Korea beats Hong Kong in women's volleyball

The Korean women's volleyball team began their Asian Games journey with a resounding 3-0 victory over Hong Kong on Wednesday. In the Pool D preliminary match at Park Arena Komaki in Komaki, Japan, Korea emerged triumphant with a final score of 3-0 (25-23, 25-12, 25-12). Captain Kang So-hwi played a pivotal role in Korea's success, contributing a match-high 14 points.

Korea will compete in Pool D alongside Hong Kong, Qatar, and Vietnam. The top two teams from each group will advance to the quarterfinals. In another Pool D match, Vietnam dominated Qatar 3-0 (25-3, 25-8, 25-9) in roughly 50 minutes.

Korea showcased dominance in the match, with a substantial 75-24 advantage in attacks, a 5-1 edge in blocks, and a 10-3 lead in service winners. Early in the first set, Korea took a commanding 17-12 lead, aided by Lee Da-hyeon's consecutive aces. They solidified their lead with a 25-23 victory in the second set, thanks to their superior defense against Hong Kong's late attacks.