The South Korea women's national volleyball team has been relegated from the 2025 FIVB Volleyball Nations League (VNL) after finishing at the bottom of the standings with just one win and eleven losses.

Upon her return to Incheon International Airport on the 14th, team captain Kang So-hwi of Korea Expressway Corporation was visibly emotional and stated, “I sincerely apologize to everyone.” Kang led the squad throughout the competition but could not hide her disappointment at failing to achieve the team's goal of maintaining their VNL status.

Reflecting on the tournament, Kang highlighted the full-set losses against the Czech Republic, the Dominican Republic, and Bulgaria. She lamented that winning just one of those closely contested matches could have changed the outcome for the team. Notably, South Korea narrowly lost to the Dominican Republic in a fifth-set deuce, falling 14-16, and dropped another hard-fought match with a 2-3 set score.

"With so many young players at the core of our team, it was difficult to contend against such strong opponents," Kang explained. Looking ahead, she emphasized the importance of seizing the chance to qualify for the World Championship through next year's Asian Championship.

Middle blocker Lee Da-hyun of Heungkuk Life also expressed regret, stating, "There was heavy pressure on us due to the threat of relegation, and coming off such a short training period made it even harder." Lee was particularly disheartened by the inability to secure victory over the Dominican Republic, as well as losing momentum after taking the first set against Poland.

Given that South Korea will be unable to participate in VNL next year, Lee stressed the need to accumulate ranking points in order to secure a spot in the World Championship.

Note “This article was translated from the original Korean version using AI assistance, and subsequently edited by a native-speaking journalist.”

Photo=Yonhap News, MHN DB