Ha Nam, Vietnam, September 13, 2015 – China League champions Zhejiang, Taiwan Power from Chinese Taipei and DPR Korea’s 4.25 Sports Club registered their second wins in the 2015 Asian Women’s Club Volleyball Championship, with Zhejiang producing a magnificent come-from-behind victory over Hisamitsu Seiyaku Springs in a hard-fought five-set thriller at the Ha Nam Gymnasium on Sunday.
Zhejiang, which stunned defending champions Tianjin to reign supreme in the 2013-2014 China League, stunned reigning champions Hisamitsu from Japan in a clash of the Titans 22-25 25-2116-25 25-23 15-11, while Taiwan Power overpowered Kazakhstan’s Zhetyssu in straight sets 25-19 25-14 25-21 and 4.25 Sports Club thrashed Iran’s Islamic Azad University 25-13 25-22 25-18.
Against Hisamitsu, which have already represented Asia twice to contest the FIVB Volleyball Women’s Club World Championship in Switzerland, Zhejiang fielded a strong line-up including the 186cm-tall Li Jing, Qiu Yanan, Yang Zhou and Wang Huimin. Zhejiang, playing without any national Chinese player, in Zhejiang, are making their debut effort in this top-flight championship.
Hisamiitsu had four national Japan players who recently took part in the FIVB World Cup on home soil including deadly left-hander Miyu Nagaoka and Yuki Ishii. However, against the indomitable Zhejiang, Hisamitsu sent in a formidable line-up led by Nagaoka, Risa Shinnabe, Nana Iwasaka and hard-attacking Tatjana Bokan, imported from Montenegro.
Both teams started aggressively with terrific jump serves, sharp attacks and good blocks to see the scores tied at 13-13. Hisamitsu’s blistering offence came from Bokan’s powerful cross-court spikes and talented Nagaoka’s well-placed serves. The Japanese side took the hard-fought first set 25-22.
Their confidence went sky-high following the opening-set win, Hisamiitsu continued exceptional form in the second set, which they jumped to a 5-1 lead and stretched it to 10-5, courtesy of their great defence and splendid combination. Zhejiang, which relied mostly on Li Jing and Qiu Yanan, fought back with their attacks and solid blocking to catch the Japanese at 11-11 and went on their onslaughts to clinch the set 25-21 for a 1-1 draw.
Hisamitsu still proved steadier in the third set, with Nagaoka and Shinnabe puncturing the Chinese defence with their fierce attacks to help the Japanese take the comfortable set 25-16.
However, Zhejiang found their touch after that. The Chinese side performed superbly, with Li Jing emerging as the lone weapon attacking from all angles. Zhejiang captured the fourth set and the tie-breaker 25-23 and 15-11 respectively for their second win in the championship. On the previous day, the Chinese side mercilessly crushed Iran’s Islamic Azad University in comfortable straight sets.
Li Jing amassed 29 points for Zhejiang including 24 kills from 60 attempts, assisted by 11 kills and four blocks from Qiu Yanan. Risa Shinnabe led Hisamitsu Seiyaku Springs with 22 points including 19 ace spikes. Miyu Nagaoka assisted with 17 kills.
“In the first set, my players were a bit nervous, but fortunately, they did their best later on. We did not play well in the third and fourth sets, more prone with unforced mistakes. Hisamitsu are very strong team and they did a good job in this match. I’m happy that we beat them. If we happen to play them again in the final, I’m confident that my team can repeat the feat,” Zhejiang’s head coach Wu Sheng commented after the match.
Also making it two in a row are Taiwan Power from Chinese Taipei, which powered past hosts Thong Tin Lienvietpost Bank in their opening match the previous day. The Taiwanese side on Sunday had a giant-killing performance when they toppled Zhetyssu, whose height average is 184cm against the rivals’ 172cm.
The Taiwan Power’s scintillating 25-19 25-14 25-21 win has rubbed salt into the Zhetyssu’s wound as the Kazakhs have already suffered their first loss at the hands of Thailand’s Bangkok Glass the previous day. The Sunday’s letdown has relegated Zhetyssu to the bottom fourth place in Pool A as they are the only team yet winning a set.
Chang Chen-Yi led Taiwan Power with 17 points including 12 kills and four serves, while Tatyana Mudritskaya topscored with 13 points for Zhetyssu.
“We trained hard in the morning ahead of the match against Zhetyssu. We learned how to cope with their tactics, focussing on our attacks and defence. I think if we want to beat them, it’s very important to make our homework before playing them. That’s why we played much better than the previous day. I asked my players to do their best and they did. We next take on Bangkok Glass and I admit that it’s not easy. It must be a very close match. Five sets can be expected in that match. Nevertheless, one thing I’m sure of is that my players will maintain their form and give all what they have,” Taiwan Power’s head coach Lin Ming-Hui commented after the match.
Meanwhile, DPR Korea’s 4.25 Sports Club, competing without their best player Jong Jin Sim, brushed off Iran’s Islamic Azad University 25-13 25-22 25-18 to claim their second win.
The Korean team, fresh from outclassing the Philippine Super Liga Grand Prix champions Petron Blaze Spikers in straight sets the previous day, were so confident that they would beat Iran’s Islamic Azad University without much trouble as they rested their best players including Ju Un Hyang and instead fielded substituted players including Ri Ra Hyang and Kang Suk Gyong.
Powerful Jong Jin Sim, who led the Koreans with 20 points in the previous match against Petron Blaze Spikers and who won the Most Valuable Player award in the recent VTV Cup in Bac Lieu, Vietnam, sustained a back injury which saw her unable to join her team for the Sunday’s competition.
Despite an absence of their key player Jong Jin Sim, the Koreans performed well up to their standard to power past the Iranian side in straight sets.
Kang Suk Gyong scored a match-high 16 points for 4.25 Sports Club including 12 kills from 45 attempts. She also led in the blocking and serving to score two points apiece in those two skills. Borhani Esfahan led Islamic Azad University with 11 points.
“It’s a difficult match for my team because our best player Jong Jin Sim suffered her back pain and could not join us this time. She might be suspended for 2-3 matches for treatment. We next take on Hisamitsu and hope that we can play a good match against them. I think Japan’s Hisamitsu and China’s Zhejiang are the tournament’s strongest teams to win the title. As for my team, we have targeted only quarter-finals and if possible, to finish the third place in this competition is not that bad for our team,” Serbian Moro Branslav, head coach of the 4.25 Sports Club, commented after the match.
After the Sunday’s matches, Taiwan Power moved to the top of the Pool A standing with six points from two wins, followed by Thailand’s Bangkok Glass, which collected only three points from their first-match win over Zhetyssu. Hosts Thong Tin Lienvietpost Bank and Zhetyssu still had no points.
The 4.25 Sports Club from DPR Korea had six points from two wins to surge to the top of Pool B, while Zhejiang had five points from two wins came in second place. Hisamitsu Seiyaku Springs lost their first match to Zhejiang to come in third position, followed by Petron Blaze Spikers from the Philippines.
SUNDAY’S PRELIMINARY RESULTS
POOL A
Taiwan Power (Chinese Taipei) b Zhetyssu (Kazakhstan) 3-0 (25-19 25-14 25-21)
POOL B
4.25 Sports Club (DPR Korea) b Islamic Azad University (Iran) 3-0 (25-13 25-22 25-18)
Zhejiang (China) b Hisamitsu Seiyaku Springs (Japan) 3-2 (22-25 25-21 16-25 25-23 15-11)
MATCH SCHEDULE
MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 14, 2015
4pm: 4.25 Sports Club (DPR Korea) v Hisamitsu Seiyaku Springs (Japan)
6pm: Bangkok Glass (Thailand) v Taiwan Power (Chinese Taipei)
8pm: Petron Blaze Spikers (Philippines) v Islamic Azad University (Iran)
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