bangkok Glass reign supreme in Asian Women’s Club Championship, winning berth to contest : 2016 World Club Championship

1. Bangkok Glass of Thailand: newly-crowned Asian Women’s Club champions.

2. Bangkok Glass of Thailand pose in a group photo during the awards presentation.

3. Bangkok Glass of Thailand hug in group after a stunning win over title-holders Hisamitsu Springs from Japan.

4. Bangkok Glass’ Pleumjit Thinkaow: the Most Valuable Player.

Bangkok Glass reign supreme in Asian Women’s Club Championship, winning berth to contest 2016 World Club Championship

Ha Nam, Vietnam, September 20, 2015 – Thailand’s Bangkok Glass underlined their supremacy over the 2015 Asian Women’s Club Volleyball Championship at the Ha Nam Gymnasium on Sunday after sealing an epic five-set 25-22 20-25 23-25 25-22 15-12 victory over title-holders Hisamitsu Seiyaku Springs to win the Asia’s lone ticket to contest the next year’s FIVB Volleyball Women’s Club World Championship.

Bangkok Glass, double champions of the Thailand League and the Super League the previous season in Thailand, had already beaten DPR Korea’s 4.25 Sports Club and China League champions Zhejiang en route to their final showdown against the mighty Japanese team, which have already represented in the World Club Championship twice in 2014 and 2015

Hisamitsu Springs were offensively strong with the likes of powerful left-hander Miyu Nagaoka, Yuki Ishii and Risa Shinnabe, all of them the major forces who helped Hisamitsu down Taiwan Power in thrilling five sets in the semi-finals the previous day, while three national Thailand players consisting of Wilavan Apinyapong, Pleumjit Thinkaow and Pornpun Guedpard strengthened Bangkok Glass.

Both teams came up in full force with aggression and gutsy show. Bangkok Glass took the hard-fought first set 25-22 before Hisamitsu Springs stormed back to win the second set 25-20. The Japanese held a 2-1 advantage following their sensational 25-23 win in the hotly-contested third set and the Thais were just never-say-die, pouring everything to win the fourth set 25-22.

The thrilling decider saw Bangkok Glass perform superbly to get off to a brilliant start with a wide margin 11-3 lead. Spirited Hisamitsu put their acts together, gathering their courage for point-by-point attempts to reduce the gap at 10-14. Hot on the Thai heels, the Japanese side won two crucial points to move a bit closer to Bangkok Glass 12-14. However, Hisamitsu Springs’ title defence dreams were completely shattered when a thundering spike from Bangkok Glass went unanswered. The Thais won the deciding set 15-11, the championship and the lone ticket to contest the next year’s FIVB Volleyball Women’s Club World Championship.

Pleumjit Thinkaow led Bangkok Glass with 18 points including 14 kills from 31 attempts, while Miyu Nagaoka scored a match-high 24 points for Hisamitsu Springs including 22 deadly attacks from 50 attempts.

“I’m very happy that my team won the Asian title. It’s beyond my initial expectation. I’ve never thought before that we will have the moment of victory. Hisamitsu Springs are very strong and to beat them is not that easy. However, my players have already proved that if we don’t give up, anything can happen. After trailing 1-2 sets, we tried our best to win the fourth set. Everyone gave it all out and helped one another to attack, block and serve and our attempts paid its dividends after that when we won the set. In the decider, we did a great job to lead with a wide margin, but the Japanese fought hard and challenged us seriously. I was almost shocked when Hisamitsu Springs came close. Fortunately, we hit back to win the match. I would like to thank all my players and our supporters for our great win today,” Bangkok Glass’ head coach Kittipong Pornchartyingcheep commented after the match.

Formidable Zhejiang thrash smaller-built Taiwan Power in convincing straight sets to finish third place

China League champions Zhejiang, which made their debut effort in this top-flight tournament, had to be content with the third place as they overwhelmed Taiwan Power from Chinese Taipei with their excellent teamwork and form, winning the third-place playoff in victorious style 25-14 25-15 25-15.

Zhejiang and Taiwan Power proved their invincible form by not going down to any rival en route to their semi-finals on Saturday. However, the bitter loss that day did matter significantly as it smashed their dreams of making the cut for the Sunday’s final showdown, with Zhejiang losing 2-3 to Thailand’s Bangkok Glass and Taiwan Power succumbing the similar defeat at the hands of title-holders Hisamitsu Springs.

Talented Li Jing led the Chinese attacks in the first set to help Zhejiang take an initial 9-0 lead before Taiwan Power successfully broke the jinx 1-9 and held their nerves to reduce the gap 10-16. Deadly left-hander Chen Wan-Ting and Wu Shu-Fen combined well to puncture the Chinese defence with their heavy attacks, but Zhejiang seemingly played every part of the game well to continue their remarkable form and take the lop-sided set 25-14.

Zhejiang still took total control in the second set, playing exceptionally well to foil Taiwan Power’s efforts of fighting back. The mighty Chinese wrapped up the set 25-15, again without much trouble.

Taiwan Power tried harder in the third set, hoping to make a comeback. Nevertheless, their intention did not bear fruits as the Chinese upped their tempo and stormed back devastatingly to win the set 25-15, the comfortable match and the third place.

Li Jing led Zhejiang with 22 points including 18 kills and three blocks, while Wu Wei-Hua collected eight points or Taiwan Power.

Zhetyssu claim 5th place after annihilating 4.25 Sports Club in comfortable straight-set win

Kazakhstan’s Zhetyssu, which finished third in the previous edition last year, finished a below-par fifth place this time following a scintillating 25-18 25-19 25-22 victory over DPR Korea’s 4.25 Sports Club in the 5th-6th playoff.

Zhetyssu remained in their tall and powerful line-up led by the 195cm Tatyana Mudritskaya and hard-attacking Victoria Yemiayanchyk, while the Koreans were spearheaded by Jong Jin Sim and Ju Un Hyang, who respectively won the MVP and the best opposite spiker awards at the recent VTV Cup Women’s International Tournament in Bac Lieu, Vietnam.

As Mudritskaya overcame the small blockers with her fierce attacks, Olga Nassedkina and Mudritskaya performed an impenetrable defence, allowing the Koreans difficulties in attacking. Zhetyssu took the first two sets 25-18 25-19. The 4.25 Sports Club hit back in the third set when the Kazakhs became prone with attacking attempts. Leading narrowly 18-16, Zhetyssu stretched it to 23-21 and from then on went on their impressive form to clinch the hard-fought set 25-22, the match and the fifth place.

Olga Nassedkina led Zhetyssu with 17 points comprising nine attack hits and eight stuff blocks. Corinna Ishimtseve led the serving skill with three ace serves. Jong Jin Sim scored a match-high 19 points for 4.25 Sports Club including 16 kills and two great serves.

Hosts Thong Tin Lienvietpost Bank brush off Petron Blaze Spikers in close four sets to take 7th place

Vietnam’s Thong Tin Linvietpost Bank, which have yet won a match en route to their last encounter on Sunday, tasted their first and last victory in this top-flight competition after pulling off a hard-fought four-set 26-24 27-25 24-26 25-20 win over the Philippine Super Liga Grand Prix winners Petron Blaze Spikers. The host side played well in front of a large number of cheering home crowds inside the competition venue. As the hosts had major forces in their team including the 186cm-tall Bui Thi Nga, who used her height advantage to attack aggressively, and hard-attacking Pham Thi Yen, the visitors fielded two imported players from Brazil, Furtado Rupia Inck Freitas and Adachi Erika Pivetta. However, Thong Tin Lienvietpost Bank fared better to win the first two sets 26-24 27-25. The third set saw Thong Tin Lienvietpost Bank let the victory slip through their fingers. The hosts led commandingly 24-20, needing only one more point to win the set and the match, but Petron Blaze Spikers fought back bravely to win consecutive six points to take the set 26-24.

The fourth set was almost similar to the third when the hosts initially led 23-13, but could not close the match. Petron Blaze Spikers gradually pulled their game together to come close at 20-23. Fortunately, Thong Tin Lienvietpost Bank came back in time to win straight two points for the set win 25-20, the match and the seventh place.

Bui Thi Nga amassed 22 points for Thong Tin Lienvietpost Bank including 15 kills from 32 attacks, while Rachel-Anne Daquis led Petron Blaze Spikers with 16 points, 13 of them through her powerful hits.

FINAL RESULTS

7th-8th playoff: Thong Tin Lienvietpost Bank (Vietnam) b Petron Blaze Spikers (Philippines) 3-1 (26-24 27-25 24-26 25-20)

5th-6th playoff: Zhetyssu (Kazakhstan) b 4.25 Sports Club (DPR Korea) 3-0 (25-18 25-19 25-22)

Third-place playoff: Zhejiang (China) b Taiwan Power (Chinese Taipei) 3-0 (25-14 25-15 25-15)

Championship match: Bangkok Glass (Thailand) b Hisamitsu Seiyaku Springs (Japan) 3-2 (25-22 20-25 23-25 25-22 15-12)

TEAM RANKING

1. Bangkok Glass (Thailand) …Qualified for the 2016 FIVB Volleyball Women’s Club World Championship

2. Hisamitsu Seiyaku Springs (Japan)

3. Zhejiang (China)

4. Taiwan Power (Chinese Taipei)

5. Zhetyssu (Kazakhstan)

6. 4.25 Sports Club (DPR Korea)

7. Thong Tin Lienvietpost Bank (Vietnam)

8. Petron Blaze Spikers (Philippines)

9. Islamic Azad University (Iran)

INDIVIDUAL AWARDS

Most Valuable Player: Pleumjit Thinkaow (Bangkok Glass)

Best Setter: Pornpun Guedpard (Bangkok Glass)

Best Outside Spikers: Miyu Nagaoka (Hisamitsu Seiyaku Springs) and Risa Shinnabe (Hisamitsu Seiyaku Springs)

Best Middle Blockers: Nguyen Thi Ngoc Hoa (Bangkok Glass) and Yang Zhou (Zhejiang)

Best Opposite Spiker: Chen Wan-Ting (Taiwan Power)

Best Libero: Tikamporn Changkeaw (Bangkok Glass)