Komaki:South Korea shut down the Philippines to open the men's volleyball tournament at the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games on Sunday.

According to Yonhap News Agency, under the guidance of coach Issanaye Ramires, South Korea secured a 3-0 victory in their first Pool D match, with set scores of 25-16, 27-25, and 25-22. The match took place at Park Arena Komaki, located just north of the main host city of Nagoya.

Outside hitter Lim Sung-jin was the top scorer for South Korea with 13 points, while Jeong Han-young and Im Dong-hyeok each contributed 11 points. Jeong and Im were pivotal in the first set, combining for eight points as South Korea extended their lead after an initial 11-9 advantage.

The second set proved more challenging for South Korea, as they struggled to close out the Philippines with a 22-21 lead. However, after falling behind 25-24, South Korea managed to capitalize on the opponent's errors to gain two quick points and secure the set.

In the final set, South Korea overturned a 15-14 deficit, gaining a 17-15 lead. A crucial error by the opposition and a service ace by Lee Sang-hyeon helped South Korea maintain momentum and clinch the straight-set victory.

South Korea is scheduled to face Chinese Taipei on Monday and China on Tuesday. The top two teams from each of the four groups will advance to the quarterfinals on Thursday.

Historically, South Korea won 14 consecutive men's volleyball medals from 1966 to 2018. However, this streak was broken at the 2023 Asiad in Hangzhou, China, where the team finished in seventh place.