SEOUL, South Korea (AP) - The women's volleyball team, led by coach Cesar Hernandez, has arrived in Hangzhou, China, for the final round of the Hangzhou 2022 Asian Games.
César's team has been struggling on the international stage lately, and this is the last chance to save some pride.
After qualifying for the Paris 2024 Olympic Games in Poland, the women's volleyball team arrived in Hangzhou, China, on June 26 to begin jet lag and acclimatization. 바카라사이트
The Asian Games will be the final stop for the women's volleyball team after a year of non-stop competition.
The team competed in the FIVB Volleyball Nations League (VNL) at the end of the 2022-23 season, losing all 12 matches.
The team went on to finish sixth at the Asian Championships in Thailand, their lowest-ever finish, losing to the likes of Vietnam and Kazakhstan.
In the Olympic qualifiers, the team lost seven matches and finished last.
They didn't even qualify for the Olympic Games.
South Korea's status as a women's volleyball powerhouse, having reached the quarterfinals at the Tokyo Olympics just two years earlier, has plummeted in just two years.
The Asian stage has been a tough one for South Korea, with the team finishing in sixth place at the Asian Championships earlier this month.
Japan, China, and Thailand are all ahead of Korea in terms of power. It's not going to be easy, but Korea will be hoping for a different result this time around, led by the likes of Park Jung-ah (Pepper Savings Bank) and Kang So-hwi (GS Caltex).
The women's team, in particular, will be looking to redeem their reputation after a recent slump, while the men's team, who finished in an embarrassing seventh place, will be looking to make amends.
The sense of responsibility is even stronger for the athletes.
South Korea will open their Group C campaign against Vietnam on October 1, followed by their second match against Nepal the next day.
If any of the three teams finish in the top two, they will advance to the semifinals through a round robin of eight matches.