(LEAD) (Olympics) S. Korea loses to Brazil, falls to bronze medal match in women's volleyball

All News 22:58 August 06, 2021

(ATTN: ADDS details, photos)
By Yoo Jee-ho

TOKYO, Aug. 6 (Yonhap) -- South Korea's Cinderella run through the Tokyo Olympic women's volleyball tournament hit a speed bump on Friday, with a straight-set loss to Brazil.

World No. 2 Brazil easily handled the 11th-ranked South Korea 3-0 (25-16, 25-16, 25-16) at Ariaka Arena in Tokyo.

The loss sends South Korea to the bronze medal match against the sixth-ranked Serbia at 9 a.m. Sunday, the last day of the Olympics.

Serbia defeated South Korea in three sets on Monday in the preliminary round.

South Korean players react to a lost point against Brazil during the semifinals of the Tokyo Olympic women's volleyball tournament at Ariake Arena in Tokyo on Aug. 6, 2021. (Yonhap)

South Korea scored the first point of the opening set but never led again the rest of the way. Whenever South Korea tried to keep things close, Brazil pulled ahead, with Rosamaria Montibeller and Fernanda Rodrigues leading the attack.

From 15-12, Brazil scored three straight points to open things up. Rodrigues got the final two points of the set for Brazil with a block on Kim Yeon-koung and then a thunderous spike for a 25-16 win.

Things were a bit tighter in the early moments of the second set. Kim Hee-jin's serve ace gave South Korea a 6-5 lead, and South Korea later battled back from a 10-8 deficit to draw even at 10-10.

Kim Yeon-koung of South Korea (R) hits a spike against Brazil during the semifinals of the Tokyo Olympic women's volleyball tournament at Ariake Arena in Tokyo on Aug. 6, 2021. (Yonhap)

From there, Brazil reeled off five straight points to reassert its superiority. South Korea still had no answers for explosive attacks by Montibeller and Rodrigues while losing the set 25-16.

Brazil picked up the first three points of the third set, and the lead was 11-5 for Brazil after Park Jeong-ah's spike went wide right for South Korea.

The lead ballooned to 20-10 in a hurry, as Rodrigues and Gabriela Guimaraes kept punishing the Korean defense. Brazil claimed the set 25-16 to finish the match in an hour and 22 minutes.