The Vietnamese women's national volleyball team celebrates beating South Korea on Sunday. — VNS Photo Quý Lượng

Asian Games

HÀ NỘI — The Vietnamese women's volleyball team staged a remarkable comeback to defeat the former Asian champions, South Korea, and secure a spot in the quarter-finals of the 19th Asian Games (ASIAD) in China on Sunday.

In a thrilling match, Việt Nam emerged victorious with a 3-2 (16-25, 22-25, 25-22, 25-22, 15-11) win.

This victory against South Korea mirrored a similar comeback that Việt Nam achieved against the same team during the Asian Women's Volleyball Championship 2023 in August. The triumph not only propelled the Vietnamese team into the second round of ASIAD 19's women's volleyball as the Group C winners but also positioned them one step away from the semi-finals, a historic achievement.

In their opening match of Group C, Việt Nam demonstrated their dominance by overpowering Nepal in just 55 minutes, securing a 3-0 (25-4, 25-16, 25-13) win.

Although Việt Nam started the match against South Korea strongly, taking an early lead, they allowed their opponents to rally and claim the first set with a score of 25-16. In the second set, Việt Nam displayed improved performance and battled fiercely with South Korea. However, they narrowly lost the set 22-25.

With the pressure mounting after losing the first two sets, Việt Nam exhibited resilience and determination to mount a strong comeback. They secured victories in the next two sets, both with a score of 25-22, leveling the match at 2-2 after four intense sets and forcing a decisive fifth set.

The final set was a thrilling and dramatic battle as both teams fought tooth and nail for every point. However, it was the Vietnamese team that displayed greater courage and emerged triumphant with a 15-11 victory, securing an overall 3-2 win after five tense sets. — VNS