Kang So-hui (Korea Expressway Corporation), the captain and ace of the women's national volleyball team, has recently suffered from feelings of frustration and guilt.

This was due to a left thigh muscle tear injury that kept her on the bench during the East Asian Championship, followed by an inability to perform at her full potential at the Asian Championship held last August.

The national team recorded a disappointing result of being eliminated in the quarterfinals at the Asian Championship, which offered a direct ticket to the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics, leaving Kang to hang her head in disappointment.

However, Kang proved her worth today (the 16th) in the opening match of the 2026 Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games, a Group D preliminary fixture against Hong Kong held at Park Arena Komaki in Aichi Prefecture, Japan.

Although she committed frequent errors in both offense and defense during the first set, she began to display a completely different style of play starting from the second set.

She completely dismantled Hong Kong's defensive line with sharp, breath-taking attacks.

Scoring 8 points in the second set alone and totaling a match-high 14 points, she led the national team to a 3-0 sweeping victory.

Meeting reporters after the match, Kang confessed, "I felt a sense of apology toward my teammates because I could not get my physical condition fully ready in the previous tournament. Frankly speaking, even ahead of this tournament, I lacked certainty about my body and my confidence had dropped."

She continued, "I made many unforced errors in both offense and defense during the first set of today's match. In the second set, once my receives settled down, my offense came alive."

"I regained my confidence through today's match," she added, "which is why this game means so much to me."

Although her thigh muscle injury carries a risk of recurrence, Kang's determination is extraordinary.

She emphasized, "This tournament is the last international competition held this year. Even if the injury recurs, there is enough time before the opening of the professional V-League, so it will be fine."

The reason Kang places such high importance on this tournament stems from a painful memory three years ago.

The national team was eliminated in the quarterfinals of the 2022 Hangzhou Asian Games held in 2023 after suffering a setback against Vietnam.

At the time, all the national team players, including Kang, shed bitter tears after finishing the tournament.

Kang said, "I have not forgotten the humiliation of that time. The match against Vietnam that we face in the group stage of this tournament is also very important, and we will definitely win."

She also expressed confidence, stating, "If we win against Vietnam, our momentum will rise and we will be able to reach the final."

(Photo: Yonhap News)