World-Astonishing 'Volleyball Girls'... Advancing to Quarters with Unbeaten Streak

[Anchor]

The U-17 women's volleyball national team is showing remarkable momentum day after day at the World Championship. After sweeping the group stage, they thoroughly defeated the Philippines in the Round of 16 to advance to the quarterfinals. With their stellar performance and lively celebrations, they are captivating fans both at home and abroad.

Reporter Yu Byeongmin has the story.

[Reporter]

The "volleyball girls," who have forgotten how to lose, completely overwhelmed their Round of 16 opponent, the Philippines.

The trio of Son Seo-yeon, Uhm Min-seo, and Jang Su-in fired powerful spikes, while setter Lee Seo-in caught the opponents off guard by pushing the ball into open spaces on the opposing court.

Choi Min-ju, the only middle school student among the starters and the tallest player on the national team at 184 cm, repeatedly blocked opponent attacks with her arms stretched high. Fellow middle blocker Lee Da-yeon also added strength with fast-moving attacks and open plays reminiscent of a main attacker.

Head coach Lee Seung-yeo's tactical acumen also shone.

Whenever the Philippines attempted a chase, he broke their momentum with time-outs. In particular, when they were being chased 15-10 in the third set, he sealed the victory by scoring five consecutive points right after a time-out.

The timing of his player substitutions was also spot-on and seemingly divine.

Jeon Hyun-seo, brought in to reinforce the defense, immediately laid the groundwork for a score with a crucial dig, while Geum-byeol, renowned for her exceptional serves, broke the opponent's spirit by landing a service ace the moment she stepped onto the court.

The national team defeated the Philippines 3-0 in 1 hour and 22 minutes, extending their winning streak to six games starting from the group stage and successfully achieving their initial goal of reaching the quarterfinals.

[Lee Seung-yeo / U-17 Women's Volleyball National Team Head Coach: I am so happy about today's victory. I am glad the players maintained their high concentration right until the end.]

The players' celebrations, which even captivated the local crowd in Chile, evolved once again.

Jang Su-in, along with Choi Min-ju and Yeo Won, skillfully found the camera to showcase a new celebration symbolizing that they are "storing this moment in their hearts." When a crucial service ace erupted in the third set, everyone leaped up into the air to shoot "love bullets."

Enjoying this moment to the fullest, the national team is determined to overcome their next opponent, powerhouse Turkiye, in the quarterfinals the day after tomorrow (the 15th).

[Uhm Min-seo / U-17 Women's Volleyball National Team Member: Since (Turkiye) is a tall team, we need to stick together closely, focus a bit more on fast plays and defense, and we will win.]

(Video Editing: Kim Jun-hee, Footage courtesy of ENA Sports·SOOP)