(Asiad) S. Korea beats Philippines to start men's volleyball tournament

NAGOYA, Japan - South Korea defeated the Philippines in the opening match of the men's volleyball tournament at the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games on Sunday, marking the start of the competition. Coached by Issanaye Ramires, South Korea secured a 3-0 victory over the Philippines at Park Arena Komaki in Komaki, located north of Nagoya.

The standout performer for South Korea was outside hitter Lim Sung-jin, who contributed 13 points to the team's tally. Jeong Han-young and Im Dong-hyeok each added 11 points for South Korea in the match.

South Korea started strong in the opening set, building an 11-9 lead. However, the match became more challenging in the second set, as South Korea struggled to maintain their lead and fell short of a decisive 22-21 win. Despite this setback, South Korea recovered in the third set, turning a 15-14 deficit into a 17-15 lead. The team then scored on an opposition error and a serve ace by Lee Sang-hyeun, securing a straight-set victory.

South Korea will face Chinese Taipei in their next match on Monday, followed by a game against China on Tuesday. The top two teams from each of the four groups will advance to the quarterfinals on Thursday. Notably, South Korea had a streak of 14 consecutive men's volleyball medals from 1966 to 2018, but that run ended at the 2023 Asiad in Hangzhou, China, when the team finished in seventh place.