tournament.

Those four games, however, will still be tough, as all four opponents are ranked well above Korea on the FIVB World Ranking.

Korea is in 33rd on the ranking, while Bulgaria is in 17th, Dominican Republic in 10th, Poland in eighth and China in fifth.

The national team has to reinforce their attack to have a chance of managing a win, as it has been the main reason behind the team's struggle.

The team's top scorer so far is Jeong Ji-yun, who has managed 45 points, followed by Kang So-hwi with 33 and Pyo Seung-ju and Moon Ji-yun with 31 apiece.

The total points by Jeong, Kang and Pyo combined are still well below the tournament's current top scorer, Melissa Vargas of Turkey's 139.

The team's attack has not been the same since Korean volleyball legend Kim Yeon-koung retired from national duty in 2021.

Head coach Cesar Hernandez is optimistic that this week is a chance to secure Korea's first victory.

Hernandez told reporters after returning to Korea from Brazil — the country that hosted the second VNL week — Wednesday last week that he thinks a win in the game against the Dominican Republic and Bulgaria seems relatively likely.

The third week games are also crucial for Korea, who is looking to earn a spot at the Paris 2024 Olympics, as the VNL results will impact the FIVB ranking, determining the countries that compete at the Olympics.

Among the 12 countries that will participate in the Games, five will land in the competition based on the FIVB World Ranking by June 2024, prioritizing continents that do not have qualified teams in the competition.

Six other countries will reach the tournament through qualifiers, along with France, who will automatically join as host nation.

Korea can also reach the Olympics after going through the qualifiers, but that road will be tough, considering they have to beat teams like No. 1 United States and No. 3 Italy.

Korea will first face Bulgaria on Tuesday at West Suwon Chilbo Gymnasium in Suwon, before playing the Dominican Republic on Thursday, China on Saturday and Poland on Sunday.

BY PAIK JI-HWAN [paik.jihwan@joongang.co.kr]