Hernandez calls up same squad for Paris Olympics qualifiers

Korean women's volleyball coach Cesar Hernandez has chosen the same team that finished sixth in the Asian Volleyball Championship for the upcoming Paris Olympics qualifiers.

The Korean women's volleyball team at the Asian Women's Volleyball Championship held in Thailand earlier this month [YONHAP]

Korean women’s volleyball head coach Cesar Hernandez announced the team roster Tuesday for the upcoming Paris Olympics qualifiers, calling up the exact same squad that crashed out of the Asian Women's Volleyball Championship earlier in the month.

The 14 players that finished the Asian Championship in sixth place — the worst finish ever for a Korean team — will now jet off to Poland on Thursday to play in the qualifiers.

Outside hitters Kang So-hwi and Kwon Min-ji of GS Caltex Seoul KIXX, Park Jeong-ah and Lee Han-bi of the Gwangju AI Peppers and Pyo Seung-ju of the Hwaseong IBK Altos will lead the team’s attack, alongside opposite hitter Lee Seon-woo of Daejeon KGC.

Over in the setter position, Kim Da-in of Suwon Hyundai Engineering & Construction Hillstate and Kim Ji-won of the KIXX are on the roster.

Liberos Kim Yeon-gyeon of Hillstate and Moon Jung-won of Gimcheon Korea Expressway Hi-Pass are also in the squad again, with middle blockers Lee Ju-ah of the Heungkuk Life Insurance Pink Spiders, Park Eun-jin and Jung Ho-young of KGC and Lee Da-hyeon of Hillstate completing the team.

Korea, ranked at No. 36 on the FIVB world rankings, will face No. 2 United States, No. 5 Italy, No. 7 Poland, No. 12 Germany, No. 14 Thailand, No. 20 Colombia and No. 25 Slovenia in Group C of the qualifiers.

The qualifiers will take place in a round-robin format, with the top two teams advancing to the Olympics next year.

All the opponents will be tough for Korea, considering that Hernandez’s squad has only secured four wins since his appointment last year.

He lost all 12 Volleyball Nations League games in July and managed four wins this year against relatively lowered-ranked countries like Uzbekistan and Chinese Taipei in the Asian Championship.

Korea will first face Italy on Saturday and the qualifiers will last through Sept. 24.

BY PAIK JI-HWAN [paik.jihwan@joongang.co.kr]