Enthusiastic fans cheer on the United States.
The U.S. improved its record to 8-2 while Korea fell to 1-9. A U.S. win over France on Saturday will secure first place in Pool C and a place in the Finals.
Clay Stanley of the United States led all scorers with 19 points on 14 attacks, three blocks and two aces. Kwang-In Jeon led Korea with 14 points on 13 spikes and one block.
The U.S. led Korea in attacks (49-43), blocks (13-6) and aces (6-3).
Korea took an 8-6 lead at the first technical timeout of the first set and used two straight blocks to increase the lead to 10-6. The U.S. called timeout and came back with a Stanley kill and a block from Lee and Stanley to pull to within two. But Korea came back to score the next three points to lead 13-8. Korea led 21-16 when the U.S. got the ball on a Korea hitting error and Anderson followed with an ace. The United States scored three more points to pull to within one at 21-20. Korea maintained its lead and reached set point at 24-22, but the U.S. scored twice to tie the score. Korea would reach set point five more times, but each time the U.S. fought it off. Korea reached its eighth set point at 30-29. Priddy scored on two straight kills to give the U.S. its first set point, and Stanley won the set with an ace.
The second set stayed close all the way to the end. Korea led 8-7 at the first technical timeout, but the Americans reversed the score and led 16-13 at the second. Korea eventually tied the score at 20-20. The United States reached set point at 24-23 on an ace by David Lee, but then allowed Korea to tie the score with a service error. Stanley gave the U.S. side its second set point with a tip then sealed the set with another ace.
The score was tied 10-10 in the third set when the U.S. scored on a Korea error and a block. Korea called timeout and came back to score, but the United States scored two more points on an Anderson kill and Holmes ace to lead by three. Korea pulled to within one point at 14-13 and again at 17-16, but the U.S. held them off each time. The U.S. reached match point at 24-21 on a Stanley kill. Korea scored on a U.S. service error, but lost on its own service error.
