CANDON, Ilocos Sur — South Korea dismantled defending champion Vietnam in straight sets, 25-20, 25-19, 25-23, to secure a spot in the finals of the 2026 Asian Volleyball Confederation (AVC) Women’s Cup on Saturday night at the Candon City Arena.
Returning to the tournament after skipping last year’s edition due to its national team’s participation in the Volleyball Nations League (VNL), South Korea dominated Pool A with victories over Uzbekistan, Australia, the Philippines, Kyrgyzstan, and Taiwan.
Vietnam, the reigning champions, finished the preliminary round with a 4-1 record in Pool B, which included Indonesia, Iran, Hong Kong, and Lebanon. Their lone loss came at the hands of Kazakhstan.
“I heard that we won against Vietnam for the first time. I think it’s very meaningful for us,” said Yelim Lee, who led South Korea with 19 points. “It became a very big motivation to win the game tomorrow.”
Lee also expressed gratitude for the strong support from the local crowd.
“They’re very passionate in supporting us. Everybody is cheering loudly for us, and I’m very thankful for that. I really want to give back with a win tomorrow. Thank you, Filipinos,” she added.
South Korea will face Taiwan in the championship match.
Taiwan advanced to its first-ever AVC Women’s Cup finals after a dominant semifinal win over Kazakhstan, 25-23, 25-16, 25-14. Liao Yi-jen orchestrated the offense with 21 excellent sets in the historic victory.
“Very happy, and it’s the first time that we’re going to the final, so I’m really excited,” Yi-jen said. “I think everybody, including Yi-Chi (Chang), played very well.”
