Nagoya: South Korea reached the semifinals of women's volleyball at the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games after defeating Kazakhstan in straight sets in the quarterfinals Sunday. The team secured a 3-0 victory (26-24, 27-25, 25-21) at Park Arena Komaki, just north of Nagoya, Japan. South Korea is set to face either Japan or Chinese Taipei in the semifinals, scheduled for Monday at the same venue.

According to Yonhap News Agency, this marks the first time in eight years that South Korea has advanced to the women's volleyball semifinals at the Asian Games since the 2018 Asiad in Indonesia. The team's performance was spearheaded by opposite hitter Yuk Seo-young, who led South Korea's attack with a match-high 20 points, including one block and two aces. Middle blocker Jung Ho-young added 10 points, while Lee Da-hyeon contributed nine.

The first two sets of the match were tightly contested, both going to deuce. In the opening set, South Korea initially lost the lead to Kazakhstan at 23-22 but regained it at 25-24 thanks to setter Kim Da-in's blocks. Captain Kang So-hwi then sealed the set with a spike, ending it at 26-24. The second set saw both teams trading points, with South Korea reaching set point first at 24-23. Despite conceding two consecutive points, Yuk delivered a decisive spike and a service winner, allowing South Korea to win the set 27-25 and take a 2-0 lead.

In the third set, South Korea maintained composure after reaching 20 points, eventually extending its lead to four points to close out the match. The victory not only secured their place in the semifinals but also marked a significant achievement for the team in their Asian Games journey.