Bangkok Glass suffer first loss at hands of Volero Zurich

Olesia Rykhliuk led the charge for Volero Zurich finishing with 20 points, highlighted by 16 attacks.

Dobriana Rabadzhieva chipped in 17 markers, while USA national team member and the best middle blocker of the Rio 2016 Olympic Games Foluke Akinradewo delivered 11 markers.

Volero Zurich have played twice before against an Asian club, defeating China's Guandgong Evergrade in pool play in 2013 before losign to the same team in the bronze medal match of the same event. Volero Zurich notched the early 1-0 Pool B lead with VakifBank Istanbul, which had defeated Hisamitsu Springs Kobe earlier in straight sets.

Wilavan Apinyaopong had 12 points for Bangkok Glass, while American import Ashley Frazier registered 11 hits in a losing effort.

Bangkok Glass dropped to an 0-1 win-loss record in Pool B, joining fellow Asian team Hisamitsu Springs Kobe after the first day.

Zoran Terzic, Volero Zurich coach: “In this kind of competition, the first game is very, very difficult. We didn’t play our best today, definitely my players were not relaxed in the court. But I hope in the next game, we’ll play much better without pressure.”

“Thailand plays different compared with the Europeans, so it was a little bit difficult.  But we eventually played a little bit better. Thailand needs to play a little bit different because they are not so tall, so they play much faster than Europeans, with much better defence.”

On who do you think played well on his team:
“I don't speak about my players, who played better or not, but we played well like a team.”

On Volero Zurich’s 21 errors are attributed to nervousness:

“Yes, of course. If you work at practice on one way and during the game you try to change something because you’re scared or nervous you’ll make a lot of mistakes. If the players come to the court relaxed, I think this is how we play good.”

Natalya Mammadova, Volero Zurich captain: “It was our first win, but it was not really easy playing against Thailand (Bangkok Glass), which has a different style of play than in Europe. They play good defence, the game was up and down but we took all we can. For the third set, we got nervous maybe because it was the first match, but we tried to concentrate on the game, and we managed. Yes, we were successful.

Kittipong Porncharyingcheep, Bangkok Glass coach: “We are happy with the way we played. But Team Europe (Volero Zurich) was very tall. But I think the in the next game we'll do better.”

“It’s very difficult to play against them, because we cannot block, and they serve very good. It was really, really difficult.”

Thinkaow Pleumjit, Bangkok Glass captain: “We learned a lot of technique today. So, we hope to improve our team everyday. It’s very difficult to play against them because they’re strong and tall, so we have to play faster than them.”