Reigning champions Japan beats China in hard-fought four sets 25-17 18-25 25-17 25-19 in the final showdown of the 12th Asian Women’s U17 Volleyball Championship

Japan was on cloud nine on Sunday as the reigning champions overpowering China in hard-fought four sets 25-17 18-25 25-17 25-19 in the final showdown of the 12th Asian Women’s U17 Volleyball Championship at the Nakhon Pathom Municipality Gymnasium to stretch their invincibility to eight including seven in a row.

Japan became the only team which did not lose to any rival en route winning the title on Sunday. The exceptional win over China was also a repeated feat as they had already beaten the Chinese side 3-1 in their pool plays earlier.

The Sunday’s final was Japan’s 10th in the top-flight event which included seven against China. The Japanese lost only two out of seven contested in the final against the formidable rivals. Among the eight titles Japan had won so far, the first one was in the inaugural event in Yala, Thailand in 1997. Japan also reigned supreme in 2005 in the Philippines, 2007 in Kamphaeng Phet, Thailand, 2010 in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, 2012 in Chengdu, China, 2014 in Nakhon Ratchasima, Thailand, 2017 in Chongqing, China and 2018 in Nakhon Pathom, Thailand. The remaining four editions were won by China (1999 in Singapore, 2001 in Trang, Thailand, 2003 in Si Sa Ket, Thailand and 2005 in Mandaue, the Philippines).

 Against mighty China, Japan fielded a strong lineup which beat the same rivals in the preliminary Pool A match. They included Yoshino Nishikawa, Yoshie Kawakami and Aimi Okawa. China were spearheaded by hard-hitting Zhou Yetong, Liu Meijun and Wu Mengjie.

The well-established Japan came up with power and amazing speed which won them the first set 25-17. China upped their poise and played more consistently in the second set, seizing the chance when Japan became prone with hasty unforced mistakes to fight back with aggressive attacks and scintillating blocks to win the set 25-18. Japan remained unbeatable in the following sets to win 25-17 and 25-19, match and the Asian title.

In the other playoffs, formidable Chinese Taipei mercilessly crushed Kazakhstan in a completely one-sided battle 25-6 25-12 25-8 to grab the 5th place, Iran played a tough match against India before powering past the fighting rivals in thrilling four-setter 25-23 20-25 25-16 25-15 to take the 7th place, while Australia produced a magnificent come-from-behind 3-2 (11-25 25-13 23-25 25-13 15-12) victory over New Zealand to finish 9th place.

At the awards presentation, Japan, China and Thailand stood proud on the top-three podium. The trio, joined by Korea, qualified for the 2019 FIVB Women’s U18 Volleyball World Championship in Mexico.

TEAM RANKING
1. JAPAN
2. CHINA
3. THAILAND
4. KOREA
5. Chinese Taipei
6. Kazakhstan
7. Iran
8. India
9. Australia
10. New Zealand
11. Malaysia
12 Hong Kong

INDIVIDUAL AWARDS
BEST OPPOSITE SPIKER
Manami Koyama (No.8, Japan)

BEST MIDDLE BLOCKERS
Wu Megjie (No.1 China)
Madoka Kashimura (No.2, Japan)

BEST OUTSIDE SPIKER
Yoshino Nishikawa (No.4, Japan)
Zhou Yetong (No.3 China)

BEST SETTER
Supatcha Kamtalaksa (No.13, Thailand)

BEST LIBERO
Jidapa Nahuanong (No.9, Thailand)

MOST VALUABLE PLAYER
Yoshino Nishikawa (No.4, Japan)

Volleyball Women's League Women's:Poland defeated China in the new match of Volleyball Nations League.

After five sets Poland came out of the match as the winners! Olympic champions suffered a defeat of 25-18, 17-25, 18-25, 25-22, 12-15 in front of the home crowd.

Malwina Smarzek led Polish team with 35 points (5 aces) followed by Natalia Medrzyk 11 points. On the other side, Yingying Li finished the match with 19 points while Ni Yan was the second-best scorer of the team with 9 points.

During the match, Poland scored 14 aces while China only 3! And the winners put 11 blocks while China 8. Also, the host team scored more errors than the opponents (25/19)

2018 Volleyball Nations League Women's: Tandara and Brazil outclassed Turkey

In their first match of Week 2, Tandara Alves Caixeta hit 25 points to inspire Brazil to celebrated the four-set victory (25-17, 25-19, 23-25, 25-21) over hosts Turkey in front of a loud Ankara's crowd.

Beside Tandara, Drussyla Costa was also a menace and she scored 16 points while Amanda Francisco added 11 points. 

In Turkey, Eda Erdem Dundar was the top scorer with 14 points followed by Hande Baladin who scored 10 points.

Kazakhstan sent India packing 3-0 (25-16 25-22 25-13) in their last preliminary match to top Pool D at the 12th Asian Women’s U17 Volleyball Championshi

Kazakhstan sent India packing 3-0 (25-16 25-22 25-13) in their last preliminary match to top Pool D at the 12th Asian Women’s U17 Volleyball Championship at the Nakhon Pathom Municipality Gymnasium on Tuesday.

Zinat Kadyrbekova led Kazakhstan with 12 points including 9 attacks from 15 attempts, while Elakiya M. Muthu scored a team-high 10 points for India.

The win was a sweet revenge for Kazakhstan as they went down in straight sets to India in the recent Princess Cup 20th South East Asian Women’s U17 Championship at the same competition venue here. India picked up silver in that championship.

India, which came back to beat Malaysia 3-1 in the previous match, took an initial 5-1 lead in the first set, thanks to their solid defence. However, Kazakhstan roared back with great attacks from Kristina Strukova and Samai Ibrayeva to catch the Indians at 8-all and went on their unchallenged run to win the set 25-16.

The rhythm was still with Kazakhstan as they took the 10-8 lead in the second set. As the Indians regained their form to catch the rivals at 22-22, the Kazakhs still lived up to their expectation, winning three points in a row to snatch the close set 25-22.

The third set turned out to be a one-sided battle as Kazakhstan led from start to finish before capturing the easy set 25-13 and match.

“We expected a straight-set win in this match, but things turned sour as Zhannel Nogaibayeva, one of my key players, had a right ankle sprain during the morning practice. This was a big trouble for our team because, without her, I think we could not win easily. However, she told us she was okay and the show had to go on. I’m very happy that my team beat India as we lost to them 0-3 in the recent Princess Cup here.  A key for our team’s success was speed. Everyone in my team moved around the court during the competition to receive and dig. I hope that we can play this form in our next match,” Japanese Koichi Shuto, coach of Kazakhstan, commented after that match.

Kazakhstan captured the top spot in Pool D and will next take on Hong Kong in the quarter-final ranking round, while India is due to play Australia.

In the other game, Thailand overpowered Chinese Taipei in a hard-fought five-set thriller 19-25 25-19 21-25 25-20 17-15 to top Pool B at the 12th Asian Women’s U17 Volleyball Championship.

Australia defied against all odds to stun Iran in tie-breaker 22-25 20-25 25-19 25-21 15-9 and top Pool C at their last preliminary encounter in the 12th Asian Women’s U17 Volleyball Championship at the Nakhon Pathom Municipality Gymnasium.

NEW TRANSFER BOMB: Kim Yeon-Koung in Eczacibasi!

In 2018/2019 she will again play in Turkey and her new team is Eczacibasi VitrA.

After many offers from Brazil, China and Fenerbahce, Kim Yeon-Koung decided to defend colors of the Turkish vice-champions.
With this contract we can say that Ecazcibasi will be very strong in the next season and for sure will have big goals in the domestic league but also in the CEV Champions League 2019.

Last season Kim played in Shanghai and before that she was a member of Fenerbahce. Everybody expected that she will return to Yellow Angels but it seems that Eczacibasi gave her a better offer.

NEW COMPETITION FORMAT UNVEILED FOR THE ASIAN WOMEN’S U17 CHAMPIONSHIP

All is set for the 12th Asian Women’s U17 Volleyball Championship, the first Championship in which the AVC-initiated new competition format will come into effect with aims of improving the match day atmosphere and thrilling fans with action-packed competitions from the very beginning.

The top-notch championship will be held at the Nakhon Pathom Municipality Gymnasium between May 20 and 27, with a total of 13 teams vying for the top honour and four tickets to contest the next year’s FIVB Women’s U18 World Championship in Mexico. However, Uzbekistan backed out of the competition a few weeks earlier.

World No.3 and four-time winners China, reigning and successive six-time champions Japan and Korea are in Pool A, with Chinese Taipei, Hong Kong and hosts Thailand in Pool B. Pool C comprise Iran, New Zealand and Australia, while India joins Malaysia and Kazakhstan in Pool D.

On Sunday, Malaysia and Kazakhstan set up the curtain-raisers of the one-week competition, followed by the thrilling matches between Hong Kong and Thailand and New Zealand against Australia. The day’s highlight can be expected from last match of the day between Japan and Korea.

Ahead of the Sunday’s official kickoff, a joint meeting was held on Friday between Control Committee, chaired by AVC Secretary-General Mr Shanrit Wongprasert, and local organizing committee to confirm match schedule and all activities related to the competition.

“We suffer on the tight schedule. Apart from the Asian Women’s U17 Championship, which will be concluded on May 27, Thailand Volleyball Association have to be well-prepared for the Volleyball Nations League in Bangkok between May 29 and 31. So, we have to fix all the schedules here.  Some staff members here might have many activities to deal with. We just make sure that everything is put in the right place ahead of the start of the Asian Women’s U17 Championship on May 20. With cooperation among CC members and full supports from the organisers, I believe the championship will be a success,” Mr Shanrit said in the meeting.

Technical Delegate Dr Eom Han-Joo informed the meeting that the AVC new competition format will be used for the first time in the Asian Women’s U17 Championship.

“The AVC new competition system will be used for the first time this year for all AVC Championships, starting with the Asian Women’s U17 Championship here. The new format will make teams at the same level locked in tight contests from the beginning of the tournament. And of course, this will thrill fans who can watch closely-contested matches from the opening day. It’s totally different from the previous tournaments when we had to watch boring matches of strong teams taking on lower-ranked sides on the first three days of the tournament,” Dr Eom indicated.

“For the AVC new competition system, teams will be ranked respectively for pool assignments according to their performances in the previous edition, while teams which did not participate in the previous event will be assigned to the last pools. The teams, especially the lower-ranked sides, will have to fight all-out from the beginning to keep their hopes of advancing to the next rounds alive, So, the championship will have every one so excited, while expectations of each team are soaring,” he added.

Following the joint meeting on Friday, the first venue inspection was made which found that the Nakhon Pathom Municipality Gymnasium, fresh from hosting the “Princess Cup” 20th South East Asian Women’s U17 Championship from May 13 to 17, is well-prepared for the staging of the 12th Asian Women’s U17 Championship.

All participating teams already arrived in town on Saturday, ready to test their mettle in the championship, while the preliminary enquiry also came to a fruitful outcome.

The General Technical Meeting, presided by Lt. Col. Dr Sinthop Kaewphijit, president of Nakhon Pathom Sport Association, took place on Saturday at the Mida Grande Dhavaravati Nakhon Pathom Hotel, with team managers, staff coaches and team doctors from all participating teams in attendance to hear and understand the meeting agenda, all informations and requirements related to the competition.

The meeting was followed by the simple opening ceremony, with flag bearers from participating teams marching into the ball room, where the welcome dinner was held. Dr Sinthop delivered his welcome speech to all participants and flag bearers then placed down their flags. Everyone enjoyed all the dishes at the dinner buffet. Some traditional dances were performed on the stage, with all participating teams taking turns in showing their fun dances.

MATCH SCHEDULE (all local times)

POOL ROUND-ROBIN PRELIMINARIES

MAY 20, 2018

11.30am: Malaysia v Kazakhstan

2pm: Hong Kong v Thailand

4.30pm: New Zealand v Australia

7pm: Japan v Korea

MAY 21, 2018

11.30am: Chinese Taipei v Hong Kong

2pm: China v Japan

4.30pm: Iran v New Zealand

7pm: India v Malaysia

MAY 22, 2018

11.30am: Australia v Iran

2pm: Thailand v Chinese Taipei

4.30pm: Kazakhstan v India

7pm: Korea v China

KAZAKHSTAN, AUSTRALIA, CHINESE TAIPEI READY TO CONTEND AVC BERTH FOR FIVB CHALLENGER CUP

Coaches and captains of hosts Kazakhstan, Australia, and Chinese Taipei talked about their preparations and insights on the AVC Qualification for the 2018 FIVB Volleyball Challenger Cup at the Baluan Sholak Sports Palace Press Centre on Thursday.

Kazakhstan coach Vyacheslav Shapran said: “We wish to welcome all the teams here in Almaty. We have previously played against Australia and Chinese Taipei. We surely like playing against these teams although it was very difficult to play against them. This is a new competition and we wish the best of luck to the coaches, and the players.”

“Last year, we were able to qualify for the FIVB World Championship. Our main task is to prepare for this Championship, as well as the Asian Games in August. Our road to build a strong team will be prepared well during these next matches,” Shapran added.

Kazakhstan captain Radmila Beresneva said:” Welcome to all teams, we are glad to see all of you here in Almaty. I wish the best of luck and good performance for all the teams.”

Australia coach Shannon Winzer said: “Hopefully we can learn from some of the things we did last year and do even better this year. We would surely like to do our best and hopefully qualify for the FIVB Challenger Cup. It’s about getting better every single year, and this a great test for us this weekend. We’ve been in Poland and Slovenia for the last few weeks, playing against European teams. This is probably one of the best preparations we’ve had. We are feeling confident but we always enjoyed playing against Kazakhstan and Chinese Taipei.”

Australia captain Beth Carey said: “It’s good to be back here in Kazakhstan. You’ve always been very good hosts. We look forward some tough games, and we hope to just keep improving our play.”

Chinese Taipei captain Li-Yun Chang said: “We are very pleased to be here in Kazakhstan and we hope that everyone will enjoy the matches.”

The eventual winner will earn the right to compete in the 2018 FIVB Volleyball Challenger Cup, joining two CEV teams, one team from NORCECA, and the winning team from a playoff between CAVB and CSV.

KAZAKHSTAN, PAKISTAN, CHINESE TAIPEI BATTLE FOR RIGHT TO FIVB CHALLENGER CUP PLAYOFF

Coaches and captains of hosts Kazakhstan, Chinese Taipei, and Pakistan expressed their determination and readiness for the AVC Qualification for the 2018 FIVB Volleyball Challenger Cup during the Press Conference at the Baluan Sholak Sports Palace on Thursday.

Kazakhstan coach Igor Nikolchenko said: “We wish all the teams the best of luck in this competition. Our main task is to qualify for the next round, and with this, we need to play to win every match. We have invited young players and our main goal is to make these players stronger and work well within our program.”

Kazakhstan captain Alexandr Stolnikov said: “We always enjoy meeting with these teams and we wish everyone the best of luck.”

Chinese Taipei coach Yu-An Chen said: “We want to try and enjoy our game, and get the best result to qualify for the next round.”

Chinese Taipei captain Chien- Chen Chen: “We hope to enjoy the games and try to win every match with by giving our best effort.”

Pakistan coach Hamid Movahedi said: “This tournament is very important in line with the new plans of the FIVB. We wish to aim for the best result possible. My team is a new team. A year ago, we started to make plans for this national team and this competition is the best chance for us to improve.”

Pakistan captain Rasool Mohib said: “In Pakistan, we have formed a new team with new players, and with the support of our coach, we would simply like to do our best in this competition.”

The winners of the three-day men’s meet will earn the right for a playoff against CSV’s contender. One CAVB team, Two CEV teams and one NORCECA team complete the entries for the 2018 FIVB Volleyball Challenger Cup Men’s Competition.

Thailand defended their title after a lop-sided 25-10, 25-8, 25-7) win over India in the final showdown of the “Princess Cup” 20th Est Cola South East Asian Women’s U17 Volleyball Championship

Wiranyupa Inchan scored a team-high 10 points including 7 attacks from 8 attempts, wile Ghosh Disha claimed four points for India.

With the boisterous support from the home fans, Thailand played with confidence to seal victory in the first two sets 25-10, 25-8 without much trouble.

Conceding one set, India regrouped to bring out their best form which saw them put up a good fight in the third set. Nevertheless, their determination was not sufficient as the host side remained aggressive from the wing and service line to see them take a commanding 10-0 lead.Thailand went on their spectacular performance and took total control of the game to clinch the set 25-7, match and the prestigious “Princess Cup.”

“The result meets our initial target although my players still have something to learn and improve. We prepared well for this match as we studied their game before the match. India didn’t show their best because we tried to put pressure on them with effective serving and it worked out pretty well. We also played with less mistakes,so I am quite satisfied with their performance,” Thailand head coach Chamnan Dokmai said after the match.

“It is a good preparation for our team for the Asian Women’s U17 Championship where we will face stronger opponents. Our goal is to qualify for the World Championship.We will try our best,” he added.

Local boys Nuttanon and Sedtawat bags Men's Gold at the FIVB Beach Pak Bara Beach Tour,Satun

Satun, Thailand, April 11, 2018 – Top-seeded Nuttanon Inkiew and Sedtawat Padsawud made it all the way to the top of the podium at the SMM Pak Bara Beach Satun one-star stop on the 2018 FIVB Beach Volleyball World Tour to the great delight of the home fans in Thailand. For 26-year-old Nuttanon and 22-year-old Sedtawat this was only the fourth participation and their first ever medal on the World Tour.

The silver medals went to second-seeded Ade Rachmawan and Mohammad Ashfiya of Indonesia. For them this was also the fourth event and the first podium finish on the Tour. Fourth-seeded Rahman Raoufi and Abolhamed Mirzaali of Iran celebrated with the bronze. For Raoufi, who turned 40 in the first main draw competition day in Satun, this was the third World Tour medal after the bronze at Agadir 2017 and the silver at Muscat 2018, while his partner Mirzaali climbs the podium for the first time ever.

Ledoux and Stockman comes back from a set down to win Gold at FIVB Beach Tour Satun beating Kazakhstan

Tenth-seeded Caitlin Ledoux and Emily Stockman are the winners of the SMM Pak Bara Beach Satun one-star stop on the 2018 FIVB Beach Volleyball World Tour. The American pair staged two great comebacks in their matches on Wednesday to grab the women’s crown. For 29-year-old Stockman it was the second gold and second medal of any kind on the World Tour after victory at Langkawi 2017. For 27-year-old Ledoux, this was also the second podium finish, but the first ever gold after claiming silver at Shepparton 2018. 

The Satun women’s silver went to Tatyana Mashkova and Irina Tsimbalova. For the Kazakhstani players seeded fourth in the tournament it was the first ever medal on the World Tour. Thailand’s Rumpaipruet Numwong and Khanittha Hongpak, seeded fifth, pleased the home crowd with the bronze medal. For the 23-year-old athletes, it was also the first podium finish in their World Tour careers.

In Wednesday’s gold medal match, Ledoux and Stockman claimed a 2-1 (19-21, 21-16, 15-8) victory over Mashkova and Tsimbalova after 43 minutes of play. Halfway through the first set, the Kazakhstani duo established a slight lead and maintained it through to the end of the set, which came at 21-19 after a successful hit by Mashkova. In the second set the Americans started showing their superiority and cruised to a comfortable 21-16 win, shaped up with a smart hit by Stockman for the last point. The decisive tie-breaker was quite competitive through 5-5, but then Ledoux and Stockman went on a 10-3 run, with Stockman once again taking the responsibility to close the set at 15-8.

The bronze medal match was a tough battle, which the home team managed to win in straight sets. In both sets, however, Numwong and Hongpak celebrated narrow two-point wins – 2-0 (21-19, 24-22) against third-seeded Dhita Juliana and Putu Utami. The Indonesians stormed into the first set to open a 7-1 lead and widened it to 13-6. Cheered on by the fans on Pak Bara Beach, the Thai pair reacted with a seven-point series to tie the set at 13-13. In the concluding rallies, Numwong and Hongpak scored three in a row for a 21-19 win. The fierce battle for every point went on throughout the second set, with the gap never exceeding two points. The Indonesians were the first to reach set point, but then they had to save a couple of match points for Thailand. On the third one, Hongpak found an empty spot in the opponents’ half to close the game at 24-22.

Both semifinals earlier on Wednesday proved to be dramatic three-setters, in which the eventual winners had to come back from a set down on the way to the big final. Ledoux and Stockman overcame the resistance of Dhita and Putu for a 2-1 (20-22, 21-16, 15-13) victory after 53 minutes of play. It took Mashkova and Tsimbalova a minute longer to claim a 2-1 (19-21, 21-18, 17-15) win over Numwong and Hongpak after a dramatic overtime tie-breaker.

FIVB releases Pools of Volleyball Nations League.Thailand to host Week 3 and 4 in Pool 11 and 15.

DHITA AND PUTU POWER THROUGH TO SATUN QUARTERFINALS

Four teams from four different countries emerged as pool winners and advanced directly to the quarterfinals of the SMM Pak Bara Beach Satun one-star stop on the 2018 FIVB Beach Volleyball World Tour, as main draw action got underway on Monday. Only one of them, Indonesia’s Dhita Juliana and Putu Utami, managed to do so without losing any sets along the way. 

The third-seeded Dhita and Putu were also the highest-ranked pair to win their pool. Fourth-seeded Tatyana Mashkova and Irina Tsimbalova of Kazakhstan, eighth-seeded Sayaka Mizoe and Suzuka Hashimoto of Japan and tenth-seeded Caitlin Ledoux and Emily Stockman of USA were the other three teams that scored two wins each securing a spot among the best eight of the tournament.

Asian women dominate in Satun qualification round

Chinese Taipei’s Kou Nai-Han and Liu Pi Hsin had the better end game in two qualification round matches to advance to the main draw of the FIVB Beach Volleyball World Tour SMM Pak Bara Beach Satun 1-star at the Pak Bara Beach on Sunday.



Kou N.H/Liu P.H. fought down to the wire to win against Russia’s Ekaterina Filina and Ksenia Dabizha 2-1 (17-21, 21-17, 16-14) and the Czech Republic’s Sara Olivova and Eliksa Davidova 2-1 (24-22, 18-21, 27-25), respectively.

Spain’s Paula Soria Gutierrez and Maria Belen Carro Marquez de Acuna survived as the remaining European contender in the qualification round, following their 2-0 (21-17, 21-15) win over Hong Kong’s Ting Chi Yuen and Wai Yan Au Yeung.
After a convincing straight-set win in the first round of qualifications, Japan’s Yukako Suzuki/Saho Sakaguchi and Yui Nagata/Minori Kumada displayed resilience in their next match with respective 2-1 (21-15, 23-25, 15-11) and 2-1 (16-21, 21-12, 16-14) victories over European sides.

Supreme VC retains Tha-Denmark Volleyball Championship 2018 title 3-2 victory over archival Bangkok Glass

In-form Supreme VC, the reigning Asian Women’s Club champions and successive two-time Thailand League winners, successfully defended the Thai-Denmark Super League title on Sunday after the epic 3-2 victory over archival Bangkok Glass at the packed MCC Hall, The Mall Bangkapi Shopping Mall in Bangkok.

The fantastic comeback 3-2 (22-25 18-25 25-18 25-10 16-14) victory augers well  for their preparation for title defence at the 2018 Asian Women’s Club Volleyball Championship, which is due to take place in Ust-Kamenogorsk, Kazakhstan between July 11 and 18.

Supreme made much of the impact last year. Winning the locally-held Thailand League for the first time in history, Supreme made a double victory when they went on to capture the 2017 Thai-Denmark Super League, stunning title-holders and the 2015 Asian Club winners Bangkok Glass 3-1 in the final showdown. They continued their exceptional performance in the regional stage by landing the Asian Women’s Club title, the second club from Thailand after Bangkok Glass to win such a prestigious tournament.

This year, Supreme remained proved well to be one of the Thailand’s strongest teams to be reckoned with. Spearheaded by three national players, Wilavan Apinyapong, Ajchachaporn Kongyot and Piyanut Pannoy, and strengthened by veteran Malika Kanthong, who, due to her injury, skipped some major tournaments last year including the FIVB World Grand Prix, Venezuelan middle-blocker Aleoscar Blanco and strongly-built American opposite spiker Sareea Freeman, Supreme retained their Thailand League crown and repeated the feat over Bangkok Glass to defend their Thai-Denmark Super League title.

In the 2018 Super League, Supreme kicked off their campaign with a convincing 3-0 win over Khonkaen Star,  but lost in straight sets to Bangkok Glass to finish second in Pool A.

Supreme, under the close guidance of Thailand national team assistant coach Nataphon Srisamutnak, struggled to beat formidable Nakhon Ratchasima The Mall’s VC, powered by three national players including hard-hitting Onuma Sittirak and Chatchu-on Moksri, 3-2 in the semi-finals.

Against formidable Bangkok Glass, led by superstar spiker Pluemjit Thinkaow, setter Pronoun Guedpard, veteran libero Wanna Buakaew and Greek outside hitter Anna Maria Spanou in the Sunday’s finale, Supreme lost the first two sets 22-25 18-25, but regained their composure to fight back bravely to win the remaining three sets 25-18 25-10 16-14 to successfully retain their Super League crown.

After this, some players in the Supreme VC including Wilavan, Ajcharaporn, Malika and Piyanut are likely to join the Thailand national team in their preparation for daunting international tournaments including the Korea-Thailand Pro Volleyball All-Star Super Match on April 8, 2018 in Korea and the FIVB Volleyball Nations League in May and June.

After the Nations League, Supreme will resume their intensive full-team training in their final preparation for the 2018 Asian Women’s Club Championship in Kazakhstan, where they are due to strut their stuff against the other leading club teams from Asia.

Thailand’s title-holders Supreme are in Pool A with Japan and China. Pool B comprises hosts Kazakhstan, Chinese Taipei, Iran and Vietnam, while the Philippines, Indonesia, Fiji and Sri Lanka are in Pool C.

At the last year’s Asian Women’s Club Championship in Kazakhstan, Supreme stunned China’s Tianjin Bohai Bank 3-1 in the semi-finals before brushing off Japan’s Hisamiitsu Springs with the same margin in the final showdown to capture their debut Asian Club title.

Meanwhile, Nakhon Ratchasima The Mall’s VC, the men’s champions in the Thailand League which will represent Thailand in the Asian Men’s Club Volleyball Championship in Nay Pyi Taw, Myanmar from July 30 to August 6, 2018, failed to make the cut for the final showdown of the Thai-Denmark Super League after going down 2-3 to arch rivals Air Force VC in the semi-finals. Air Force stormed on to beat Visakha in comfortable straight sets to capture the Super League title.

Asean teams have been invited to compete in the “Princess Cup” South East Asian Women’s U17 Volleyball Championship from May 13 to 17 in Nakhon Pathom

ASEAN teams have been invited to compete in the “Princess Cup” South East Asian Women’s U17 Volleyball Championship from May 13 to 17 in Nakhon Pathom, a warm-up tournament ahead of their participation in the 12th Asian Women’s U17 Volleyball Championship three days later at the same competing venue.

The Asian meet, which will be held at the Nakhon Pathom Municipality Gymnasium in Nakhon Pathom, Thailand from May 20 to 27 will serve as the Asian Zone qualifying tournament to decide top four teams to make the cut for the next year’s FIVB Volleyball Women’s U18 World Championship, of which the host country has yet been announced.

The biennial Princess Cup invitational tournament has been hosted by Thailand for years. In the previous editions, teams invited included overseas clubs and unfancied national teams such as Hong Kong, Sri Lanka and India. The organisers just had their fingers crossed and hoped for the best that by competing in the tournament, the participating teams will be improving their tactics and techniques in leaps and bounds.

However, some few years ago, the rule and regulation for teams invited to the Princess Cup tournament have been changed. Two years ago, hosts Thailand organised the Princess Cup tournament in coincidence with the South East Asian Women’s U19 Championship in Si Sa Ket. This time, teams invited for the Princess Cup invitational tournament will be contested under the South East Asian Women’s U17 Championship in Nakhon Pathom.

According to AVC Secretary-General Mr Shanrit Wongprasert, the “Princess Cup” South East Asian Women’s U17 Championship will be held with an aim of allowing the lower-ranked teams chances of sharpening their skills ahead of  their participation in the Asian Women’s U17 Championship, which is due to be held at the same venue between May 20 and 27.

“A daunting task awaits all these teams in the Asian meet. By contesting the “Princess Cup” South East Asian Women’s U17 Championship, they will gain valuable competition experience which can become a good asset for their tougher task in the Asian meet. They can make it their final tune-up match ahead of the top-notch Asian Championship.” said Mr Shanrit.

He added that around 6-8 teams are expected to join the Princess Cup tournament and just three days later, they will next go up much stronger rivals in the Asian U17 Championship.

Indonesia and Thailand share honours at Asian U19 Beach Volleyball Championships

Promising Danang Herlambang/Bintang Akbar smashed hosts Thailand’s dreams of sweeping both titles at stake in the 2018 Asian U19 Beach Volleyball Championships at the Nakhon Pathom Municipality Sports School competition site when the Indonesians produced a fantastic comeback 2-1 (14-21 27-25 15-13) win over Thailand’s Phanupong Thanan/Phichakon Narathon in the hard-fought men’s showdown.

The double-gender, three-day competition served as the Asian qualification tournament for the FIVB Beach Volleyball U19 World Championships in Nanjing, China from June 26 to July 1, 2018 and the Youth Olympic Games in Buenos Aires, Argentina from October 6 to 18, 2018.

Top three teams (country team) from both men’s and women’s events are assured of making the cut for the world meet and the similar quotas are also possible for the Youth Olympic Games.

Under the scorching sun with the temperature highs around 35 degrees Celsius, Danang/Bintang brushed off Pakistan’s Zarnab Khan/Afaq Khan 2-0 in the semi-final encounter, while the Thai duo, who, to their credit, captured the Asian U17 Beach Volleyball Championships two years ago on home soil, struggled to beat Kazakhstan’s Abdulmajid Mokhammad/Nurdos Aldash 2-1 in the other semi-final clash.

Going down in the first set 14-21, Danang/Bintang fought back effectively to keep the cheering Thai fans on their toes. Winning the hotly-contested second set 27-25, the Indonesians remained consistently and confidently to win the decider 15-13, the match and the gold medal.

“We are very happy to win the title. We lost the first set because we played nervously. It might be because this is our first international tournament. We moved faster and tried to come up with strong attacks and serves in the second and third sets. I think that’s the key to our win. After this, we will train much harder in preparation for the U19 World Championships in China. To improve our skills, we will train with Indonesia’s senior teams and seek more opportunities to compete in international tournaments,” said Danang through interpreter coach Bambang Eko S.

In the third-place playoff, Kazakhs Mokhammad/Aldash downed Pakistan’s Zarnab/Afaq 21-11 21-11 to claim bronze.

Meanwhile, Thatsarida Singchuea/Pawarun Chanthawichai, who did not lose a set to their respective rivals, restored the Thai pride when they overpowered Chinese Zeng Jinjin/Cao Shuting 21-15 21-18 in the women’s final clash to add another title to their tally. Thatsarida and Pawarun had already captured the 2016 Asian U17 Championships in Ratchaburi and the Asian U21 Championships in Roi-Et, Thailand.

In the semi-finals earlier, Thatsarida/Pawarun powered past Indonesians Vitria Rahayu/Ragil Ningtyas 21-10 23-21, while Chinese Zeng/Cao beat Kazakhstan’s Alina Rachenko/Yelizaveta Yeropkina 21-17 25-23.

The Kazakh girls avenged the first-round loss to Vitria/Ragil to beat the Indonesians 21-16 21-18 in the third-place playoff. Rachenko/Yelizaveta’s victory helped Kazakhstan make a clean sweep of both bronze medals on offer in the Championships.

SUNDAY’S RESULTS
MEN
SEMI-FINALS: Phanupong Thanan/Phichakon Narathon (Thailand) b Abdulmajid Mokhammad/Nurdos Aldash (Kazakhstan) 2-1 (21-9 19-21 15-4); Danang Herlambang/Bintang Akbar (Indonesia) b Zarnab Khan/Afaq Khan (Pakistan) 21-17 21-17
THIRD-PLACE PLAYOFF: Abdulmajid Mokhammad/Nurdos Aldash (Kazakhstan) b Zarnab Khan/Afaq Khan (Pakistan) 2-0 (21-11 21-11)
FINAL: Danang Herlambang/Bintang Akbar (Indonesia) b Phanupong Thanan/Phichakon Narathon (Thailand) 2-1 (14-21 27-25 15-13)

WOMEN
SEMI-FINALS: Thatsarida Singchuea/Pawarun Chanthawichai (Thailand) b Vitria Rahayu/Ragil Ningtyas (Indonesia) 2-0 (21-10 23-21); Zeng Jinjin/Cao Shuting (China) b Alina Rachenko/Yelizaveta Yeropkina (Kazakhstan) 2-0 (21-17 25-23)
THIRD-PLACE PLAYOFF: Alina Rachenko/Yelizaveta Yeropkina (Kazakhstan) b Vitria Rahayu/Ragil Ningtyas (Indonesia) 21-16 21-18
FINAL: Thatsarida Singchuea/Pawarun Chanthawichai (Thailand) b Zeng Jinjin/Cao Shuting (China) 21-15 21-18

FINAL RANKINGS
MEN
1. INDONESIA
2. THAILAND
3. KAZAKHSTAN
4. Pakistan
5. China, Iran, Oman, Sri Lanka
9. Cambodia, Hong Kong, India, Japan, Laos, Malaysia, Maldives, Chinese Taipei
17. Saudi Arabia, Myanmar, Nepal, Philippines, Qatar, Singapore, Vietnam

WOMEN
1. THAILAND
2. CHINA
3. KAZAKHSTAN
4. Indonesia
5. Hong Kong, Japan, Sri Lanka, Vietnam
9. India, Maldives, Singapore, Chinese Taipei
13. Laos, Myanmar

AVC has announced that a new competition format will come into effect for all AVC Championships from 2018

AVC has announced that a new competition format will come into effect for all AVC Championships this year with teams from the same level dealing with close battles, promising a real adrenaline rush and boisterous cheers from the very beginning of the tournament.

Following the 2017 AVC Board of Administration’s unanimous decision on discussion topics proposed by the Sports Events Council, the new AVC competition format will see teams being drawn into three or four pools up to the total amount of the participating teams. Each team, as well as the host side, will be assigned into a pool according to their previous ranking.

As the three or four best-ranked teams from the previous tournament will be drawn in the same Pool A, the next best three (or four teams) will contest Pool B. Pool C will comprise teams finishing next best three or four teams, with Pool D featuring teams which did not participate in the previous tournament.

“The new format of all AVC Championships will provide nonstop excitement from the first match. The teams finishing top three or top four in the previous edition are likely to have the same standard and tactics. Therefore, they will come up with their best performances from the start to vie for the top spot of their pool. Situations will also be the same in the other pools, with teams with the similar standards fighting it out for a better position in their pools,” cited AVC Secretary-General Mr Shanrit Wongprasert.

With their rankings from the previous edition being taken into consideration for drawing of lots, the participating teams have already been drawn in respective pools in all AVC Championships this year. However, the casting lots for all 10 AVC Championships will be made on Monday, February 26 at Dusit Princess Srinakharin Hotel in Bangkok to decide the match schedule of each championship.

“According to the new competition format, teams will first compete in the pool round-robin preliminaries, where they all will be ranked respectively in their pools. The knockout second round will be held later, with team finishing first taking on team finishing 8th and the 2nd playing the 7th. If there are more than eight teams such as 11 teams in this year’s Asian Women’s Club Championship in Ust-Kamenogorsk, Kazakhstan from July 11 to 18, after the first round, top teams in Pool A will have the rest day, while the remaining teams will compete in the so-called “qualification tournament for teams in quarter-finals,” allowing lower-ranked teams (team finishing 4th and below) to fight for their best outcome in the Championship,” Shanrit explained.

“If there are 16 teams or more, the Championship will be split to Division 1 and Division 2, to be held at the same time in the same Championship. Each Division will comprise teams to be drawn according to their rankings in the previous edition. However, at the end of the Championship, only two teams with the worst performances in Division 1 will be relegated to Division 2 in the next edition of the Championship, while top two teams in Division 2 will be promoted to compete in Division 1 instead.

For a better understanding in the new AVC competition format, the 12th Asian Women’s U17 Volleyball Championship, which is due to be held in Nakhon Pathom, Thailand from May 20 to 27, 2018, will be brought to use as example.

A total of 13 teams have already confirmed their participation in the youth event. Japan, champions at the previous edition in Chongqing, China in 2017, are in Pool A with China (2nd) and Korea (3rd). Pool B comprises hosts Thailand (4th), Chinese Taipei (5th) and Hong Kong (6th). Australia (7th), New Zealand (8th) and Iran (9th) are in Pool C, while Pool D consists of Uzbekistan (10th), (11th), (12th) and (13th). Kazakhstan, India and Malaysia, all of which did not compete in the previous episode, have been drawn in Pool D as  11th, 12th, 13th teams.

In the round-robin preliminaries, Japan, China and Korea will play in Pool A to fight for a better 1-2-3 finish, while Thailand, Chinese Taipei and Hong Kong in Pool B will compete for their better positions among the 4-5-6 rankings. Australia, New Zealand and Iran will contest Pool C for the 7-8-9 rankings, while Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, India and Malaysia will battle for their better rankings from 10th to 13th places.

After the first round in Nakhon Pathom, the top three teams Japan, China and Korea in Pool A will have a rest day on May 23, leaving only team finishing 4th to play team finishing 9th, the 5th to take on the 10th, the 6th to fight against the 11th, the 7th to battle it out against the 12th and the 8th to meet the 13th. The winning teams will then advance to the quarter-finals, while the losers will play in the 9th-13th classification.

“The new competition format will not only reduce one competition day from 9 days in usual to 8 days,  but also help spectators enjoy the thrilling match from the beginning of the championshiph. As the much stronger teams will have to come up with their best form throughout the tournament, the lower-ranked sides have to fight it hard for their survivals in the next round. I believe that audience will be thrilled nonstop by the action-packed matches set for all AVC Championships this year,” Shanrit said.

The drawing of lots will be held on February 26, 2018 for 10 AVC Championships as follows.

1. The 12th Asian Women’s U17 Volleyball Championship in Nakhon Pathom, Thailand from May 20 to 27.
2. The 19th Asian Women’s U19 Volleyball Championship in Bac Ninh, Vietnam from June 10 to 17.
3. The 12th Asian Men’s U18 Volleyball Championship in Tabriz, Iran from June 29 to July6.
4. The 2018 Asian Women’s Club Volleyball Championship in Ust-Kamenogorsk, Kazakhstan from July 11 to 18.
5. The 19th Asian Men’s U20 Volleyball Championship in Manama, Bahrain from July 21 to 28.
6. The 1st AVC Women’s Challenge Cup in Hong Kong from July 30 to August 5.
7. The 2018 Asian Men’s Club Volleyball Championship in Nay Pyi Taw, Myanmar from July 30 to August 6.
8. The 6th AVC Cup for Men in Chinese Taipei from August 8 to 15.
9. The 1st AVC Men’s Challenge Cup (host country to be announced later) from September 15 to 22.
10. The 6th AVC Cup for Women in Nakhon Ratchasima, Thailand from September 16 to 23.
11.