The victory got Argentina up to five points in the Pool C standings ahead of their third-round match against France on Thursday. The Olympic champions can, however, do the South Americans a big favor ahead of their encounter, as, if they top Finland, who have one point, later on Tuesday, the Argentines will be automatically guaranteed in the Round of 16. With two defeats, Korea are eliminated from the race for the pool's two spots in the elimination rounds.
Heavy-hitting opposite Pablo Kukartsev led the South American offense against the Koreans, producing a match-high 21 points, with 16 kills, three blocks and two aces. Luciano Vicentín also had a strong display, contributing 20 points (14 kills, five blocks and one ace), eight more than fellow outside hitter Luciano Palonsky.
"We know that every match in this tournament will be difficult and saw a lot of upsets in the first days," Kukartsev reacted. "I thought we were very nervous in our debut against Finland, but today I felt the team more relaxed and enjoying the match. I'm happy for this victory and now we want to beat France and finish first in our pool."
