[U20 Women's Volleyball Asian Championship: South Korea's eight-year revenge, 3-1 victory over Thailand to return to the top three in Asia]
"Let's do it!" The South Korean U20 women's volleyball players hugged each other excitedly after the game. In this moment, they not only won a match, but also a historic victory. In the bronze medal match of the 2024 U20 Women's Volleyball Asian Championship, the South Korean team defeated the old rival Thailand team with a score of 3-1, and finally regained the top three podium in Asia after eight years.
This game can be called a "Avengers" blockbuster of the Korean women's volleyball team. Consider that South Korea have lost to Thailand in three consecutive bronze medal matches over the past decade. This time, they finally raised their eyebrows and were ashamed. This feeling is probably like you finally defeated the big boss who has been stuck in the game, and at that moment, I just want to look up to the sky and roar!
At the beginning of the game, the Korean team was like a chicken blood, and the state was full. The two side attackers, Lee Joo Ah and Song Eun Chae, were simply humanoid durian cannons, and one after another the heavy artillery bombarded the Thai team dizzy. In the first game, the score was 25-21, and the Korean team was full of momentum.
However, the Thai team is not vegetarian. In the second game, there was a wave of 6-1 small climax, which made the Korean team a little confused. In the end, they pulled back a game at 25-18, and the score became a 1-1 draw. Now the situation has become confusing, and no one can say who will die in the end.
The third game can be called a fairy fight. From 1-1 to 10-10, the two sides went back and forth, and no one let anyone. At the critical moment, Shin Eun-ji stood up. Her serve seemed to be a plug-in, and she scored 3 points in a row, directly helping the Korean team establish an advantage. In the end, 25-22, the South Korean team scored again.
By the fourth game, it was a thrilling tug-of-war. The two sides fought all the way from 1-1 to 20-20 and then to 22-22, and every point seemed to dance on the tip of a knife. In the final moments, Guo Sun-ok's block was a stroke of genius, and coupled with Thailand's mistakes, South Korea sealed the victory 25-23. When the last ball of the Thai team was hit out of bounds, the South Korean players cheered as if they had won the World Cup!
Looking back on the journey of the Korean team, it is like a hot-blooded anime. In six games, they only lost to China and Japan, the two "final bosses" of the volleyball world. Swept Chinese Taipei, New Zealand and India 3-0, although lost 1-3 to Japan and China, but finally won Thailand 3-1 and returned to the top three in Asia, this is simply a perfect script!
The 12 girls of this Korean team, Baek Chae-hee, Kim Yeon-so, Lee Joo-ah, Song Eun-chae, Kwak Sun-ok, Shin Eun-ji, Lee Chae-young, Kim Se-bin, Park Chae-min, Lee Ji-yun, Tian Da-bin, Kim Da-eun, their names deserve to be remembered by all volleyball fans today. Because they not only won a competition, but also won confidence in themselves and won the glory of their generation.
In this World Cup year, the South Korean U20 women's volleyball team used its own way to interpret for us what it means to "don't abandon, don't give up". Their stories tell us that if you stick to your dreams, one day, you too can be your own hero.
So the question is, in the face of such a tenacious South Korean team, will there be a new "Korean Wave" in the future Asian volleyball world? Let's wait and see!