U-17 여자배구, 세계선수권 6위로 마무리…손서연 179득점

2026 FIVB U-17 Women's World Championship held in Santiago, Chile saw South Korea's U-17 women's volleyball team secure a sixth-place finish. Team captain Soo Soon-yeon delivered a stellar performance, scoring a total of 179 points across all matches. The Korean team, led by coach Eui-sung, faced Italy in the fifth-place playoff match at the Santiago National Stadium Park Court on the 17th (KST).

South Korea emerged victorious after a hard-fought battle against Italy, winning the set with a score of 1-3 (20:25/26:24/20:25/14:25). The United States emerged as the tournament champions, defeating Turkey in the final with a score of 3-0. China and Taiwan claimed the third and fourth places respectively. Last year's Asian Champions, South Korea, made their debut in the world championship tournament and showcased their prowess with six consecutive wins in the preliminary round.

After advancing to the quarterfinals, they defeated the Philippines (ranked 25th) to reach the semi-finals. However, they were defeated by Turkey (ranked 3rd) in the semifinal, failing to advance to the gold medal match. In a subsequent playoff round, South Korea defeated Thailand (ranked 18th) by a score of 3-0, securing their sixth-place finish in the tournament.

The standout performer of the tournament was outside hitter Soo Soon-yeon, who played in all nine matches and scored a total of 179 points (19.89 points per match). She was ranked second among the top 10 players in terms of points scored (235 points) and third in terms of hitting accuracy (41.24%). Germany's center libero, Isin Seo-in, excelled with precise throws and stable ball distribution, leading the team's offensive efforts.

With a successful block average of 24.56 per game, she secured the third spot in the best blockers of the tournament. At 184 cm tall, South Korea's longest-serving player, Choi Min-joo, contributed significantly to the team's defense, recording an average of 2.22 blocks per game (9th in the tournament).