The Korean women's volleyball team bowed their heads without winning a single set against the world's top-class Brazil.



Korea, ranked 14th in the world, lost their first match in Group A of the Tokyo 2020 Olympic women's volleyball qualifying round at Ariake Arena in Tokyo, Japan, with a set score of 0-3 (10-25 22-25 19-25) to 3rd place Brazil.



Coach Stefano Lavarini, who leads the Korean national team, has selected Heejin Kim (IBK Industrial Bank of Korea) and Jungah Park (Korea Expressway Corporation) left as flank attack partners for 'World Class' Yeon-Kyung Kim (Shanghai, China).



It was a strategy to fight against Brazil with height and attack, but from the beginning of the first set, the attacks of Park Jung-ah and Kim Hee-jin caught the Brazilian blocking wall, and the sub-receive was also shaken.



In the first set, Kim Yeon-kyung's attack attempts were limited to only four (2 successes), so Korea could not even counterattack.



In the second half of the second set, coach Lee So-young (KGC Ginseng Corporation) replaced Park Jung-ah to strengthen the serve receive line and shook the Brazilian back with a serve that adjusted the strength and weakness unique to Korea.



Rep. Korea, who played a relentless defense in 17-20 and pulled off Brazil's offense, added a goal in 18-20 with an attack aimed at Kim Yeon-kyung's opposing blocker fingertips.



In 21-22, Ahn Hye-jin (GS Caltex) blocked the opponent's attack with a nice dig, and Tandara Kaiseta's attack went out of the line without reaching the Korean blocker, making the score 22-22.



However, Brazil scored with Gabriella Guimarez's fast attack from the center back, and So-Young Lee's open attack was blocked by a Brazilian blocking wall.



Brazil took two sets in 24-22 with an open attack from Rosarania Montabella.



In the 3rd set, Korea played a tight fight with Brazil until the middle of the set, but in 14-15, Kim Yeon-kyung's diagonal attack went out of line, and in 15-17, Park Jung-ah's open attack was blocked by a blocking wall.



Kim Yeon-kyung struggled with 12 points, but she was not supported by her teammates and was intensively restrained.



On the other hand, in Brazil, wing strikers such as Rodriguez (17 points), Guimares (16 points), and Caseita (10 points) played evenly.



Korea will take a day off tomorrow (26th) and play the second game against Kenya the day after tomorrow (27th).



(Photo = Yonhap News)