South Korea's under-17 (U-17) women's volleyball national team has secured its spot in the round of 16, extending its winning streak to four games at the World Championship.

Led by head coach Lee Seung-yeo, the national team defeated the Dominican Republic 3-1 (25-18, 21-25, 25-19, 25-17) in their fourth Group D match of the 2026 International Volleyball Federation (FIVB) U-17 Girls' U17 World Championship held in Los Andes, Chile, on August 11, Korea time.

Having successively defeated Puerto Rico, Taiwan, Italy, and now the Dominican Republic, South Korea maintained the lead in Group D with four consecutive wins and 12 points.

In addition, regardless of the outcome of their final group match against Algeria on August 12, South Korea has secured a top-four finish in the group, clinching a ticket to the round of 16.

Outside hitter Son Seo-yeon (Sunmyung Girls' High School), often dubbed the "Little Kim Yeon-koung," scored a team-high 23 points, combining 20 attack points, 1 block, and 2 service aces.

Jang Su-in (Kyungnam Girls' High School) added 14 points, Uh Min-seo (Hanbom High School) contributed 12 points, and Lee Da-yeon (Chungang Girls' High School) scored 10 points, including 4 blocks and 4 aces.

In the crucial third set, after a tight and tense battle, South Korea seized the momentum with four consecutive points from a 13-13 tie.

Reaching the 20-point mark first, South Korea closed out the set at 24-19 following an opponent service error, taking a 2-1 lead in sets.

Continuing their momentum, South Korea took the lead from the early stages of the fourth set, pulling ahead 23-14 after scoring four straight points from a 19-14 advantage.

At match point, 24-17, another opponent service error sealed the victory.

South Korea will play its final group match against Algeria at 3:00 AM on August 12 at the same venue.

(Photo: Capture from the International Volleyball Federation (FIVB) official website, Yonhap News)