Nagoya: South Korea defeated Qatar in its second preliminary group round match of the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games on Thursday, strengthening its position for the quarterfinals.
According to Yonhap News Agency, in the women's volleyball preliminary Pool D match at Park Arena Komaki in Komaki, just north of Nagoya, Japan, South Korea beat Qatar 3-0 (25-6, 25-6, 25-10). South Korea is grouped in Pool D with Hong Kong, Qatar, and Vietnam, with the top two teams advancing to the quarterfinals.
Following a 3-0 victory over Hong Kong the previous day, South Korea remained atop Pool D, while Vietnam will face Hong Kong later Thursday after a 3-0 win over Qatar. South Korea will play Vietnam on Friday at the same venue to decide first place in Pool D.
In Thursday's match against Qatar, South Korea took the 75-22 edge in total attacks, 13-0 in service winners, and 10-1 in blocks, demonstrating its dominance throughout the match. In the first set, South Korea scored 10 straight points while middle blocker Park Eun-jin was serving to extend its lead to 21-4 and continued to dominate through the end of the set.
South Korea replaced its starting lineup with reserve players in the second set but maintained its dominance, recording 14 spikes, six service winners, and four blocks. The third set followed a similar pattern, as South Korea reached match point without difficulty.
The 20th Asian Games, the first quadrennial continental multisport event held in Japan in 32 years, will officially open on Saturday, with some sports, such as basketball, football, and volleyball, already under way.