CANDON CITY, Ilocos Sur – South Korea withstood a fierce challenge from Chinese Taipei, escaping with a 25-19, 19-25, 27-25, 21-25, 15-12 victory to clinch the top seed in Pool A of the 2026 AVC Women’s Volleyball Cup on Friday night at the Candon City Arena here.
The win capped a perfect 5-0 sweep of the preliminary round for South Korea, securing the top spot in Pool A of the tournament presented by the Philippine Sports Commission. Chinese Taipei settled for second place with a 4-1 record.
The result sends unbeaten South Korea into a blockbuster semifinal clash against Pool B second seed and defending champion Vietnam on Saturday, while Chinese Taipei faces a tough test against Pool B winner Kazakhstan for a spot in the final.
South Korea held its nerve in the clutch after Chinese Taipei unleashed a 3-0 run to cut a 13-9 deficit to just one, 13-12. Lee Yelim then delivered a crucial cross-court attack to halt the rally and push her side to match point, before Jeong Yunju sealed the victory with a block on Zhen-Xuan Xu.
Team captain Kang Sowhi led the way with 28 points off 21 attacks and seven kill blocks, powering South Korea’s unbeaten run in its first stint in the AVC Women’s Volleyball Cup co-presented by the FIVB, AVC, Volleyball World, and Candon City headed by Mayor Eric Singson.
Lee added 13 points, while Na Hyunsoo chipped in 12 points built on nine attacks, two blocks, and one service ace.
For Chinese Taipei, Xu spearheaded the offense with 20 points from 16 attacks, two blocks, and two aces, while Tzu-Hua Wu added 18 markers in a losing effort.
Meanwhile, Indonesia clinched the third seed in Pool B to advance to the fifth-place match after sweeping Lebanon, 25-20, 25-13, 25-9.
Azzahra Gendis and Syelomitha Wongkar paced Indonesia with 11 points each as the team closed its group stage campaign with a 3-2 record. Lebanon, meanwhile, finished the pool phase winless at 0-5.
