[Anchor]

At the FIVB Girls' U17 World Championship, our national team defeated the Dominican Republic to claim their fourth consecutive win. Volleyball legend Kim Yeon-koung also shared her excitement and emotion over the juniors' stellar performances.

Reporter Yu Byeongmin has the story.

[Reporter]

Having lost a full-set thriller to the Dominican Republic in a friendly match right before the tournament, the national team did not fall victim to the same fate twice.

Floor general and setter Lee Seo-in's distribution of the ball shone brightly.

Catching the opponents off guard, she orchestrated a balanced attack by utilizing not only leading scorer and main hitter Son Seo-yeon, but also Uhm Min-seo and Jang Su-in.

Son Seo-yeon led the team with 23 points, while Uhm Min-seo and Jang Su-in added 14 and 12 points respectively. Middle blocker Lee Da-yeon also exploded for 10 points, including 4 service aces, bringing the total number of players scoring in double digits to four.

Securing their fourth straight 3-1 victory, the national team locked in their spot in the round of 16 with one preliminary match left to spare.

[Son Seo-yeon / U-17 Girls' Volleyball National Team: Honestly, I was more nervous than before the matches against Taiwan and Italy, but it was an honor and twice as joyful that we played well and won 3-1.]

The rare news of international success in women's volleyball brought a smile even to volleyball legend Kim Yeon-koung.

[Kim Yeon-koung / Chairperson, KYK Foundation: Seeing the young players show such good performances on the international stage made me feel so great to begin with.]

The joy was doubled by the fierce performances of players sponsored by her own scholarship foundation.

[Kim Yeon-koung / Chairperson, KYK Foundation: (Son) Seo-yeon, (Moon) Tiara, and (Rang) Su-in are all players with their own distinct strengths. I am truly proud and happy.]

Passing down her know-how from dominating the world stage, Kim advised,

[Kim Yeon-koung / Chairperson, KYK Foundation: Ultimately, on the international stage, how much you can trust and play your own game is tremendously important. I hope they continue to enjoy volleyball just like they are doing now.]

She also expressed her wish for her juniors to reach the top-four stage of the world, a feat she accomplished twice on the Olympic stage.

[Kim Yeon-koung / Chairperson, KYK Foundation: I hope to see them show even more growth. I will continue to cheer them on.]

(Video Editing: Ha Seong-won, Design: Lee Ga-jin, Footage Provided by: ENA Sports, SOOP)